Copper is the backbone of traditional ammunition manufacturing, and right now, it’s under serious pressure. Between escalating global demand, tightening supply chains, and sweeping new tariff policy, the cost to produce conventional brass-cased ammunition is climbing. For manufacturers and handloaders alike, this isn’t a distant market problem. It’s showing up in price tags, lead times, and availability on the shelf.
At Shell Shock Technologies, this moment is one we’ve been preparing for, not because we anticipated every twist in global trade policy, but because we built our NAS³™ case technology from the ground up to be independent of the copper supply chain that traditional ammunition has always depended on.
Traditional brass cases are, at their core, a copper product. Brass is roughly 70% copper by composition, and copper accounts for approximately 73% of the total weight of small caliber ammunition. That means when the price of copper moves — and it has been moving significantly — the cost structure of conventional ammunition moves with it.
The drivers behind today’s copper price pressure are structural, not cyclical. Global demand for copper has surged due to its critical role in renewable energy infrastructure and electric vehicle production. At the same time, domestic refining capacity in the United States remains limited; the country currently imports close to half of the refined copper it consumes, drawing from a supply chain that is increasingly subject to geopolitical risk.
In February 2025, the Trump administration signed an executive order directing the Department of Commerce to investigate the national security implications of copper imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. That investigation concluded with a Presidential Proclamation in July 2025, imposing a 50% tariff on the copper input value of semi-finished copper and intensive copper derivative products, effective August 1, 2025.
Further tariff escalation is on the table. The Commerce Department has been directed to deliver an update to the President on domestic copper markets by June 30, 2026, with a recommendation on whether to implement phased universal tariffs on refined copper, potentially reaching 30% by 2028.
For ammunition manufacturers reliant on copper and brass, the policy trajectory is clear: the cost of doing business the traditional way is going up, and the uncertainty surrounding future input costs makes long-term planning increasingly difficult.
Shell Shock Technologies’ NAS³ case is a two-piece design constructed from a high-tensile nickel-stainless steel alloy, a material chosen for its performance properties, not simply as a cost play. But the reality is that NAS³ technology substantially reduces dependence on copper, and that advantage becomes more meaningful with every passing quarter of copper price volatility.
The performance case for NAS³ stands firmly on its own merits. The cases are up to 50% lighter than traditional brass, reducing the overall weight of a loaded kit without sacrificing durability. The nickel-stainless steel alloy construction is significantly more corrosion-resistant than brass, making NAS³ cases well-suited for demanding environments. And because NAS³ cases are engineered with increased internal volume, they allow for more efficient energy transfer when powder ignites, enabling higher velocities at standard SAAMI pressures compared to conventional brass.
NAS³ cases are also gentler on extractors than steel cases and designed for smooth, reliable ejection, eliminating concerns that have historically kept shooters wary of non-brass options. And unlike traditional steel cases, NAS³ handgun cases are fully compatible with handloading, allowing competitive shooters and precision handloaders to maintain cost-efficient, consistent loads.
As ammunition manufacturers scan the landscape for alternatives that reduce exposure to foreign copper supply chains, SST offers something the market has needed: a domestically produced, high-performance case technology that doesn’t rely on the same critical input driving cost instability across the industry.
Every NAS³ case is proudly made in the USA. That’s not just a point of national pride; in today’s tariff environment, it’s a supply chain advantage.
The ammunition industry is at an inflection point. Copper dependency has long been accepted as a fixed cost of production, but that assumption is being stress-tested by global demand dynamics and U.S. trade policy in ways that show no sign of reversing.
Shell Shock Technologies built NAS³ case technology to perform better than brass: lighter, more durable, more corrosion-resistant, and more consistent. The fact that it also sidesteps the copper supply chain problem is a benefit the industry is only now beginning to fully appreciate.
To learn more about NAS³ case technology and Shell Tech Ammunition, visit shellshocktechnologies.com.
