ROF Radway Green
Encyclopedia
The former Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF), Radway Green, now part of BAE Systems Global Combat Systems, manufactures small arms
ammunition for the British armed forces. Located just outside the Cheshire
town of Alsager
in the UK, it has existed since 1940 and has produced a wide range of ammunition including the following calibres:
All ammunition currently produced at Radway Green is NATO certified i.e. bears the NATO roundel as part of the headstamp on the cartridge case surrounding the primer
. Additionally, headstamps bear the ammunition type ID, the initials "RG" plus the year of production e.g. "L18A1 RG 11" for 5.56x45mm blank cartridges manufactured at Radway Green in 2011. Headstamps on cartridges manufactured during the Second World War and in pre-NATO years bear the initials "RG", the year of production and the broad arrow
to signify MOD
property.
The ordnance factory has its own firing range, where batches of ammunition are periodically test fired from a variety of weapons to check for proper function and performance within contract requirements such as reliability, consistency and accuracy, etc.
A private, dedicated spur once led off the main former LMS
railway line to facilitate transfer coal and other raw materials inwards and the final product outbound.
On the 20 August 2008 the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
announced a £2bn contract with BAE Systems to supply British forces with small arms
and medium calibre ammunition.
officers a fortnight to recover around £26,000 worth of goods stolen from the factory (which included a rocket launcher) from the man's house in nearby Alsager. The man's son, an apprentice at the factory, "resigned in disgrace", but charges were left on file, and he was not prosecuted. The thefts were believed to date back at least ten years, and the prosecution stated that there was some evidence that the man had also stolen from ROF Chorley
when he was based there. In the wake of the thefts security was tightened across all Royal Ordnance Factories.
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
ammunition for the British armed forces. Located just outside the Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
town of Alsager
Alsager
Alsager is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, to the north-west of the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and east of the railway town of Crewe...
in the UK, it has existed since 1940 and has produced a wide range of ammunition including the following calibres:
- .38 S&W.38 S&WThe .38 S&W is a revolver cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson in 1877. Though similar in name, it is not interchangeable with the later .38 Smith and Wesson Special due to a different case shape and slightly larger bullet diameter....
- (Mk IIz ball) - [production ended in 1960s] - .303 British.303 British.303 British, or 7.7x56mmR, is a .311 inch calibre rifle and machine gun cartridge first developed in Britain as a blackpowder round put into service in December 1888 for the Lee-Metford rifle, later adapted to use smokeless powders...
- (ball, tracerTracer ammunitionTracer ammunition are bullets that are built with a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. Ignited by the burning powder, the phosphorus tail burns very brightly, making the projectile visible to the naked eye...
, incendiaryIncendiary ammunition-World War I:One of the first uses of incendiary ammunition occurred in World War I. At the time, phosphorus—the primary ingredient in the incendiary charge—ignited upon firing, leaving a trail of blue smoke. They were also known as 'smoke tracer' for this reason. The effective range of...
) - [production ended in 1973] - .280 British.280 BritishThe .280 British was an experimental intermediate rifle cartridge. It was later designated 7 mm MK1Z, and has also been known as 7 mm NATO, .280/30, .280 Enfield, .280 NATO, 7 mm FN Short, and 7×43mm. It was designed by the British Army in the late 1940s, with subsequent help from...
- ('7 mm Mk 1z' - small amounts for developmental purposes of the Enfield EM2 in 1950s) - [production ended circa 1956] - 9mm NATO - (standard FMJ, starting in the Second World War and still in production)
- 5.56x45mm NATO5.56x45mm NATO5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...
- (standard FMJ, tracer and blank ammunition) - 7.62x51mm NATO - (standard FMJ, tracer and blank ammunition)
- 4.6x30mm - (standard FMJ) for the Heckler & Koch MP7
All ammunition currently produced at Radway Green is NATO certified i.e. bears the NATO roundel as part of the headstamp on the cartridge case surrounding the primer
Percussion cap
The percussion cap, introduced around 1830, was the crucial invention that enabled muzzleloading firearms to fire reliably in any weather.Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the...
. Additionally, headstamps bear the ammunition type ID, the initials "RG" plus the year of production e.g. "L18A1 RG 11" for 5.56x45mm blank cartridges manufactured at Radway Green in 2011. Headstamps on cartridges manufactured during the Second World War and in pre-NATO years bear the initials "RG", the year of production and the broad arrow
Broad arrow
A broad arrow or pheon is a type of arrow with a typically flat barbed head. It is a symbol used traditionally in heraldry, most notably in England, and later the United Kingdom to mark government property.-Use in heraldry:...
to signify MOD
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
property.
The ordnance factory has its own firing range, where batches of ammunition are periodically test fired from a variety of weapons to check for proper function and performance within contract requirements such as reliability, consistency and accuracy, etc.
A private, dedicated spur once led off the main former LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
railway line to facilitate transfer coal and other raw materials inwards and the final product outbound.
On the 20 August 2008 the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
announced a £2bn contract with BAE Systems to supply British forces with small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
and medium calibre ammunition.
Thefts from factory
On 21 January 1985 a former quality controller at the factory was sentenced to six years imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal, three charges of theft and asking for eight other offences to be taken into consideration. After the thefts were discovered, it took a team of four Ministry of Defence PoliceMinistry of Defence Police
The Ministry of Defence Police is a civilian police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The force is part of the larger government agency, the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency , together with the Ministry of Defence Guard Service...
officers a fortnight to recover around £26,000 worth of goods stolen from the factory (which included a rocket launcher) from the man's house in nearby Alsager. The man's son, an apprentice at the factory, "resigned in disgrace", but charges were left on file, and he was not prosecuted. The thefts were believed to date back at least ten years, and the prosecution stated that there was some evidence that the man had also stolen from ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley was a UK government-owned, munitions filling, Royal Ordnance Factory . It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that it, unlike some other similar facilities, would remain open for production after the end of World War II; and, together with ROF Bridgend...
when he was based there. In the wake of the thefts security was tightened across all Royal Ordnance Factories.