Part-on-Part Mass Finishing, Part 3 – Effective Finishing for Ammunition Work Pieces

The gun ammunition manufacturing process requires numerous finishing operations. Since ammunition parts allow for part-on-part mass finishing, Rosler Metal Finishing’s washing and drying machines are ideally suited for ammunition manufacturers.

Available as rotary vibrators and centrifugal disk finishing systems, Rosler’s part-on-part finishing machines can accommodate various ammunition pieces including blanks, cups, deep-drawn casings, cartridge primers, and bullets.

While the manufacturing step and finishing operation of each component varies by work piece and desired result, common mass finishing operations for ammunition based on the specific work pieces are summarized below.

Cups

Cups

Created by running a brass coil through a cupping press, these work pieces require annealing. Cups are occasionally made from a blank as well. After slow cooling to reduce ductility, cups must be cleaned, rinsed, pickled, and dried through finishing operations.

Casings

A number of manufacturing steps are required for casings. Finishing operations may be required in between and/or after each step.

Deep-Drawn Casing

Deep Drawing – This process requires three drawings and subsequent annealing. Between each drawing and annealing pass, the casings must be cleaned, washed, and dried. They must also be pickled, rinsed, brightened, and dried after each annealing pass.

Casing with Pinch Trim

Pinching Trim – After trimming raw casings, work pieces must be cleaned, washed, and dried.

Casing with Primer Pocket

Forming Primer Pockets – Once the primer pocket is formed, casings must be cleaned, washed, and dried.

Casing with Extracting Rim

Extracting Rims – After forming the extraction of the casing rim, work pieces are annealed and in need of pickling, rinsing, brightening, and drying.

Tapered Neck Casing

Tapering Necks – Much like deep drawing cups, tapering the neck of a casing requires three passes. After the final pass, casings must be cleaned, washed, and dried.

Casing with Mouth and Neck Tapering

Mouth and Neck Toughening – After annealing the mouth and neck of a casing, work pieces must be pickled, rinsed, brightened, and dried.

Bullets and Primers

Bullets

Like casings, bullets and primers must undergo different finishing operations. These operations primarily include cleaning and brightening and are required before each can be installed in the cartridge.

Primers

For these operations, centrifugal disk finishing machines are frequently used.

Cartridges

Cartridges

After individual manufacturing and finishing steps, ammunition components are assembled into a cartridge. These assembled workpieces must undergo an oiling and polishing operation prior to packaging and shipping.

Centrifugal disk machines are most frequently used to oil and polish assembled cartridges.

The Rosler Way

Several necessary yet unseen finishing steps go into the ammunitions manufacturing process. When dealing with small pieces in bulk, the capabilities of Rosler’s WTA machines offer a great way to streamline finishing processes in a single machine. Doing so saves time and labor costs while increasing production.

Contact Rosler today to discuss your part-on-part mass finishing needs for ammunition and other work pieces. We are confident that we have the expertise to overcome your challenges and find a better way.

The complete Part-on-Part Series includes:

• Part 1 – Utilizing Work Pieces as the Media.
• Part 2 – Rotary Vibrators Versus Centrifugal Disk Machines.
• Part 3 – Effective Finishing for Ammunition Work Pieces. 

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