1880
Tula & Ulyanovsk, Russia
- 1880 Tula factory established
– 100 miles South of Moscow - 1916 Ulyanovsk factory added
– 550 miles South-East of Moscow - 1920s switched from brass to steel cases
- WWI = 25% of Russia’s ammunition production
- WWII = 400 Million rounds per year
- 1999 Alexei Solovov began working at Tula
- Today
– 40 types of small arms ammunition
– commercial and Russian military - 2005 TulAmmo took over Ulyanovsk Cartridge Works
- 2009 500 Million rounds imported into the United States
About Tula
The Tula Cartridge Plant, founded in 1880 in Tula, Russia, south of Moscow, is one of Russia’s oldest ammunition factories and one of at least six industrial small arms ammunition plants in the country. Tula has been a center of Russian arms making for centuries, and the cartridge plant produces ammunition for military use along with civilian metal products.
The company absorbed the Ulyanovsk Cartridge Plant in 2005 and markets its ammunition under the TulAmmo brand. For many American shooters, TulAmmo’s inexpensive steel-cased rifle and pistol ammunition was a familiar choice for high-volume practice. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the plant and its products have been subject to international sanctions, which has sharply limited the availability of new Russian-made ammunition in Western markets.
Key Facts
- 1880: Tula Cartridge Plant founded in Tula, Russia
- 2005: Absorbed the Ulyanovsk Cartridge Plant
- TulAmmo: Brand name for its commercial ammunition
- 2022: Became subject to international sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine
Sources
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