LAHAB Light Ammunition to Enter the North American Commercial Market
LAHAB Light Ammunition (LLA) is the national ammunition manufacturer of the United Arab Emirates, part of the EDGE Group that we better know through the Caracal firearms brand. A manufacturer up to now solely focused on the military market, LLA is now eyeing the commercial market.
EDGE Group @ TFB:
Here below is more information from the manufacturer:
LAHAB LIGHT AMMUNITION eyes international markets as it embarks on a promising journey of innovation
The United Arab Emirates’ sole manufacturer of small calibre ammunition, LAHAB LIGHT AMMUNITION (LLA), is making considerable inroads into the commercial market as industry leading expansion plans in their manufacturing and product portfolios begin to take root.
Nicola Bandini, CEO of LAHAB LIGHT AMMUNITION, has revealed that LLA products have been making their mark in the North American commercial market. LLA is the primary producer of ammunition for the UAE Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies, in addition to other regional forces. However, LLA also has a broader commercial focus. Bandini mentioned that commercial ammunition sale processes are very different compared to G2G (government-to-government) processes. The UAE’s strategic location and capabilities as a global trade and logistics hub has opened the door to the possibility of far-reaching international ammunition sales. LLA now has an established network of international resellers, having already exported millions of rounds.
As an entity under the Missiles & Weapons cluster of EDGE, one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defence groups, LLA can synergise with other EDGE entities. An obvious synergy is with CARACAL, another EDGE entity, which produces globally recognised small arms. The two companies have a mutually beneficial relationship, assisting one another in product development and testing, amongst other resource and knowledge sharing activities. One of CARACAL’s wholly owned subsidiaries, CARACAL USA, has been a valuable resource to LLA. Having now established themselves in the thriving US commercial small arms market, Bandini believes that CARACAL USA provides LLA with ideal partnership opportunities to gain visibility in a commercial ammunition market that has recently been facing high demand against a low supply.
To meet growing global demand for ammunition, LLA’s manufacturing facilities are set to rapidly expand in both size and output capacity over the next two years. Currently, LLA produces 9mm, 5.56mm, 7.62mm, and 12.7mm ammunition in a variety of customer-specific configurations. While details around LLA’s expansion plans are yet to be announced, state-of-the-art machines are operational at their facilities. Bandini stated that more calibres are in the pipeline, hinting at those in high demand in North America such as .40 S&W, .300 Blackout, 7.62x39mm, and .338 Lapua Magnum. In addition to new machines, LLA has also launched a pilot programme identifying legacy machines that can be retooled, refurbished, and upgraded, integrating a computer monitoring system that provides critical data on production processes. Some of these machines now produce .308 Winchester Hollow Point, Boat Tail (HPBT) Projectiles, while others have been retooled to produce monolithic lead-free projectiles from copper wire in 9mm variations. Once LLA’s new facility expansion nears completion, the programme will expand to see more of their legacy machines undergo similar transformations, adding decades to their service life, according to Bandini.
LLA is also set to begin producing lead-free 9mm and 5.56mm cartridges, as either frangible or solid-copper ammunition. Public sentiment and shooting ranges are shifting towards using ’green‘ or lead-free cartridges. The reason is that lead-free projectiles are more environmentally friendly than lead-based ammunition and considerably safer to recycle. Instructors, volunteers, and customers at shooting ranges are exposed to airborne and settled lead dust, which is associated with a variety of adverse health issues. It is well documented that lead projectiles lose up to 35% of their mass after impact, dispersing toxic lead fragments, so any person handling bullet debris or cleaning the ranges, are at the highest risk of lead poisoning. David Williams, COO of LAHAB LIGHT AMMUNITION, explained that in addition to being quite a hazardous material to deal with, lead clean-up is very regulated and expensive. Looking to the future of shooting sports, lead-free projectiles have been increasing in popularity. In 2019, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a regulation stating, “Non-lead ammunition is required when taking any wildlife with a firearm anywhere in California.” In an environmentally conscious world, pressure on governments to limit the use of lead projectiles is likely to increase.
Another type of cartridge that has seen increasing popularity over the past few years is frangible ammunition. Frangible projectiles disintegrate upon hitting a surface, meaning they do not ricochet. In addition to being lead-free, it reduces the risk of accidental harm to those caught in crossfire. Naturally, it has piqued the interest of many law enforcement agencies for its application in urban areas. Williams mentioned that LLA has successfully tested frangible ammunition that they primed and loaded, adding that a large and reputable frangible ammunition manufacturer in North America will supply the projectiles.
LLA’s roadmap for the near future holds exciting prospects. Global exports, massive expansion and safer, ‘greener’ ammunition. While in the early phases of their innovation journey, indications are positive as they seek to meet global demand through leveraging meaningful synergies, cutting-edge manufacturing, and producing a quality supply of customer driven ammunition.
Another manufacturer of ammunition on the market seems like good news, although it’s not yet clear when the benefits will be perceived by the public. The fact that LLA manufacturing meets the standard of a modern military force should be reassuring to those skeptical about new names. The author can attest that manufacturing, quality, and testing standards in CARACAL are taken very seriously, we can expect these to be reflected also in the LLA products.
Images from lahablightammunition.ae unless otherwise specified.
Italian firearm enthusiast, Giorgio has a passion for innovative or plainly unusual mechanical solutions. He's also interested in manufacturing technologies with a recent focus on additive manufacturing.You can contact him at giorgio_o at zoho dot com and you'll find him in the comments section as Giolli Joker.
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I suspect this whole "lead free" paranoia is just about making ammo more expensive and adding more restrictions on shooters.
i miss cheap russian ammo. i wonder how pricy this stuff will be