Cascade Cartridge Inc
founded in 1951
Lewiston, Idaho
- 1951 founded by Dick Speer (1915-1994) in Lewiston, Idaho
– machinist at Boeing Aircraft’s Seattle plant
– brother of Vernon Speer, who founded Speer Bullets
– there was money to be made in reloading - provided a steady source of component primers
- bought a 17-acre chicken ranch next to the Lewiston Gun Club
– a mile south of brother Vernon’s bullet works
– production began in a renovated chicken coop - When the Lewiston Gun Club moved, Speer bought the adjoining property
- February 2015 bought by Vista Outdoor
CCI/Blazer
2299 Snake River Ave.
Lewiston, ID 83501
1-866-286-7436
cci-ammunition.com
About CCI Ammunition
CCI, originally Cascade Cartridge, Inc., was founded in 1951 in Lewiston, Idaho by Dick Speer, brother of Speer Bullets founder Vernon Speer, with partner Arvid Nelson. Primers were scarce after World War II, and CCI’s first shipment filled a military contract. The company then moved to non-corrosive sporting primers and became the first dependable source of primers for hobby reloaders, a role that made it a household name at reloading benches across the country.
CCI went on to define modern rimfire ammunition. It introduced the .22 LR Mini-Mag in 1962 and the hyper-velocity Stinger in 1975, and its Blazer line, officially launched in 1981, made Blazer 9mm one of the most popular training rounds in the United States. In 2015 CCI became part of Vista Outdoor, and in November 2024 Vista’s ammunition business, The Kinetic Group, was sold to the Czech CSG industrial group. The company still produces at its Lewiston plant and marked its 75th anniversary in 2026 with new products and special editions.
Key Facts
- 1951: Founded by Dick Speer in Lewiston, Idaho
- 1962: Introduced the .22 LR Mini-Mag
- 1975: Introduced the hyper-velocity CCI Stinger
- 1981: Blazer ammunition line officially launched
- 2015: Became part of Vista Outdoor
- November 2024: Sold with The Kinetic Group to CSG; 75th anniversary in 2026
Sources
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