Lapua Ammunition has announced the temporary suspension of certain rifle cartridge cases until further notice. Lapua cites “continued high product demand and the prevailing market conditions impacted especially by the Ukraine situation.”
The company notes that product availability has been limited and delivery times extended. The suspensions will allow them to better meet their civilian, law enforcement, and military contract obligations. The necessary prioritizing of their production lines has led the company to suspend the cases listed below.
The news is certainly unwelcome to shooters and reloaders, though it’s not especially surprising. Ammunition companies have been forced to make similar decisions for nearly 3 years now. The COVID 19 pandemic caused unprecedented shutdowns and logistical problems. The long-term effects are still playing out. Add the Ukraine War, increasing fuel and transport costs, and the general economic downturn, and companies have not yet emerged from behind the proverbial 8-ball.
The company acknowledges that some products will be difficult or impossible to find “for some time to come.” Those products are not being canceled and Lapua says that “it is our intention to resume production of these products as soon as market conditions stabilize.” Prices of current brass stocks will also undoubtedly rise.
Future Outlook
Lapua also says they are improving their capabilities with new production lines planned for 2023 and 2024. That doesn’t help things now, or likely for at least 2 years, but it’s the only positive moving forward. It is heartening that Lapua is taking steps to alleviate the current problems and guard against future production shortfalls.
Lapua isn’t alone in these problems, as most shooters know. Ammunition costs remain relatively high, despite trending down a bit as COVID recedes. Ammo companies have revamped and expanded their production facilities, and most are working flat out to meet the shortages created by the pandemic, the 2020 civil unrest, the Ukraine situation, and millions of new gun owners. Lapua notes that they “work as hard as we can every day on all of our sites to produce high-quality ammo and components for you and aim to serve you at normal levels as soon as possible.”
Temporarily Suspended Lapua Cartridge Cases
Lapua lists the following brass cartridge cases as being temporarily suspended:
- 4PH5001 .22-250 Remington Match Brass Cases
- 4PH5002 .222 Remington Match Brass Cases
- 4PH6010 6.5×47 Lapua Brass Cases
- 4PH6020 6.5mm Grendel Brass Cases
- 4PH6022 6mm Creedmoor Brass Cases
- 4PH6030 6.5-284 Norma Brass Cases
- 4PH6050 .260 Remington Brass Cases
- 4PH7095 7mm-08 Remington Brass Cases
- 4PH7105 7×64 Brass Cases
- 4PH7107 7x65R Brass Cases
- 4PH7215 7.62x53R Brass Cases
- 4PH7226 .308 Winchester Palma Brass (Small Primer) Cases
- 4PH7284 .284 Winchester Brass Cases
- 4PH8030 8×57 IS Brass Cases
- 4PH8031 8×57 IRS Brass Cases
