St. Marks Powder

St. Marks Powder is a subsidiary of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems manufacturing ball propellant[1] in Crawfordville, Florida. The company is a member of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI).[2]

St. Marks Powder, Inc.
IndustryManufacturer of ammunition components
Founded1998
Headquarters7121 Coastal Hwy, Crawfordville FL 32327
Productsball propellants
ParentGeneral Dynamics
Websitehttps://www.gd-ots.com/commercial_powder.html

History

Large scale ball propellant manufacture began during World War II at the Olin Corporation plant in East Alton, Illinois. Population growth of the St. Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area encouraged finding a more remote location for a modern production plant. The St. Marks manufacturing facility was built in 1969 on a large plot of undeveloped swamp land south of Tallahassee, Florida, at near sea-level elevation between the St. Marks River and the Gulf Coast.[3] Plant operation was transferred to St. Marks Powder in 1998.[4]

Products

The facility manufactures over 95 percent of propellants used in United States military small arms ammunition.[5] Similar propellants are sold to commercial manufacturers of rimfire and centerfire ammunition[1] or marketed by Winchester and Hodgdon Powder Company for civilian handloading.[6] Other propellants are used for military mortar rounds,[7] rocket-assisted projectiles,[8] or dispersing non-lethal agents used for crowd control, marking, or area denial.[9]

Sources
  1. "Commercial Powder Applications". General Dynamics. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  2. "Member Companies". SAAMI. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  3. "A Brief History of Winchester Smokeless Propellants". Winchester. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  4. "St Marks Powder Inc". Manta. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  5. "NDIA Small Caliber Presentation" (PDF). General Dynamics. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  6. Marbut, Gary. "Loss of Smokeless Powder: The Greatest Threat to the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in the United States Today". Ammoland. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  7. "Mortar Increments Propellant". General Dynamics. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  8. "155MM M203A1". General Dynamics. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  9. "Non-Lethal Agent Dispensing". General Dynamics. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
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