Cartridge case technology has barely changed in more than 150 years. The machines got faster. The case itself stayed the same.
Shell Shock Technologies set out to change that. Here is how NAS³ came to be, and the 10 advantages that set it apart.
Shell Shock’s founder is an engineer with a long career in product development. The idea for NAS³ started on a factory floor, watching 9mm cases being made.
What stood out was how many operations it took to finish a single case. Asked whether the product was profitable, the manufacturer gave a simple answer: barely.
That was the spark. If a process this old was this complex, and this thin on margin, there had to be a better way.
New inventions rarely come from nowhere. They grow out of parallel technologies maturing at the same time.
Stainless steel isn’t new. But the automotive industry’s heavy use of it has driven major advances in alloy quality and variety.
That same industry built tooling that holds tight tolerances while forming complex shapes in high-speed presses. It made corrosion-resistant parts affordable at scale.
We applied those techniques to cartridge case technology.
NAS³ separates the case into two components, each built with its own manufacturing process:
Building each part with the process best suited to it lets us maximize efficiency and lower cost. See the full design on our Technology page.
No inventor works alone. Turning an idea into a product takes a team of people who share the vision.
Over four years, the Shell Shock Technologies team worked through prototype after prototype to arrive at the best possible case. Along the way, the company secured more than five issued and pending patents.
The result is a lightweight, consistent, and cost-efficient case.
NAS³ cases are designed with increased internal volume. This allows more efficient energy use when the powder ignites.
The result is the ability to achieve higher velocities at standard SAAMI pressures, not by exceeding them.
A slightly larger flash hole promotes fast, complete ignition of the powder charge.
Consistent wall thickness gives the case uniform hoop strength. The wall expands evenly and releases the projectile consistently, shot after shot.
NAS³ cases are up to 50% lighter than brass. That means less weight per round in a pack, a plate carrier, or a range bag.
After firing, the case springs back to roughly 90% of its original size. Combined with its lighter weight, that means smoother ejection and less wear on extractors and ejectors, especially in full-auto use.
The nickel-stainless steel alloy cylinder has low thermal conductivity and takes up less heat from combustion. As a result, NAS³ cases cool significantly faster than brass.
Like any fired case, it is still hot after ejection and should be handled accordingly.
Because the case springs back after firing, NAS³ pistol cases resize easily and can be handloaded 30 times or more. This applies to pistol cases only; SST does not recommend reloading its rifle cases. Explore our 9mm NAS³ unprimed cases.
The nickel-stainless steel alloy resists corrosion in wet, humid, and coastal conditions.
Our patented manufacturing process makes NAS³ cases magnetic. Pick up your spent cases with a magnet, indoors or out.
NAS³ uses about 1/20 of the strategic metal content of a conventional case. That reduces reliance on tight copper and zinc supply chains and helps keep costs down.
NAS³ is cartridge case technology rebuilt from the ground up. It is lighter, more consistent, and engineered for today’s shooters, hunters, law enforcement, and military users.
Browse NAS³ unloaded cases and loaded ammunition, or keep learning in the Shell Shock Academy.
