A NY Times article dated Wednesday of this week reported that the Pentagon is moving to increase 155 mm artillery shell production from about 36,000 shells/month at present to 100,000/month by the end of 2025. William A LaPlante the Pentagon's top acquisition official reported along with his Army counterpart in the NYT interview that a new projectile plant is now under construction by General Dynamics in Mesquite TX with a capacity of 30,000 shells/mo and with a 10 month startup timeline, and an Ohio based firm called IMT will make up the difference toward that 100,000/mo target. Article went on to say that all those projectiles are then loaded with charges at a WW2 era Gov't facility in Iowa, and with a second partial startup underway of a closed plant in Kansas. General Dynamics is also building a new shell charging plant in Arkansas. The 100,000 shell/mo target represents a tenfold increase in production over just a few years ago, and LaPlante went on to say the US has provided more than 3 million 155 mm artillery shells to the Ukraine since its war began in February 2022.
Back to the gunpowder used as a propellent, I've read various estimates of 15-20 pounds of powder per 155 mm shell. Of course that's a much different powder than shotgun powders but they're all based largely on nitrocellulose. Recently nitrocellulose had been reported in short supply and Alliant had suspended powder production - which actually was being done in "spare time" at the two US making facilities being operated by General Dynamics. Now with this ~ threefold increase in 155 mm shell production, it remains to be seen what effect it will have on reloading powders and even loaded shotshells by the familiar makers. Net, my take for many of us is: buy what you want while you can.
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05-31-2024, 10:23 AM
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