CCI/Speer

These two Idaho-made brands dominate their respective markets -- CCI owns rimfire reliability, and Speer owns law enforcement duty ammunition. They've been running out of the same Lewiston facility for decades.

Two brothers started what became America's most trusted ammunition names. Richard Speer founded CCI in 1951 to make rimfire cartridges. His brother Vernon had been making bullets in his garage since 1943. Today their companies share the same Idaho factory and both set the standards everyone else chases.

CCI makes more rimfire ammunition than anyone else in the world. When you buy a .22 at the gun store, there's a good chance it came from Lewiston. Speer's Gold Dot is the most widely issued police ammunition in America -- more cops carry it than any other brand.

Czechoslovak Group (CSG) acquired both brands in 2024 along with Federal and Remington, after purchasing Vista Outdoor's ammunition segment. That makes their Lewiston campus part of the largest ammunition manufacturing operation on the planet.

Richard Speer saw an opportunity in 1951 when rimfire ammunition was mostly imported or made by big eastern companies. He started Cascade Cartridge Inc in Lewiston and focused entirely on .22 caliber cartridges.

• •Key milestones in CCI's development from startup to industry leader

The breakthrough came in the 1960s with CCI Stinger. Nobody had pushed a .22 LR past 1,600 fps before -- CCI did it by lengthening the case slightly and using a 32-grain bullet instead of the standard 40-grain. That little cartridge hit 1,640 fps and changed rimfire hunting forever.

CCI Mini-Mag became the reliability standard. If your .22 semi-auto won't run Mini-Mag, the gun has a problem. If it runs Mini-Mag but chokes on bulk ammo, that's normal. Gun writers use Mini-Mag as their baseline test ammunition for a reason.

They kept innovating. CCI Quiet-22 runs at 710 fps for backyard shooting. Clean-22 uses polymer-coated bullets that cut lead fouling by 60%. A22 is engineered specifically for semi-auto reliability.

Vernon Speer started making bullets in his garage in 1943 because he couldn't find consistent hunting bullets during World War II. Word spread among hunters and reloaders -- the Speer bullets just worked better.

• •Speer's evolution from garage operation to law enforcement standard

The company grew through the decades, but the real breakthrough came with Gold Dot technology in the 1970s and 80s. Instead of mechanically swaging a jacket around a lead core, Speer developed an electrochemical process that bonds the jacket at the molecular level.

This solved the jacket separation problem that plagued hollow point ammunition. Earlier designs would shed their jackets when hitting barriers, leaving just a lead core to continue through tissue. Gold Dot bullets hold together no matter what they hit.

Law enforcement agencies noticed. The FBI protocol tests put ammunition through bare gelatin, heavy clothing, auto glass, plywood, wallboard, and steel barriers. Gold Dot passed everything while maintaining consistent expansion and 12-18 inches of penetration.

By the 1990s, major police departments were switching to Gold Dot. Today it's the most widely issued duty ammunition in America.

A22 is optimized specifically for semi-auto reliability. Available in .22 LR, .22 WMR, and .17 HMR. If you have a finicky semi-auto, try this first.

CCI Primers often get overlooked, but they're critical for reloaders. CCI #200, #400, #41 (military spec), and #209 primers are among the most sought-after during shortages.

Gold Dot remains the law enforcement standard. The bonded-core construction prevents jacket separation. Available in every common defensive caliber from .38 Special to .45 ACP.

The most popular police load is Gold Dot 124-grain +P in 9mm. Consistent expansion through all barriers, reliable penetration depth, and proven street performance over decades of use.

Gold Dot G2 adds an elastomer-filled nose cavity. This flexible polymer prevents the hollow point from clogging when passing through barriers. More consistent expansion than the original Gold Dot design.

Gold Dot Carry Gun is optimized for short-barrel pistols. Standard Gold Dot needs about 1,000 fps to expand reliably -- Carry Gun expands consistently from 3-inch barrels at lower velocities.

Lawman provides training ammunition that matches Gold Dot point of impact. Total Metal Jacket construction reduces lead exposure on indoor ranges. Same primers and powder burn rates as duty ammunition.

Blazer offers budget training with CCI primer reliability. Blazer Aluminum has non-reloadable cases but costs less. Blazer Brass uses reloadable cases and remains popular for high-volume practice.

CCI rimfire works when other brands don't. The advantages include:

• •More consistent ignition than bulk ammunition
• •More uniform powder charges
• •Better balanced bullets
• •Reliable cycling in semi-automatics

You pay a few cents more per round, but you get reliability that bulk ammunition can't match.

If your .22 semi-auto won't run Mini-Mag, the gun has a problem. If it runs Mini-Mag but chokes on bulk ammo, that's normal.

Mini-Mag cycles semi-autos that choke on everything else. Standard Velocity shoots tiny groups from quality bolt guns. Stinger hits harder than any other .22 LR load. Clean-22 keeps your gun cleaner longer.

• •Why bonded-core construction matters for barrier performance

Speer Gold Dot has decades of documented street performance. Police departments track ammunition performance through detailed shooting reports -- Gold Dot consistently delivers one-shot stops and predictable penetration.

The bonded-core construction works. Gold Dot bullets routinely retain 90%+ of their weight after barrier penetration while maintaining consistent expansion. Cheaper hollow points shed their jackets and become unpredictable.

• •For .22 LR general use: CCI Mini-Mag. Most reliable cycling, good accuracy, reasonable price. This should be your default choice unless you have specific needs.

• •For precision shooting: CCI Standard Velocity. Subsonic consistency and match-grade accuracy from most rifles. Competition shooters swear by it.

• •For suppressed shooting: Either Standard Velocity or Quiet-22. Both stay subsonic. Standard Velocity is more accurate, Quiet-22 is quieter.

• •For small game hunting: CCI Stinger or Velocitor. Stinger hits hardest, Velocitor provides a heavier bullet. Both expand reliably on game.

• •For indoor ranges: CCI Clean-22. The polymer coating dramatically reduces lead fouling. Your gun stays cleaner and the air is less toxic.

• •For defensive carry: Speer Gold Dot in your caliber. Choose 124-grain +P for 9mm, 180-grain for .40 S&W, 230-grain for .45 ACP. Proven street performance over decades.

• •For short-barrel carry guns: Gold Dot Carry Gun. Expansion optimized for 3-inch barrels and lower velocities.

• •For training: Speer Lawman if you want to match your Gold Dot duty load. CCI Blazer Brass for high-volume practice on a budget.

Price-wise, CCI rimfire runs 6-12 cents per round depending on the load. CCI Blazer centerfire starts around 18 cents for 9mm. Speer Lawman training ammunition runs 25-35 cents. Gold Dot duty loads cost 80 cents to $1.20 per round in 20-round boxes.

CCI and Speer earned their reputations the hard way -- making ammunition that works when it matters. CCI dominates rimfire because their quality control is simply better than everyone else's.

Speer owns law enforcement because Gold Dot solves real problems that get people killed.

Police departments don't switch ammunition on a whim -- they track performance data and stick with what works.

You can buy cheaper ammunition, and sometimes it works fine. But when you absolutely need every round to fire and perform consistently, these Idaho brands deliver.

The pricing reflects the quality. CCI costs more than bulk rimfire because it's made to tighter tolerances with better components. Gold Dot costs more than ball ammunition because bonded-core bullets are expensive to manufacture and the R&D investment was enormous.

Both brands stay current with innovation. Clean-22 addresses real indoor range problems. Gold Dot G2 improves barrier performance. A22 tackles semi-auto reliability issues. They're not resting on past achievements.

If you shoot rimfire regularly, keep CCI Mini-Mag on hand for when reliability matters most. If you carry for protection, Gold Dot is the proven choice with decades of documented performance. These aren't marketing claims -- they're measurable advantages you can count on.