PSA Tools Up for Domestic Steel-Cased Ammo Manufacturing

Palmetto State Armory plans to start domestic production of steel-cased Soviet calibres. This is to offset the Russian ammo banning. It hopes to be fully operational by 2023. Multiple sources shared information over the past week about Palmetto State Armory’s intention to start domestic production of three popular calibers steel-cased Soviet ammo. Now, PSA has confirmed the same via AR15.com. 7.62×39, 5.45, and 54R will all be manufactured in the US under the soviet arms brand. This is a large-scale construction and manufacturing project that has been ongoing for approximately a year. The first round of steel cases will be off the line in 2023, according to our current timeline. There are always delays in large projects. We should be able make up most of the missing Russian imports. According to Atlantic Firearms, the substantial investment was used to buy the tooling and know how from an unknown Eastern European ammunition manufacturer. It will be fascinating to find out where Palmetto acquired his new machinery and knowledge. This noble undertaking could allow millions of Americans to continue their training at a low cost. Although the company may have had a lucky break by signing the deal before the Russian gun ban was announced, it now has a prime opportunity for them to offset the recent attempts at backdoor gun control. The old supply of reliable, cheap steel-cased ammunition will be greatly missed. The 7.62×39 cartridge has been a popular choice in the United States for the past several decades. It is used by millions of Commbloc guns, but there are also ARs, bolt-actions, and Rugers that can be chambered for it. Although 7.62x54r is more niche than the 7.62 Soviet, 5.45×39 and 7.62 Soviet are still very popular. However, there are still many Mosins and AK-74s that need to be loved. PSA is particularly concerned about a steady supply of 5.45×39, since they have already made significant investments in their domestic AK-74 design, which began back when Russia was still supplying ammunition. A 5.45 drought could be disastrous for the PSAK-74, so it makes sense that they will work to ensure that the supply chain is uninterrupted by import restrictions. This endeavor will be a success for the American shooter if PSA can deliver high quality ammunition at a competitive price. It would be great if PSA’s ammunition was indistinguishable in quality and price from the Russian stuff. While price, quality, and volume are the main priorities, there are other interesting opportunities that could be tapped into if they can achieve all three. There was a time when surplus Soviet 7n6 ammunition was being imported by the boatload. It was common to find genuine, Russian-made military 5.45 ammo packed in spam cans. This was the golden age of American AK-74 owners. Unfortunately, it ended when a company that didn’t have the foresight to request import approval from the ATF for a 5.45 AK gun. Permission was granted but 7n6 was immediately reclassified as “armorpiercing pistol ammunition”, effectively banning its importation. Although imported 7n6 may never be available again, there is nothing stopping domestic producers from copying the load. It would be amazing to see PSA produce cheap training ammo as well as steel-cored copies for military loads like 7n6 or M43. The deal between JJE/PSA is still in place, and it is difficult to set up large-scale manufacturing. There is still plenty that could go wrong before we see the first PSA steel-cased roll off their line at competitive prices, but for the sake of the American gun community at large let’s all hope that their 2023 prediction proves true.For more information on PSA, please visit palmettostatearmory.comMore On Ammo Bans And 2A Rights:NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Storm Tactical Printable Target Pack 62 Printable MOA Targets with DOT Drills – Rifle Range in YARDS This impressive target pack from our friends at Storm Tactical contains 62 printable targets for rifle and handgun range use. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. Perfect for long-range shooting! Get free targets