Tula Ammo

TulAmmo, also known as Tula Ammo, is a Russian Ammunition Factory based in Tula, Russia.

A popular bulk buy for shooters in the United States, Tula manufacturers some of the most popular calibers of ammo used by American civilian shooters. It’s not uncommon to find bulk Tula 9mm, .223, .308 and others for sale at some of the cheapest prices available for shooters today.

What we know about the history of Tula Ammo is an interesting, to say the least but there are few solid facts actually known about the factory itself. In 1880, the Russian Tsar Alexander II was directly responsible for approval of the private funds used to build the Tula factory. The factory has been in operation ever since and has produced ammo for Russia, its allies, and the USA civilian shooting markets. The Tula Ammo company operates under an entity known as High Precision Systems, which is owned by a larger parent corporation known as Rostec.

Tula’s Early Days

For its first 7 years of production, Tula Ammo manufactured more than 210 million total rounds. Tula Ammo built and shipped one fourth (1/4) of all Russian fired cartridges while that nation was engaged in World War I.

As you know, Tula continued to manufacture after the war. Following WWI, steel-cased ammunition started to take shape. Russian supplies of brass, zinc, and copper were not at their highest levels, but one thing Russia did have a lot of was iron, one of the main components used to make steel. Because of the size and production capabilities of Tula Ammo, the factories were utilized to a great degree during World War II.

Today, Tula is one of the largest steel-cased ammo producers in the world and along with fellow Russian brand Wolf ammo, comprise most of the steel cased ammo American civilian shooters use.

Tula and the World at War

The Tula Ammo factories were pivotal and were some of the few that were equipped to produce the massive numbers of rounds needed to keep the Russian Military engaged with Nazi Germany. The Russian Military is huge and required over 400 Million cartridges each year during World War II.

The Nazi Blitzkrieg known as “Operation Barbarosa” was set to roll right over the Tula Ammo factory but the citizens of Tula and the Factory workers, all of which were women and children, went to extreme measures to protect the factory and keep it out of German hands. The Tula Ammo plant was kept in its original location and built up for defense by the workers that were still there. The women and children that were building ammo, components, and running military drills when they weren’t building ammunition, took it upon themselves to defend the factory.

Those workers built numerous gun emplacements, fox holes, tank ditches which were extremely wide and could stop a tank cold, and even planted specific areas with mines. These defensive measures, along with many other victories in key locations gave the factory a definite advantage and helped to turn the tide of the war.

During the 1941 battle to capture Moscow, Joseph Stalin, Russia’s leader at the time, gave the order to pack up and move the Tula factories out of their locations, and to keep them ahead of the German advance. Stalin gave this order for more than two thousand factories and had them loaded onto rail cars for shipping. Moving these factories was no easy task and was done, again, largely by women and children because the adult males were fighting the Nazi’s. The town of Tula itself was an important strategic location for the Nazi’s and was attacked in mass by the Nazi war machine’s Second Panzer Division. As the rail cars moved the factories and their machinery ahead of the Nazi Military, the Russian factory workers would routinely destroy the tracks behind them as they went so, they could not be utilized by the Nazi army. When World War Two initially began, factory employees would spend all day working, manufacturing ammo of all kinds for the Russian army, and building all the components needed for their ammo. But, unlike many other factory employees these workers would not go home and recuperate after a long day of work. They would build fortifications and practice military tactics and marksmanship in preparation for the Nazi invasion that was headed their way.

The town of Tula ended up having to fight for their city and hold back the Nazis themselves, so the military tactics and training was pivotal in the defense of Tula. It was widely known that the town of Tula was considered to be the southern entrance to Moscow. The Germans wanted to take Tula badly and then advance further into Moscow and eventually take the entire country, but many factors came together to work against the Nazi Military Machine.

The Nazis were ill-prepared to fight in the Russian winter weather, their supplies and the lines that kept their supplies coming were stretched so thin that they were at their breaking point. The Nazis didn’t know how to fight in the Russian weather and could not withstand the continuous onslaught from the Russian conscription forces that seemed to have unlimited men. Of course, we know the Russians did not have unlimited men, but there were stories of Nazi military commanders writing in their journals about how the Russians seem to have more and more soldiers, and that they seem to just keep coming and coming. The Russian state was and still is massive and can bring a lot of power to bear when needed.

After World War Two came to an end, Tula Ammo expanded their production capabilities and started to manufacture many more calibers. Right now, TulAmmo manufactures over 40 calibers that can be used in handguns (revolvers or pistols), and in multiple rifle platforms. There are also over 20 different countries that Tula Ammo also exports their cartridges to. Also of note is the fact that Tula also manufactures arms, drive chains, tools and tooling, bellows, and other equipment.

Tula Ammo for Sale Today

Today, the Tula Cartridge plant produces many of the most popular calibers on the market and makes them affordable for almost any shooter. In fact, it is a well-known fact that Tula Ammo is so cost effective that many elite Police Units use it for training. The calibers that TulAmmo or Tula Ammo manufactures include 7.62x39, 5.45x39, .223 Remington, .45 ACP (Auto Colt Pistol), .380 ACP (Auto Colt Pistol), 9mm or 9x19mm Luger, and many others. All of their cartridges are made with a Bi-metal jacket over a solid lead core, and they are loaded into a steel casing with non-corrosive Berdan primers.

Tula’s steel cases also include a polymer coating, not to be confused with a lacquer coating. The Polymer coating helps with loading, protects the round from any outside factors. The rounds also come in multiple configurations and storage options. They come packed in the easily recognizable black boxes, but they can also be had in the popular “spam cans” which are great for stockpiling. The choice is yours.    

After 138 years, the Tula Ammo plant is still going strong, making ammo, and other products. They are active with the NRA (National Rifle Association), and the NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation), and they are widely known throughout many other shooting foundations. They are available at numerous retailers all over the USA and they continue to be imported and sold here. Get yourself some TulAmmo/Tula Ammo today and see why everyone loves Tula ammunition so much.