St. Marks Powder

Large-scale ball propellant manufacture began during World War II at the Olin Corporation plant in East Alton, Illinois. Population growth of the St. Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area encouraged finding a more remote location for a modern production plant. The St. Marks manufacturing facility was built in 1969 on a large plot of undeveloped swampland south of Tallahassee, Florida, at near sea-level elevation between the St. Marks River and the Gulf Coast.^[5] Plant operation was transferred to St. Marks Powder in 1998.^[6]

St. Marks Powder supplies nearly 100 percent of the propellant used in 5.56×45mm NATO, 7.62×51mm NATO, 9×19mm NATO, and .50 BMG ammunition for United States military small arms and 20mm ammunition for the M61 Vulcan aircraft cannon.^[3] Similar propellants are sold to commercial manufacturers of rimfire and centerfire ammunition^[1] or marketed by Alliant Powder,^[3] Winchester, and Hodgdon Powder Company for civilian handloading.^[7] Other propellants are used for military 60mm and 81mm mortar rounds,^[3] rocket-assisted projectiles,^[8] or dispersing non-lethal agents used for crowd control, marking, or area denial.^[9]