Expansion Industries Primers

[Jim Watson]

I sat through a couple of mumble tube videos on PF about Expansion Industries startup of primer manufacture in Texas. It all boiled down to: "We will be making primers Real Soon Now." and then "We will be making primers Sometime." With a lot of "We will have real good prices by some definition of good." And "We will have Something New Next year."

Nothing technical.
I was wondering if they will be using lead styphnate mix or if they are going direct to lead free.
But then I heard the Something New bit and it seems that might be the changeover.

Is there anything out there on the fine details?

 

[Navy]

These people have been in the news for some time now, perhaps a year or more.
The following is a lot of hearsay as I remember it.

An investment group bought an old federal government factory in E Texas to reinvent the wheel, retrofit some old equipment and processes for the purpose of making primers.
Don't remember the city but I believe it was in the vicinity of Nacogdoches.

Interim, they were to import some Argentine primers.
Last story I have heard was they are the importer for Ginex.

I know it is all true because I heard it on the internet.

 

[BBarn]

No fine details. Not even much in the way of encouraging rough details.

Aside from amateurish videos, I've had limited success in finding out much about the efforts of Expansion Industries to make primers. Looks like they purchased a facility within the Red River Army Depot complex in Hooks, TX (in July of 2021 according to the January 2022 article below). The article also says they have invested considerable funds in setting up their manufacturing, and the facility will be "open by 2023". So, even if successful, it seems it could still be a year or more before we see any of their primers.

https://www.arklatexhomepage.com/news/top-stories/ammo-maker-bringing-400-jobs-to-bowie-county/

Expansion Industries, Hooks, TX shows up in Google Maps.

 

[Seedy Character]

Not Nacogdoches, at Texarkana Army Depot.

Wish they would get into production!

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

Everyone here knows who to ask for the skinny on anything about yet-to-be-opened primer manufacturing facilities.

Hey @Mark_Mark ! What's the scoop ?

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I heard North China Industries (a.k.a. Norinco) is opening a primer plant on the dark side of the moon. Syd Barrett signed the lease and Roger Waters is going to manage the facility.

 

[N555]

Well they said before they can't sell their primers yet and "they have to be perfect all the time" and "that's really difficult".
That sounds a lot like lead free primers.
As Lead Styphnate is fairly easy to make and hard to screwup.
WW1 chlorate primers are even easier to make, but no one wants corrosive hydroscopic primers aside from milsurp guys.

 

[Y-T71]

I heard North China Industries (a.k.a. Norinco) is opening a primer plant on the dark side of the moon. Syd Barrett signed the lease and Roger Waters is going to manage the facility.

Ha!
I figure when I am exchanging money in return for primers on a regular basis for a "reasonable" cost, primers will be officially back on the market.

Until then (if you need them) get what you can, when you can for as inexpensively as you can.

Good luck!


Syd Barrett

 

[twarr1]

I called it as a scam nearly a year ago and standing by that evaluation.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Syd Barrett

Ah, yes. The madcap laughs.

 

[Nature Boy]

I heard North China Industries (a.k.a. Norinco) is opening a primer plant on the dark side of the moon. Syd Barrett signed the lease and Roger Waters is going to manage the facility.

hey @Mark_Mark , add another one to your list

 

[CQB45ACP]

I called it as a scam nearly a year ago and standing by that evaluation.

Yes you did.

it was obviously BS then and still is.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I heard North China Industries (a.k.a. Norinco) is opening a primer plant on the dark side of the moon. Syd Barrett signed the lease and Roger Waters is going to manage the facility.

Not a Floyd fan, sorry. Never have been.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Everyone here knows who to ask for the skinny on anything about yet-to-be-opened primer manufacturing facilities.

Hey @Mark_Mark ! What's the scoop ?

He’s been out of pocket of late. What’s up @Mark_Mark ?

 

[jmorris]

It’s a larger undertaking than one might think, especially if all you have is a desire to build and sell something you don’t know how to make already.

Even if you had all of the mechanical, chemical, labor, material, production, distribution problems under control you are still going to have to deal with .gov at Federal, State and local levels.

I wish them luck and hope they don’t go the way of so many businesses that tooled up to turn blocks of aluminum into AR’s a few years ago.

 

[Seedy Character]

^^^^^^

Takes more than equipment and people.
The learning curve will come, as long as they are willing and able to keep throwing money at it.

 

[lightman]

I hope they are successful. It would be nice to have another manufacture of primers in the fold.

 

[greyling22]

My buddy and some friends have been looking at starting a primer company in Texas, but that has stalled out. But they have been keeping an eye on this deal as well. About a month ago one of them drove up there to look it over. There is a cheap banner for the company, but the place hasn't been touched from the outside. Broken windows, unmowed grass..... And this is after they had their "hiring day" up there.

Like everybody else, I'm skeptical. And I don't think my buddy's endeavor will take off either. I think our only hope is to import vast quantities of primers, and since that hasn't happened yet, I figure there must be a political reason it hasn't happened.

 

[jmorris]

I think our only hope is to import vast quantities of primers, and since that hasn't happened yet, I figure there must be a political reason it hasn't happened.

I think you are onto something.

I could spend all afternoon writing down the things we import from China, guns, ammo, and components wouldn’t be on the list.

You can’t spew the “it’s for the children” bs either. As they are the ones sending toys to our children covered with lead paint….

Follow the money.

Why I pointed out the .gov approval aspect of the endeavor, that is likely the biggest hurdle to overcome. Even in Texas.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I think you are onto something.

I could spend all afternoon writing down the things we import from China, guns, ammo, and components wouldn’t be on the list.

You can’t spew the “it’s for the children” bs either. As they are the ones sending toys to our children covered with lead paint….

Follow the money.

Why I pointed out the .gov approval aspect of the endeavor, that is likely the biggest hurdle to overcome. Even in Texas.

Navigating government regs is an art especially when it’s at all levels. Doesn’t even have to be nefarious on their part. Even though it could be.

I was talking to a ranger at Manassas battlefield not too far from here about the process they need to go through to cut down a tree or even plant one to create or maintain the historic tree lines. They’re like we citizens and get no breaks.

 

[MAUSER88]

I wish them luck. I'd love to see the price down below 40 bucks a 1000

 

[Y-T71]

Palmetto State Armory (PSA) is in the process of constricting an ammunition plant (already selling some projectiles)
While is PSA the parent company, products are being sold under another name that they own, AAC (American Ammunition Company)

This plant will manufacturer every component from drawing the cases from sheet metal (steel not brass), manufacturing the bullets and even manufacturing their own primers and priming compound.

They have brought in an outside company that builds and sets up ammunition factory's worldwide (many for foreign governments)

By their own admission, they already have $100,000,000 invested in this venture and the primer portion of the plant is still only some cast concrete walls in the middle of some dirt piles; not even close to a production facility yet.

I've been reading about their progress throughout and the amount of permits, regulations, and other "red tape" is absolutely staggering to say the least (among other things they had to get FAA approval because the primer facility is going to be within 20 miles of an airport flight path!

Obviously, they hope to reap great rewards since they are putting in so much effort and money!

After reading about the efforts they've endured so far, to hear someone say "hey, someone should just build a primer plant to end this shortage" is laughable at best!

 

[CQB45ACP]

Palmetto State Armory (PSA) is in the process of constricting an ammunition plant (already selling some projectiles)
While is PSA the parent company, products are being sold under another name that they own, AAC (American Ammunition Company)

This plant will manufacturer every component from drawing the cases from sheet metal (steel not brass), manufacturing the bullets and even manufacturing their own primers and priming compound.

They have brought in an outside company that builds and sets up ammunition factory's worldwide (many for foreign governments)

By their own admission, they already have $100,000,000 invested in this venture and the primer portion of the plant is still only some cast concrete walls in the middle of some dirt piles; not even close to a production facility yet.

I've been reading about their progress throughout and the amount of permits, regulations, and other "red tape" is absolutely staggering to say the least (among other things they had to get FAA approval because the primer facility is going to be within 20 miles of an airport flight path!

Obviously, they hope to reap great rewards since they are putting in so much effort and money!

After reading about the efforts they've endured so far, to hear someone say "hey, someone should just build a primer plant to end this shortage" is laughable at best!

I’m highly skeptical of any outfit saying it’s invested anything approaching $100M in what is a hobby business. No offense.

 

[Y-T71]

None taken.

For those that might not know, PSA is a chain of gun and accessory stores in the south east.

They specialized in AR15 rifles and kits increasing their manufacturing capabilities along the way and more recently expanding operations into a comprehensive line of AK rifles and a pistol that is an inexpensive derivative of a Glock.

I have nothing to do with the company (beyond purchasing a bulk pack of AR magazines), but they're well beyond what would be considered a hobby business.

 

[CQB45ACP]

None taken.

For those that might not know, PSA is a chain of gun and accessory stores in the south east.

They specialized in AR15 rifles and kits increasing their manufacturing capabilities along the way and more recently expanding operations into a comprehensive line of AK rifles and a pistol that is an inexpensive derivative of a Glock.

I have nothing to do with the company (beyond purchasing a bulk pack of AR magazines), but they're well beyond what would be considered a hobby business.

The hobby business is in reference to the consumer market of shooting sports vs. government suppliers like Olin for example, that’s all.

PSA’s owner, JJE, bid $65 million in an unsuccessful attempt to get Remington’s ammo business. That’s an ongoing concern with facilities and clients and is why I doubt the $100M investment in a brand new company.

I understand PSA and other JJE brands are large, but that’s in a regional not national context.

Not picking a fight here although as I reread my comments it sounds that way. I’m really not intending to.