CCI Ammunition
Encyclopedia
CCI headquartered in Lewiston, Idaho
, is a manufacturer of rimfire ammunition
, centerfire handgun ammunition, and primers for reloaders
and industrial power loads. CCI produced the first Mini-Mag rimfire ammunition in 1963, and in 1975, developed the Stinger, a hypervelocity .22 Long Rifle
product.
, and currently employs approximately 800 people. CCI was once known as the Speer Ammunition Company - the Speer name was associated with bullet manufacturing.
It was once a subsidiary of Omark Industries with Speer Bullets, RCBS (formerly the Rock Chuck Bullet Swage company), and Outers.
While originally sold only for handloading
as an inexpensive substitute for jacketed bullets, this plated bullet
has come far. CCI/Speer offers the Gold Dot line, component bullets and commercially loaded premium handgun ammunition using a bonded copper plated hollow point bullet
. The Gold Dot line is now in use by many police departments.
On June 14, 2009 the Minneapolis St. Paul Star Tribune reported that Alliant Techsystems
, Edina, and Humbert CTTS SAS were awarded an approximately US$14-million contract to provide Speer GoldDot 9mm ammunition to the French Gendarmerie, French Customs, French Corrections and all 250,000 police officers in France.
CCI's 22 Long Rifle Mini-Mag has been a standard and an incredibly popular load in the rimfire industry. The standard Mini-Mag load is a 40 gr copper-plated round nose bullet (Or a 36 gr copper-plated hollow point) with a muzzle velocity of 1235 ft/s (376.4 m/s). The copper-plating reduces lead fouling, which makes plinking with this load favorable over conventional lead bullets, but can present cycling and jamming problems, especially in semi-automatics.
is achieved by increasing the cartridge length to allow more powder, yet it still remains within SAAMI
22 Long Rifle pressure standards and is loaded with a lighter 32 gr bullet. The Stinger can be easily identified by its longer nickel-plated casing.
, loads are copper-plated segmented hollow-points that fragment into 3 sections on impact. These are intended to cause quick disruption on varmint type game. CCI offers Quik-Shok in a 32 gr load at 1640 ft/s (499.9 m/s) (same velocity as Stinger), or a 40 gr subsonic
load at 1050 ft/s (320 m/s). The subsonic load is intended for hunting around a populated area when a quiet, effective round is needed.
Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...
, is a manufacturer of rimfire ammunition
Rimfire ammunition
A rimfire is a type of firearm cartridge. It is called a rimfire because instead of the firing pin of a gun striking the primer cap at the center of the base of the cartridge to ignite it , the pin strikes the base's rim....
, centerfire handgun ammunition, and primers for reloaders
Handloading
Handloading or reloading is the process of loading firearm cartridges or shotgun shells by assembling the individual components , rather than purchasing completely assembled, factory-loaded cartridges...
and industrial power loads. CCI produced the first Mini-Mag rimfire ammunition in 1963, and in 1975, developed the Stinger, a hypervelocity .22 Long Rifle
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
product.
History
Founded by Dick Speer (brother of Vernon Speer, who founded Speer Bullets) in the early 1950s, CCI is now a subsidiary of Alliant TechsystemsAlliant Techsystems
Alliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known by its ticker symbol, ', is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally, and 2010 revenues in excess of an estimated...
, and currently employs approximately 800 people. CCI was once known as the Speer Ammunition Company - the Speer name was associated with bullet manufacturing.
It was once a subsidiary of Omark Industries with Speer Bullets, RCBS (formerly the Rock Chuck Bullet Swage company), and Outers.
While originally sold only for handloading
Handloading
Handloading or reloading is the process of loading firearm cartridges or shotgun shells by assembling the individual components , rather than purchasing completely assembled, factory-loaded cartridges...
as an inexpensive substitute for jacketed bullets, this plated bullet
Bullet
A bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...
has come far. CCI/Speer offers the Gold Dot line, component bullets and commercially loaded premium handgun ammunition using a bonded copper plated hollow point bullet
Hollow point bullet
A hollow point is an expanding bullet that has a pit or hollowed out shape in its tip, generally intended to cause the bullet to thin upon entering a target in order to decrease penetration and disrupt more tissue as it travels through the target. It is also used for controlled penetration, where...
. The Gold Dot line is now in use by many police departments.
On June 14, 2009 the Minneapolis St. Paul Star Tribune reported that Alliant Techsystems
Alliant Techsystems
Alliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known by its ticker symbol, ', is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally, and 2010 revenues in excess of an estimated...
, Edina, and Humbert CTTS SAS were awarded an approximately US$14-million contract to provide Speer GoldDot 9mm ammunition to the French Gendarmerie, French Customs, French Corrections and all 250,000 police officers in France.
Mini-Mag
Velocitor
CCI's Velocitor is claimed by CCI to be "the fastest 40 grain hollow point on the market". This is a 40 gr copper-plated hollow point, derived from Speer Gold Dot technology with a muzzle velocity of 1435 ft/s (437.4 m/s). It is designed for use on varmints including up to large varmints like coyotes.Stinger
Another highly popular varmint load is the Stinger. This is a 32 gr copper-plated hollow-point bullet with tear-drop cavity for complete disruption, with a muzzle velocity of 1640 ft/s (499.9 m/s) - the fastest 22 LR with varmint-class accuracy. This hypervelocityHypervelocity
The term hypervelocity usually refers to a very high velocity, approximately over 3,000 meters per second . In particular, it refers to velocities so high that the strength of materials upon impact is very small compared to inertial stresses. Thus, even metals behave like fluids under hypervelocity...
is achieved by increasing the cartridge length to allow more powder, yet it still remains within SAAMI
Saami
Saami or SAAMI can stand for:*Sami people*Sami languages*Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute...
22 Long Rifle pressure standards and is loaded with a lighter 32 gr bullet. The Stinger can be easily identified by its longer nickel-plated casing.
Quik-Shok
Quik-Shok, now known as Segmented hollow pointFrangible
A material is said to be frangible if through deformation it tends to break up into fragments, rather than deforming plastically and retaining its cohesion as a single object...
, loads are copper-plated segmented hollow-points that fragment into 3 sections on impact. These are intended to cause quick disruption on varmint type game. CCI offers Quik-Shok in a 32 gr load at 1640 ft/s (499.9 m/s) (same velocity as Stinger), or a 40 gr subsonic
Speed of sound
The speed of sound is the distance travelled during a unit of time by a sound wave propagating through an elastic medium. In dry air at , the speed of sound is . This is , or about one kilometer in three seconds or approximately one mile in five seconds....
load at 1050 ft/s (320 m/s). The subsonic load is intended for hunting around a populated area when a quiet, effective round is needed.