If you took the trouble to do the research to buy a gun that was made in the USA, you naturally will want to do the same for ammunition. Fortunately, many ammo companies make their products stateside, as shown in our research below. Stick around til the end, too – we’ll give you our tips for finding American made ammunition and expose some popular ammunition brands and where they are actually made.
Complete List of Ammunition Manufacturers Made in the USA
Federal Premium Ammunition prides itself on making a wide variety of bullets. Its ammo can be used in shotshell, centerfire, and rimfire weapons. This company also treats its workers right. In 2021, Forbes magazine named Federal Premium Ammunition as one of America’s Best Midsize Employers.
This company is known as the creator of the SRS rifle, but Desert Tech also makes ammunition. Desert Tech proudly supplies firearms and ammo to the military, LEOs, and private citizens.
Winchester, one of the most famous names in the gun industry, imports its weapons. However, this brand makes its ammo right here in the USA.
This brand is less than a decade old but is already gaining a reputation for innovation. AMMO produces bullets for wholesalers but also sells ammunition directly to consumers. The company makes all its products in Wisconsin.
Hornady Manufacturing Co. has grown tremendously since its launch in 1949. It is now one of the world’s biggest independent ammo brands, but it is still a family-run operation.
Founded by a hunter, Buffalo Bore Ammunition is known for making ammo to take down elk, bears, and other big game. All of this brand’s products are manufactured in Idaho.
Underwood Ammo produces affordable, USA-made ammunition for various uses, including hunting, defense, and sport shooting. We love that this company supports the US military and LEOs.
Nosler designs its bullets for big-game hunters. This company’s ammo has won awards for the precision of its ammunition and raises funds for veterans and military charities. Better still, Nosler products are all made in Oregon.
HSM prides itself on making all its ammo in the USA. This company manufactures Cowboy Action, Self-Defense, and Match bullets in a plant in Stevenson, Montana.
Atomic Ammunition specializes in making subsonic ammo for service rifles and handguns. This company is also known for using nickel-plated brass cases for superior performance. Every aspect of production takes place stateside.
This brand started in a garage more than 20 years ago. Although Doubletap now sells ammo commercially, each round is still inspected by humans rather than machines. Both hunters and those buying bullets for self-defense appreciate this commitment to quality control.
Speer’s claim to fame is making the first mass-produced jacketed handgun bullets for hunters and law enforcement officers. This company, which was founded during World War II, has started true to its roots by remaining in Idaho.
This brand focuses on reloading equipment, including ammunition. Redding Reloaded is so dedicated to American manufacturing that the company not only makes its products in the USA but also sources its machinery domestically.
True to its name, this company makes its ammo in the Midwest. What makes the brand stand out is that its ammunition is remanufactured, making it affordable for everyone.
This brand specializes in injection-molded ammunition and bullet technology. Even though it is a subsidiary of Quantum Holdings, all of its ammo is made in the USA.
This brand specializes in producing lead-free, frangible ammunition for many uses, including hunting and defense. ICC Ammo is committed to making its products 100% in the US and providing jobs to former military personnel and law enforcement officers.
Corbon Ammunition was built by shooters for shooters. It makes bullets for competitive shooting, hunting, self-defense, the military, and LEOs. This brand emphasizes quality control and product testing.
As the name suggests, this company is based in Rapid City, South Dakota, near the storied Black Hills. The brand has close ties to the US military. Numerous firearm makers use its bullets for product testing, another testament to Black Hills Ammunition’s commitment to quality.
The name says it all. This company is committed to making bullets for all kinds of firearms in northern Idaho. Idaho Ordnance Factory’s main focus is precision and performance.
This bullet-maker is so committed to all things American that it not only makes its ammo in the USA but also has a workforce made up entirely of veterans and the spouses of veterans. Defender Ammunition also supports the Gold Star program and other organizations that help military members and their families.
Piney Mountain Ammunition focuses on producing tracer bullets for rifles and pistols. This ammo emits a beam of colored light that allows shooters to hone their accuracy by being able to trace a bullet’s trajectory.
This Houston, Texas company makes bullets for the .223 Remington 55 gr FMJ and 9mm Luger 115 gr FMJ. Roman Ammunition also produces some cool merchandise, such as a duffel bag and clothing with its logo on it.
UA stands out from the crowd because of its subscription boxes that arrive on the customer’s doorstep on the same day each month. This brand also doesn’t limit how many bullets a subscriber can order every month. Another notable thing about Unlimited Ammo is its commitment to providing American jobs for former military personnel and those with disabilities.
National Police Ammunition’s bullets are tested, adopted, and recommended by law enforcement. This Florida company is also one of the few producers of sintered frangible bullets.
Another Florida company that makes ammunition is JQL Manufacturing. This brand prides itself on producing match-grade ammo with state-of-the-art components.
3Rivers, which has been in business for more than 30 years, makes bullets for all firearm calibers. The company also does custom loading and has a shooting simulator at its site in Grants Pass, Oregon.
True Velocity is known for its composite cartridges for hunters, competitive shooters, defense agencies, and individuals interested in self-defense. This brand makes everything at its 66,000-square-foot factory in the Lone Star State.
This Indiana company produces ammo for government defense agencies, energy and manufacturing businesses, and private citizens. Lomatt Dynamics makes bullets for service rifles, revolvers, and shotguns.
UDC makes small and medium-caliber bullets for retail, government, and business customers. It has a contract with the U.S. Army and the United States Special Operations Command. This company’s product catalog indicates that its ammo is made right here in the USA.
Integrity Ammo Corp, owned and operated by veterans, specializes in making new and OFB-reconditioned ammunition. This North Carolina-based company produces ammo in-house. However, you should be aware that some components are globally sourced.
Precision ONe produces new and remanufactured ammunition. What sets this brand apart is it reconditions cartridges 100% rather than the typical 80%. In addition, the company only uses the best components for its ammo.
Vector Bullets specializes in centerfire ammo for shooters, hunters, and reloaders. This company makes everything in the USA.
Freedom Munitions makes both new and remanufactured ammo in Idaho. Human eyes check every product before being packaged and shipped. This company believes in transparency, listing on its website the companies that produce the components for its bullets.
How to Find Ammunition Made in the USA
There are many ammo companies out there, so if you find one that’s not on our list, how do you determine where the bullets were made? See our step-by-step guide below to doing your own research on how to spot products made in the USA.
What Does “Made in the USA” Mean?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) defines made-in-the-USA goods as those that were “all or virtually all” produced within US borders, from component sourcing to assembly. However, the FTC allows businesses to decide for themselves if their products meet these criteria. As you can probably guess, not all companies are strictly honest about making this determination.
To learn more about this topic, check out our guide on how to find “made in the USA” products.
Materials
Now that you understand what “Made in the USA” means, the next step is to learn what materials companies typically use to make ammo and from which countries those materials come.
Lead
Some shooters swear by lead bullets because they are dense and budget-friendly. However, lead is toxic to humans as well as animals. In fact, the use of lead in hunting is illegal in some places, such as California. Nowadays, many ammunition brands are producing alternatives to lead bullets, which we will get to in a bit.
China was the world’s largest producer by far in 2023, followed by Australia. The United States and Mexico tied for third place, with both countries producing 270 metric tons of lead each. This means brands committed to sourcing raw materials domestically can find lead that’s produced stateside.
Copper
Copper bullets are a popular alternative to lead ones because they perform better in certain situations. For example, copper ammunition is more effective when taking down big game. However, these bullets are more expensive. They also aren’t good for target shooting.
Unfortunately, the US ranks just fifth in copper production behind Chile, Peru, China, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Still, some ammo brands sell copper bullets entirely made in the USA.
Steel
Steel is sometimes used as a bullet jacket. China makes about half of the world’s steel, while the United States ranks just fourth. However, US steel is famous for its quality, being three times stronger than Chinese steel.
Brass
Brass is a copper and zinc alloy used to coat bullets. Germany, China, and Japan are the world leaders in brass production, but the United States has its share.
Labeling
If you are buying ammo from your local store, we recommend looking at the label on the box. Title 19 Chapter 4 Section 1304 of the US Code states imported products should be labeled with their country of origin, such as “made in China” or “Made in the USA.”
Naturally, you will want to purchase the box that has “Made in the USA” on it. Make sure that exact wording is used because some brands use deceptive language such as “assembled in the USA,” which could indicate some or all of the raw materials were sourced from outside the United States. Another phrase to look for is “made in America,” as that is a sign that the ammo may have been made in Mexico or Canada.
Also, remember that although the FTC is supposed to protect the “made in the USA” label, the commission doesn’t always do the best job enforcing its policy. Therefore, you will want to do your own research to ensure you are buying merchandise truly made here. If you find a company committing label fraud, we urge you to report this to the FTC to protect other consumers.
Something else to watch out for is an American flag sticker on a label. Sadly, some brands take advantage of a loophole in US law that allows them to use this image on a product or its packaging, even if it wasn’t made in the USA. Once again, you should do your own research.
Additional Tips
Check The Company’s Website
Companies know that some shoppers are looking for American-made goods because they want to support US jobs. As a result, if a brand makes its products in the USA, they heavily promote that fact. If you look at a company’s “About Us” page on its website, you might find loads of information about its manufacturing process and raw materials sourcing.
If the “About Us” page doesn’t provide any relevant info, the page for individual products might state the country of origin or state if the company imported the item. However, companies are not required to list this information on their website or in marketing materials. If they don’t, the item most likely wasn’t made in the USA.
Call The Company
Still confused? Then call the company. A customer representative will probably be able to tell you the country or countries of origin for its goods and provide information on component sourcing.
Ammunition Not Made in the USA
Below are some major ammunition companies that don’t exclusively make bullets in the USA. We will add more of these brands to this list as we find them.
- Fiocchi – Made in the United States and Italy.
- CBC Global Ammunition – Made in Brazil, Germany, the Czech Republic, and North America.
- Nammo – Made in the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Ireland.
