St. Marks Powder

Last updated
St. Marks Powder, Inc.
IndustryManufacturer of ammunition components
Founded1998
Headquarters7121 Coastal Hwy, Crawfordville, Fla. 32327
Products ball propellants
Parent General Dynamics
Website https://www.gd-ots.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/StMarksPowder-Brochure-202109-1.pdf

St. Marks Powder is a subsidiary of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems manufacturing ball propellant [1] in Crawfordville, Florida. St. Marks makes about 6,000 tons per year, [2] making it the world's largest producer of propellant. [3] The company is a member of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI). [4]

Contents

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 swampland south of Tallahassee, Florida, at near sea-level elevation between the St. Marks River and the Gulf Coast. [5] Plant operation was transferred to St. Marks Powder in 1998. [6]

Products

St. Marks Powder supplies nearly 100 percent of the propellant used in 5.56×45mm NATO, 7.62×51mm NATO, 9×19mm NATO, and .50 BMG ammunition for United States military small arms and 20mm ammunition for the M61 Vulcan aircraft cannon. [3] Similar propellants are sold to commercial manufacturers of rimfire and centerfire ammunition [1] or marketed by Alliant Powder, [3] Winchester, and Hodgdon Powder Company for civilian handloading. [7] Other propellants are used for military 60mm and 81mm mortar rounds, [3] rocket-assisted projectiles, [8] or dispersing non-lethal agents used for crowd control, marking, or area denial. [9]

Sources

  1. 1 2 "Commercial Powder Applications". General Dynamics. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  2. ↑ Hundley, Kris. "Lighting a fuse". Tampa Bay Times . Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Emary, Dave (21 July 2022). "Ball Powder Propellant: You Are Probably Shooting St. Marks Powder". Guns & Ammo . Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  4. ↑ "Member Companies". SAAMI. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "A Brief History of Winchester Smokeless Propellants". Winchester. Archived from the original on 2016-10-05. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  6. ↑ "St Marks Powder Inc". Manta. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  7. ↑ Marbut, Gary (26 October 2010). "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.
  8. ↑ "155MM M203A1". General Dynamics. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  9. ↑ "Non-Lethal Agent Dispensing". General Dynamics. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
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