Metastable Interstitial Composite ( MIC ) Lead Free Percussion Primer , Small Caliber Ammunition

2026-11-03

The U . S . Army Contracting Command - New Jersey ( ACC - NJ ) is conducting market research on behalf of Combat Capabilities Development Command - Armaments Center ( DEVCOM - AC ), Munitions Engineering Technology Center ( METC ), Small Caliber Munitions Division FCDD - ACM - MI at Picatinny Arsenal , NJ . This research is to determine the ability for US - based Contractors to manufacture and produce variable quantities of Metastable Interstitial Composite ( MIC ) Lead Free Primers ( LFPs ). These primers are intended for further development and testing of small caliber ammunition from 5 . 56mm up through Caliber . 50 . DISCLAIMER : THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY . THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL ( RFP ) TO BE SUBMITTED . IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT . RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT . NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT . ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY . RESPONSES WILL NOT BE RETURNED TO THE RESPONDER . NOT RESPONDING TO THIS NOTICE DOES NOT PRECLUDE PARTICIPATION IN ANY FUTURE REQUEST FOR QUOTE ( RFQ ) OR INVITATION FOR BID ( IFB ) OR RFP , IF ANY ISSUED . IF A SOLICITATION IS RELEASED , IT WILL BE SYNOPSIZED ON THE GOVERNMENT - WIDE POINT OF ENTRY ( GPE ). IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF POTENTIAL OFFERORS TO MONITOR THE GPE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THIS REQUIREMENT . REQUIREMENT : Use of lead - based primers in military munitions continues to be a leading source of personnel lead exposure and cause of environmental contamination . As such , the US Army is developing a replacement for lead styphnate percussion primer explosives in small caliber munitions with the objective of further eliminating lead in all caliber cartridges . Research and Development ( R / D ) efforts involving nanothermite - based primers have demonstrated high potential for a lead - free solution . Advances in water - based mixing and automated loading processes were developed to enable production of metastable interstitial composite ( MIC ) primers . These processes use a MIC - based material with the addition of sensitizers and gas generating agents to tune the performance characteristics of primers . This technology has high potential for automated manufacturing as opposed to traditional methods of handmade primers that directly expose personnel to explosive materials . The Government is seeking pricing information for the following small caliber percussion primers for 7 . 62mm , 5 . 56mm and Cal . 50 ammunition respectively . Interested contractors are requested to provide detailed unit pricing for quantities ranging from 0 to 50 , 000 units . To assist in determining the optimal order quantities for the best overall value , contractors are encouraged to provide tiered pricing structures based on various quantity thresholds . The Contractor will be expected to support various meetings ( kickoff , delivery status , recurring technical ), and shall be able to handle energetics , and produce and test end item MIC lead free primers that meet the requirements of MIL - DTL - 46610 . The Contractor will work with the U . S . Government ( USG ) on primer variants with improved / refined primer formulations that will streamline the manufacturing process and reduce cost without sacrificing quality or safety . All work shall be performed in the U . S . The Contractor shall be capable of all aspects of producing the lead - free primer including but not limited to :- Material procurement - Material batch tracking / lotting - Handling energetic materials and mixing operations - Manufacturing of primers ( dosing of MIC material , consolidating , finish assembly )- In - process and final inspections - Ballistic testing - Failure investigations - Submission of test reports - Shipment of MIC LFPs in suitable containers . The USG will receive unlimited rights to any / all technical data developed or delivered . The contractor shall not use any internally developed technical data or any other pre - existing proprietary information , if such a use would in any way prevent the Government from receiving Unlimited Rights . Background : The applicable NAICS Code for this requirement is 332992 , Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing , with a Small Business Size Standard of 1 , 300 employees . The Product Service Code ( PSC ) is 1305 , Ammunition , through 30mm . Businesses of all sizes are encouraged to respond ; however , each respondent must clearly identify their business size in their capabilities statement . Interested vendors are strongly encouraged to submit a capability statement with the information below . SUBMISSION DETAILS : If your organization has the potential capacity to provide the required services , please provide the following information : 1 ) NAICS and PSC . 2 ) Full company name , address , primary points of contact and their email addresses , Web site address , telephone number , CAGE Code and DUNS number , and size of business ( i . e . large , small , disadvantaged , veteran owned , woman owned , etc .). 3 ) Ability to provide a product that meets the above specifications . 4 ) Past Performance : To demonstrate capability , interested parties are requested to provide evidence of past performance . This should include relevant contract numbers , the corresponding dollar values , and points of contact for verification . For each reference , please include a brief description of the work performed to illustrate your experience in providing this or similar products . Vendors must be properly registered in the Government System for Award Management database ( SAM ). Contractors may obtain information on SAM registration and annual confirmation of requirements by calling 1 - 866 - 606 - 8220 , or via the Internet at www . sam . gov . This is a market survey for information only and shall not be construed as a request for a proposal or as an obligation on the part of the US Government . The US Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this market survey or otherwise pay for information solicited . Official responses must be submitted at no cost to the US Government by 1 : 00PM eastern daylight time April 15 , 2026 , via electronic submittals to Gloria Thoguluva , Contracting Officer ( gloria . thoguluva . civ @ army . mil ) and Roseanne Hooven , Contract Specialist ( roseanne . hooven2 . civ @ army . mil ). Phone inquiries will not be addressed ; all requests should be submitted in writing via email . Respondents will not be notified of the results of the survey .

New Jersey

2026-04-29