FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do you sell to the general public?
A: YES. Orders may be placed through our website, in person at our facility, at a local gun show or event, or over the phone.
Q: What caliber ammunition do you manufacture?
A: We manufacture 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, 10mm Auto, .223 Remington, 5.56x45mm NATO, and .300 Blackout.
Q: Can I walk in and purchase ammunition? I live locally, and I would like to pick up my order to save on shipping cost.
A: For local customer who would like to pick up ammunition directly, you will need to place the order through our website so that we can notify you when the order is ready to be picked up. This allows us to plan our manufacturing schedule accordingly and helps us remain efficient.
Q: I am looking for (.22LR, .38 Special, .380 ACP, shotgun shells, etc.) and I can't find them on your site. What gives?
A: Our primary markets are competitive shooting, and firearms training courses. Due to the nature of those activities we have a narrow range of calibers which allows us to make a broader range of varieties WITHIN those calibers. It also reduces tooling changes and inventory costs which allows us to focus on being the best at what we do without trying to service all markets.
Q: Where are your products manufactured?
A: We manufacture all our products right here at our facility in Novi, Michigan, USA.
Q: Are your components parts made in the United States?
A: YES. ALL of our component parts are manufactured in the United States by American workers. We do not use primers or powder manufactured overseas, a common method of cutting corners other manufacturers use in order to hit a price point.
We are well aware there are cheaper offerings, but we take pride in the quality of our components and we have proven that it leads to a higher quality finished product.
Q: Do you offer credit for used brass?
A: Yes, we do. Credit will be issued via store credit to your customer account.
Please bring at least 10 pounds of brass at a time. Do not bother sorting brass, as our processing equipment is extremely sensitive and we cannot risk an improper sorting process which can damage the machinery. We prefer that you bring brass in a 5 gallon bucket so we can weigh it quickly.
Things we will not take:
- Berdan primed cases
- Steel or aluminum cases
- Shotgun hulls
- Brass that has been outdoors for more than 30 days
- Brass containing live ammunition
Q: I have a rifle chambered in .223 Remington / .223 Wylde / 5.56 NATO, will your ammunition function properly in my weapon?
A: YES. Let us repeat that.
YES.
The external dimensions of brass cases stamped with .223 Remington and 5.56x45mm NATO are absolutely, 100%, IDENTICAL. We don't care what you heard at a gun show, we do this for a living and we understand the guidelines for cartridge size provided by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI). Brass cases headstamped with 5.56x.45mm NATO markings have a thicker case wall near the base to properly contain the higher pressures typically found in military cartridges.
The popularity of the AR-15 rifle has led to rifles being chambered in a variety of .223 Remington and ".223 variant" styles including .223 Wylde and 5.56x45mm NATO. Our ammunition, which is loaded to SAAMI specification for .223 Remington is safe to fire in all of these chambers. Accuracy may be affected to a certain degree, but NOT safety margin.
A quick note on 5.56x45mm NATO: strictly speaking, this chamber size is still considered a 'wildcat' design as THERE IS NO SAAMI SPECIFICATION FOR MIN/MAX DIMENSIONS. If you were to take a sample of chamber readings from various barrel manufacturers, you will see a wide difference in chamber tolerances depending on the reamer used.
Further reading on this topic can be done HERE in an article that discusses the development of the .223 Remington and 5.56x45mm cartridges from start to finish. Well worth a read for any rifle enthusiast.
Q: Do you manufacture subsonic ammunition?
A: Yes, we do, although many pistol calibers are ‘naturally’ subsonic and we simply manufacture them to standard specifications. Some varieties of 9mm can be supersonic (such as 9mm 115gr ammunition), and most ‘Magnum’ calibers such as 10mm and .357 Sig are also supersonic, but the vast majority of pistol ammunition will have a muzzle velocity UNDER 1,050 feet per second – meaning they are subsonic. We do list our tested muzzle velocity for each product so our customers can see which are supersonic, and which are subsonic.
Be wary of companies selling special ‘subsonic’ versions of calibers such as .380 ACP, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP as these calibers are loaded to velocities under 1,050 FPS as standard. You are likely going to overpay for marketing hype with no additional benefits over standard varieties.
Q: Can you make subsonic .223 Remington / 5.56 NATO ammunition?
A: Sure, we could, but it’s a stupid idea. Rifle ammunition derives its muzzle energy by driving a light projectile at high speed. Reducing that to less than a third of original design (subsonic ammo must be under 1,050 feet per second) leaves you with a very expensive .22LR cartridge that won’t cycle the bolt on an AR-15. We can think of literally no application where this would be useful or desired. We suggest you choose a different caliber for your purpose or review your intended application.
Q: Can you make subsonic .50 BMG ammunition?
A: Stop it. Just, stop. Please. We're begging you.
Q: I am attending an IDPA / USPSA / 3-Gun competition out of state and need ammunition shipped to the location of the match, can you accommodate this?
A: YES! We can and do ship ammunition directly to competition locations, provided we have ample lead time. If you would like us to do so, please enter the venue location as your shipping address, and add any relevant information to the 'Notes' section during checkout.
Please make sure you have authorization from the match director or other on-site personnel before placing your order.
Q: I am considering pistol ammunition choices for IDPA / USPSA / 3-Gun / Steel Challenge use, what should I look for?
A: Generally, competition shooting requires ammunition which has a limited recoil while providing enough kinetic energy to reliably knock down steel targets within 50 feet. For those using 9mm pistols, we HIGHLY recommend 147 grain projectiles traveling below 950 FPS. 9mm 147gr ammunition has a lower velocity than either 115 or 124 grain ammunition, while the heavier projectile retains more kinetic energy. This provides a larger margin of error for shots that do not hit the center 'activation' zone on steel poppers, or shots that strike low on plate racks.
We manufacture our 9mm 147gr ammunition specifically to meet these requirements. You can expect to see 860-880 FPS from a 4.25" barrel pistol which will meet minimum Power Factor (PF) for IDPA and USPSA competitions.
Q: I compete in IDPA / USPSA / 3-Gun using a 9mm Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC). What ammunition do you recommend?
A: Most AR platform PCCs are constructed using barrels at least 12" long or greater. This length helps to generate additional velocity up to a certain point, but they can also REDUCE velocity due to excess friction. In our testing, we have found that 9mm 147gr ammunition generates LESS velocity from a 16" barrel PCC than it would from a 6" barrel pistol / handgun.
JP Enterprises recommends 9mm 124 grain ammunition in their PCCs due to the combination of velocity and accuracy seen in their independent testing, and we have found the same to be true. Many competitors are also using 9mm 115 grain ammunition with great success, as recoil and muzzle rise are not as important a factor for shouldered carbines.
Q: What is the minimum safe distance recommended for frangible ammunition?
A: We recommend at least 4 feet for rifles, and 2 feet for handguns. We have fired our frangible ammunition into AR500 targets at nearly muzzle contact distance with no splashback - something we do not necessarily endorse as best practices. However, frangible ammunition is designed specifically for close quarter battle (CQB) training environments and you should have no problem with properly designed training scenarios.
Q: I am considering using your frangible ammunition for self defense to reduce overpenetration in my home, is this advisable?
A: ABSOLUTELY NOT. Frangible projectiles DO NOT expand or fragment reliably in soft tissue, nor will they fragment reliably against a relatively soft barrier such as drywall. They will likely exhibit less penetration than full metal jacket (FMJ) projectiles, but in soft tissue, frangible ammunition acts much the same as full metal jacket rounds.
We highly recommend our FXP product line for defensive use.
Q: What is "2011" length ammunition and will this fit into my firearm?
A: A "2011" is a pistol platform that has gained popularity especially for competition shooters. Essentially, this platform mimics the classic 1911 design but uses a double-stack magazine to increase capacity. Many 2011 pistols chambered in 9mm can hold as many as 21 rounds with a standard length magazine.
However, the original 1911 chamber and magazine dimensions were designed for .45 ACP, a round with a maximum overall length of approximately 1.275", compared to 9mm with a maximum overall length of 1.169". The shorter 9mm round can experience feeding issues in SOME 2011 pistols due to the fact that it must "jump" this gap into the chamber upon cycling. The same issue applies to 2011 pistols chambered in .40 S&W, a common configuration for USPSA shooters in the Limited Minor division.
To solve this issue, we manufacture special 9mm and .40 S&W ammunition with an overall length longer than SAAMI specification.
We cannot guarantee fitment in any firearm aside from pistols manufactured specifically for these dimensions. Typically, this cartridge will only be required in certain 2011 pistols and you will need to consult your firearm builder for advice on ammunition overall length. As a result, we cannot and will not accept returns on any 2011 length ammunition. Please be sure you understand what you are ordering and why.
Q: Are you really discriminating against people who voted for Joe Biden?
A: Yes, we are, and for good reason. Joe Biden ran on a campaign built on the most radical gun control platform we've ever seen. If it was up to him and his administration, companies like ours wouldn't exist. If it was up to them, firearms and ammunition manufacturing would become a nationalized industry meant to serve only the military and police.
We are a company who believes in the Second Amendment as a first principle. The right to use basic human technology to prevent your life from being taken is something that transcends politics, but unfortunately, there is one particular political ideology who seems hell bent on disrupting this balance of power between the citizenry and the government.
If you voted for Biden, we suggest you become familiar with his campaign promises as it pertains to gun control so you never do that again, or, we suggest you sell your firearms to someone who is more interested in preserving the rights that make up the fabric of our nation.
Q: I’m concerned about things I’ve heard regarding major banks and credit card companies tracking purchases made with firearms and ammunition companies. What can I do to mitigate this risk?
A: We encourage ALL of our customers to begin using Bitcoin for their purchases. Contrary to what you may have heard, Bitcoin is not only for speculation and gambling and it has NOTHING TO DO with the recent news about that kid in the Bahamas who was laundering money for the Democrats. It’s a great method to transfer value from one party to another, and it’s relatively easy to use after you get acquainted with the differences between our current “paper money” economy and the new “digitized value” economy. We should mention that - also contrary to popular belief, is not inherently anonymous; however, there are ways to significantly INCREASE your anonymity using the right tools and the right strategy, outlined below:
1. We realize that MOST PEOPLE are going to acquire their Bitcoin from a brand-name internet exchange (such as Coinbase, or Binance) because they’re easy to use. Having said that - when you purchase Bitcoin on an exchange, it is held and stored in an “exchange wallet; YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE YOUR EXCHANGE WALLET TO STORE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF BITCOIN, NOR SHOULD YOU MAKE PAYMENTS FOR PURCHASES DIRECTLY FROM YOUR EXCHANGE WALLET.
Instead, we HIGHLY recommend using a self-custody, security minded wallet like Samourai Wallet to store, receive, and make payments with Bitcoin. You can purchase Bitcoin on any popular exchange (i.e. Coinbase, Binance, etc.) and transfer your Bitcoin OFF THE EXCHANGE and into your self-custody wallet. Then, will use your self-custody wallet to send your payment. This is a very important step, and if followed, will reduce your payment signature significantly. The level of anonymity you can achieve will be different depending on what the wallet software was designed for; we personally use and highly recommend Samourai Wallet which can be downloaded HERE, FOR FREE.
2. For the highest security measures possible, we also recommend you consider running your own Bitcoin Node. The Bitcoin core software can be run on almost any old laptop or desktop computer using very little processing power. Bitcoin Nodes are individual copies of the Bitcoin blockchain and are the ‘public ledger’ that keep track of every transaction. New transactions are processed, verified, and gathered into ‘blocks’ which are then added to the blockchain and, in turn, each node.
By running your own node, you are participating in the decentralized transaction verification process and distributed consensus mechanism that makes Bitcoin a trustless, permissionless, self-sovereign payment system. Additionally, many security-oriented Bitcoin wallets allow you to pair your own wallet with your own node. This way, your transactions are broadcast to the blockchain by YOU, reducing your reliance on another party and eliminating the chance of ‘man in the middle’ type surveillance.
Information about running your own Bitcoin Node can be found HERE.
3. Work with retailers who accept Bitcoin, and, use open-source payment processing systems like BTCPay – our preferred method. Open-source software is not beholden to any corporate entity. It’s also easy to review the code for security flaws which means it’s inherently more hack resistant.