Federal Premium announces $20 million contract for .40-caliber training ammo

By Chris Eger

A Coast Guard officer from the Cutter Manowar shoots a Sig Sauer .40 caliber handgun at the range at Sector Field Office Galveston, Texas Apr. 13, 2017. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)
On Monday, Vista Outdoor Sales, the parent company of Federal Premium, announced a contract with the Naval Surface Warfare Center for large quantities of .40-caliber frangible ammunition.
The result of a solicitation by the Pentagon last year in which Federal beat out one other bidder, the five-year contract’s cumulative value if all options are exercised is $20 million. According to the company, the training rounds will use Federal Premium’s lead-free Catalyst high-performance primer, which is touted as being a clean-burning primer that delivers consistent performance but does not absorb moisture.
“We’re proud the U.S. Navy for this important contract,” said Jason Nash, senior director of Vista’s marketing team. “Our Catalyst lead-free priming technology is a major breakthrough and we’re excited to see it used by those that protect our freedom.”
According to the award notice, the end-user is likely the U.S. Coast Guard, which has issued .40-caliber Sig P229R handguns since 2005 in place of the 9mm Beretta M9 commonly fielded across the Department of Defense. Though part of Homeland Security, the Navy,

Source: Guns.com