Opinion: Companion to Gen. Michael Flynn’s argument in the Washington Times for national-security tariffs on metals.
America cannot defend itself without steel and aluminum. Gen. Michael Flynn made that point loud and clear when he wrote that “depending on imported steel and aluminum to produce our tanks and planes makes America less safe.”
He’s right — BUT that same warning applies even more urgently to the raw materials behind America’s ammunition: lead, brass, and copper.
Every rifle round, every pistol cartridge, every training box, every defensive load — all of it depends on these three materials. If foreign governments or global supply chains slow down, price-gouge, or shut us out, America’s ammo supply evaporates overnight.
Steel and aluminum matter for tanks.
Lead, brass, and copper matter for the armed citizen and the American soldier.
If we’re serious about national security, we need to protect all six.
Ammunition Is National Security
Flynn explains that “in an emergency, our inability to ramp up domestic production represents a clear and present danger to U.S. national security.”
That’s not just true for the Pentagon. It’s true for every police department, every civilian training range, every state trooper, and every concealed carrier in the country.
Unlike fighter jets, ammunition is consumed constantly.
If production stops, there’s no reserve to fall back on.
America learned this in 2020 when ammo became almost impossible to find. The U.S. had to rely on foreign copper, lead, zinc, and brass — and when global shipping stalled, prices skyrocketed, and shelves went bare.
Flynn argues that “a strong and secure manufacturing supply chain… is critical to American greatness.” Ammo is part of that supply chain. Without domestic lead, brass, and copper, our ammunition supply becomes a hostage to global politics.
Foreign Governments Already Manipulate Metal Supplies
Flynn cites Canada’s massive subsidies: “Canada’s aluminum industry has been propped up by nearly $1 billion worth of subsidies.”
The exact same thing is happening in the global lead, brass, and copper markets:
- China heavily subsidizes its copper and brass industries.
- Mexico supplies enormous quantities of lead at artificially low prices.
- India and Turkey flood the world with cheap copper products.
- Environmental rules in the U.S. shut down multiple domestic smelters, narrowing our supply even further.
America is one shipping slowdown away from a massive ammo shortage — and not the kind caused by election season panic buying. A real one. A strategic one.
Flynn warns that allowing foreign metals to dominate creates a “clear and present danger.” That applies double to ammunition. Bullets are the last thing America should be importing.
Ammo Smelters Are Vanishing, Too — Just Like Aluminum
Flynn notes that the U.S. went from 23 aluminum smelters in 2000 to just four in 2025.
The same collapse is happening in ammunition metals:
- The last primary lead smelter in the U.S. (Doe Run, Missouri) closed in 2013.
- Domestic copper refining has steadily declined.
- Domestic brass-cup production depends on foreign copper inputs.
Meanwhile, foreign governments keep their own production booming.
Flynn writes: “If we allow thousands of U.S. manufacturing jobs to be wiped out while redirecting profits to a socialist country, the forgotten men and women of America… will be forced to pay the price.”
That is exactly what happened in the ammo industry for the past decade.
When domestic smelting dies, so does domestic ammunition independence.
Ammo Is the Front Line of Self-Defense & National Defense
Flynn is absolutely right that “the tools these patriots use to defend the homeland must be American.”
Ammo is one of those tools.
- A rifle is useless without a cartridge.
- A pistol is useless without a magazine.
- A soldier is useless without a resupply truck.
Lead, brass, and copper are the lifeblood of every firearm. Tariffs that protect these metals would protect:
- military stockpiles
- police departments
- competitive shooters
- training academies
- American hunters
- and the millions of responsible gun owners who keep this nation safe
Just like steel and aluminum tariffs led to new smelters and new American jobs, similar protections for ammo metals would:
- reopen domestic refining plants
- reduce supply dependence
- stabilize and lower ammo prices
- keep stockpiles on U.S. soil
- protect manufacturing jobs
- and ensure America can never be disarmed by foreign pressure
The Case for a Tariff: Simple, Strong, & Urgent
Flynn states the core principle plainly:
“When it comes to protecting U.S. economic and national security, the simple reality is that the U.S. must become self-sufficient as a nation and cannot rely on foreign countries for critical metals.”
If steel and aluminum are critical, then lead, brass, and copper — the backbone of ammunition — are absolutely critical.
- A country that cannot produce its own ammo is not sovereign.
- A population that cannot access ammo cannot exercise its Second Amendment rights.
- A military that cannot replenish ammo cannot prevail.
America cannot outsource its bullets.
Conclusion: Put Lead, Brass, and Copper Under the Same Shield
Flynn praises President Trump for saying: “We want to be able to do it ourselves.”
- That’s the right mindset for steel.
- It’s the right mindset for aluminum.
- And it must be the mindset for ammunition.
If America wants to stay free, strong, and secure, the raw materials behind every cartridge should be protected just as fiercely — if not more so — than the metals behind our tanks and jets.
Steel and aluminum build the machines of war. Lead, brass, and copper supply the ammunition that wins them.
It’s time to bring ammunition metals under the same national-security shield.
Live Inventory Price Checker
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Maxxtech 9mm 115gr FMJ Brass Cased Ammunition 50rds - PTGB9MMB | Palmetto State Armory | $ 17.99 $ 15.99 |
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About Tred Law
Tred Law is your everyday patriot with a deep love for this country and a no-compromise approach to the Second Amendment. He does not write articles for Ammoland every week, but when he does write, it is usually about liberals Fing with his right to keep and bear arms.
We are in dangerous times! We are SO CLOSE to our final funding goals! With your help we can make it!
China’s New Export Restriction Choke Hold on Critical U.S. Ammunition Components, Are You Prepared?
Last U.S. Lead Smelter to Close, Ammunition Manufacturing to Feel Effects
Before making prices higher with tariffs how about not giving everything away. Israel sells IMI 556 on the open market while we provide ammo for them to fight. Numerous other countries are recipients of direct ammunition shipments from us.
Stockpile like we used to and shut down silly regulations. And on that note:
How about getting the EPA off manufactures backs so they don’t close or leave?
The same can be said for nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin. But again, you are arguing for much higher ammunition prices. What we really need is reserve capacity. But how, how much, and how paid for needs to be answered. In the meantime, consume the finite resources of other countries while we husband our own.
I believe it was Obummer that put this into play. We need to open up all of our sources for any and all materials we need to support the war machine and that includes microchips, wire, rubber and everything else.
At one time America made it all. We never should have left that for the greed of democrats (Clinton)-(NAFTA) that manipulated that markets and the people to get rich, just like Obamacare.
Make America Great Again!
Obama shut down all of our lead smelters during his 8 years , one of the last ones he shut down was in East Helena Montana . We no longer smelt metals in America like lead and copper it all got outsourced to foreign countries . Really bad idea but leave it to a idiot Democrat and this is what happens .
The aluminum tariff is idiotic. America has less than 2% of the world’s reserves of bauxite (aluminum ore) but uses about 10% of the world’s annual production. The tariff on aluminum does nothing to “protect” American production as we simply lack the resources to produce more. Most of our national annual “production” of aluminum comes not from newly smelted ore but from recycled material (how many Bud Light cans went into making your AR?). Among the reasons for America’s decline in strategic mineral production are the terribly excessive costs of union labor and the simple fact that most of our… Read more »
Tariffs just increase taxes on domestic users with no appreciable gain, further infringing on our 2A rights…way to do the work of gun-controllers for the. We should boost domestic production and supplies, but cost-increasing protectionism that further restricts the market is economically stupid. Stupidity I expect from Flynn, but that doesn’t mean we have to follow it.
Recently attended a couple of gun shows and the vendors’ prices are up as is other products they’re selling. Usually, the vendors’ will reduce their price on the last day, but these guys would even consider a deal to lower the prices. Ammo prices are up and it’s being felt in everything gun related.
How Trump’s New Tariffs Impact U.S. Ammunition Manufacturing – Detroit Ammo Co.