By Outrider Editorial Team · Updated August 20, 2026
Official definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing small arms ammunition.
FY2025 obligations
$1.3B
Contract actions
1,027
IDVs
82
Top buying agencies
- Department of Defense$1.2B
- Department of Homeland Security$39.8M
- Department of Justice$24.2M
- Department of State$7.4M
- Department of the Interior$1.5M
FY2025 federal contract obligations, USAspending.gov
NAICS 332992 obligated $1.3 billion in FY2025 across 1,027 contract actions. DoD is $1.23 billion. DHS follows at $40 million and DOJ at $24 million, which together represent the federal law enforcement duty and training ammunition market, then State at $7 million for security assistance.
What belongs here
Small arms ammunition, full stop. It is one of the narrowest definitions in the manufacturing sector, and that narrowness is useful because there is very little classification ambiguity.
- The weapons and accessories are 332994.
- Bombs, grenades, unguided rockets, mines, and torpedoes are 332993.
Competing in this code
82 IDVs across $1.3 billion is remarkably thin, and it changes the strategy. Most of this code is bought as definite quantity against a specification. An award is winnable on price, lot acceptance testing, and delivery schedule without first fighting your way onto a multiple-award contract. Military ball ammunition at volume runs through the government-owned plant system and is not realistically contestable. Law enforcement duty and training loads, specialty and match ammunition, and non-standard calibers for security assistance are where an independent loader competes and wins. Lot acceptance testing capacity is the constraint that sinks most first-time performers.
Frequently Asked
NAICS 332992 questions, answered.
What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 332992?
SBA sets it at 1,300 employees, counted as a 24-month average headcount across your company and every affiliate, not revenue. At or under that number you are small on NAICS 332992 solicitations and eligible for the set-asides in this code.
Which agencies buy small arms ammunition under NAICS 332992?
FY2025 obligations: DoD ($1.2 billion), DHS ($40 million), DOJ ($24 million), State ($7 million), Interior ($1 million). DHS and DOJ are the accessible buyers, purchasing duty and training loads on schedules and BPAs, outside the organic industrial base.
Can an independent ammunition manufacturer win federal contracts under NAICS 332992?
Yes, but not on high-volume military ball, which runs through the government-owned plant system. The competitive lanes are law enforcement duty and training loads at DHS and DOJ, specialty and match ammunition, and non-standard calibers bought for security assistance. Lot acceptance testing capacity, not price, is what usually decides whether a first-time performer succeeds.
Why does NAICS 332992 have so few IDVs?
Because most of the code is bought as definite quantity against a published specification, not ordered from a vehicle. 82 IDVs supported 1,027 actions in FY2025. For a new entrant that is good news: you can compete for an award directly instead of first qualifying onto a multiple-award contract.
Register Under NAICS 332992
Classify your business correctly to maximize visibility to federal buyers and access small business set-asides.
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