10 Companies Join SAAMI—Why It’s Good News For Enthusiasts

Ten new companies recently joined the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI). The organization, which was founded in 1926 at the request of the federal government—harnesses the expertise of some of the industry’s finest to create and promulgate technical, performance and safety standards for firearms, ammunition and components.

The firms that joined are Bachstein Consulting, Christensen Arms, Daniel Defense, Dynamic Research Technologies, HSM, Just Cause Solutions, Liberty Ammunition, General Inspection, Oehler Research and Q Inc. Levels of membership vary from voting, to affiliate and supporting.

There’s good reason their enlistment in SAAMI is good news for gun owners, especially with today’s proliferation of new cartridges. Each of the firms is now adding their expertise to an already-enviable pool of knowledge.

Determining the specifications of firearms and cartridges that maintain or exceed the level of safety enthusiasts deserve is no easy task, but that’s one of SAAMI’s primary functions. It adheres to a strict, engineering-based protocol before accepting or standardizing. Here’s a Reader’s Digest-style look at the process that, at a minimum, takes three months.

SAAMI Standards & Testing Are Strict
Only voting or associate members of SAAMI can submit a new cartridge and accompanying firearm chamber for consideration. A facility equipped with SAAMI-compliant ballistics test equipment must be used to determine pressure and velocity limits for any new design, and the organization’s strict protocols must be followed during testing.

Sufficient quality ammunition needs to be supplied for testing and the cartridge must be manufacturable. Proof ammunition is also required to provide armorers, gunsmiths and manufacturers with the ability to verify a firearm design can safely handle the pressure. Dummy loads are also mandatory to ensure proper cycling.

Documents for a cartridge officially submitted to SAAMI’s Technical Office are converted to the organization’s standard format. They are then distributed to its entire Joint Technical Committee (JTC) to review, ask questions of the designer (or company) and solicit input from other sources as deemed necessary. The minimum review time is three months, and the period is longer when more information is required.

Once the JTC feels satisfied with the documents, testing and information gathered, it votes. A new cartridge endorsed by the committee then goes to the SAAMI board of directors for approval. If there are no objections at the board level, the cartridge finally receives SAAMI acceptance.

The process grants some of the industry’s foremost sufficient time to review any new cartridge and chamber design in detail. With the number of experienced engineers looking over the results, it’s little wonder those approved work so safely and flawlessly. For that reason, SAAMI expanding its pool of expertise by 10 companies is good news for every enthusiast.