Ammo how is it graded by the makers?

[grauhanen]

As a note of interest, Eley Tenex lots are generally 5 - 7 cases in size (25000 to 35000 rounds). This is based on information on quantities provided by Eley when the Lot Analyser was available.
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Lapua and the other match ammo makers desire to make ammo that is uniform and identical in every way, with perfectly formed and shaped bullets, crimped equally in identically loaded and primed casings. If they could achieve this, all rounds would have the same MV. With identical bullets, all perfectly symmetrical and perfectly balanced, and identical MVs, all rounds would have identical POI.

Of course this is the ideal and the ammo makers can't make perfect ammo. The result is that all is flawed, and some lots are more or less flawed than others.

To get the best chance to make ammo that is closer to ideal, the ammo makers must use their materials accordingly, the best bullets with the best casings and so on. If there's "best" place in the production run that tends to produce the product more consistently, the best materials will meet there to be loaded.

The alternative is that all components are loaded willy-nilly in the loading machines, fingers are crossed with hopes for the best. The technicians have no idea what was made and wait to test by shooting to find out just what they produced. This sounds somewhat haphazard.

A single production run of standard rifle ammo at Lapua produces X-Act, Midas, and CX. CX is produced in the largest quantities, X-Act in the smallest.

 

[SteveOak]

Since all the components of the product are themselves graded -- the brass casings, the bullets, the powder (propellant), and the priming compound -- this grading is very likely serving the purpose of allowing the loading of the best components together, that is using the best graded brass with the best graded bullets (and propellant and priming compound, however that is determined). It makes sense that the grading of components has a role in determining lots.

How would these components be graded individually? And independant of a loaded round?

 

[grauhanen]

How would these components be graded individually? And independant of a loaded round?

All components are graded before they become loaded rounds. For example, the bullet material is graded independently as are the brass casings, the propellant, priming compound, perhaps even the lubricant.

 

[Hi-NV Shooter]

You know if you place an SK standard+ produced round next to a Lapua X-act round you couldn't tell the difference. I wonder what special equipment they have to sort out the better versus the less good, bullets, casings. primer, lube is the same powder maybe more economical grade for SK.

Also, CX is not produced in more quantities as a goal it is just the results of Lapua's stringent quality standards.

Lee

 

[SteveOak]

All components are graded before they become loaded rounds. For example, the bullet material is graded independently as are the brass casings, the propellant, priming compound, perhaps even the lubricant.

That is my question. How are these components "graded"?

 

[VLNBYR]

That is my question. How are these components "graded"?

The only grading that matters is what you do through your rifle, the factories are never going to tell you how they do it. NEVER EVER

 

[Williwaw]

That is my question. How are these components "graded"?

Nobody who really knows is talking.

That said I have heard that they document a slew of particulars on the day a lot of powder is produced(including environmentals) and grade powder according to that. Not hard to imagine that there are metalurgy tests that can be applied to the lead and brass.

Somewhere out there in the ether is an article about/by ELEY where they discuss their analysis of things which impact 22lr ammo quality. They came up with hundreds.

 

[MG427]

Funny, how this year there is a ton of X-act around, a lot less Midas and barely any Center X. I have never seen so much X-act available like this year.

So much so that three dealers had the same lot of X-Act (I bought from all three since it shot well in my rifle). I have never seen that before.

 

[TRSR8]

Funny, how this year there is a ton of X-act around, a lot less Midas and barely any Center X. I have never seen so much X-act available like this year.

So much so that three dealers had the same lot of X-Act (I bought from all three since it shot well in my rifle). I have never seen that before.

$36/box, not exactly a surprise.
Big reason guys lean toward Midas, if they compete.
I suspect we are rapidly approaching the “clearing price” on top flight ammo.

 

[Joe Silvia]

Some interesting info. The limited case lots are to me telling. I would posit that the components are not acquired in similarly small batches.
This leads (me) to focus on the assembly process and the ability to uniformly construct such a small mechanical product in high volume. Hence the limited number of items in a specified lot. ( pure SWAG on my part)
Good stuff!
Joe

 

[Allen Corneau]

In this brief video from SK you can get a small sense of the amount of raw materials used in the process. Blocks of lead processed into bars, then wire, then coupons, then bullets. Rolls of brass sheet punched and formed into cases by the thousands.

There may be other videos out there that give some hints as to the magnitude of raw materials used in a given batch of ammo.