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Manufacturing & ProductionISCO 8219

Ammunition assembler

Ammunition assemblers put together explosives and other ammunition components. They perform this work in mass production in ammunition factories. The production itself focuses on the manufacturing of cartridges or projectiles.

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Rate 5 of the 13 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

perform product testing

assemble ammunition

assemble bombs

extract products from moulds

check quality of raw materials

About ammunition assembler

As an ammunition assembler in Poland, you will work in a manufacturing environment where you assemble explosives, projectiles, and ammunition components into finished cartridges and ammunition products. This highly regulated and specialized role requires strict adherence to safety protocols, quality standards, and legal requirements governing weapons and ammunition production. Your work contributes to the production of ammunition for military, law enforcement, and civilian sporting purposes within the framework of Polish and EU regulations.

Your daily responsibilities include operating specialized equipment such as bullet presses, assembling ammunition components with precision, extracting finished products from molds, inspecting ammunition for quality defects, finishing shells, and ensuring all products meet rigorous quality standards. You will handle explosives and hazardous materials safely, perform product testing to verify functionality and safety, check raw materials for defects before assembly, and maintain detailed records of all production batches. You must work with meticulous attention to detail, as even minor errors can have serious safety implications.

Career prospects in ammunition manufacturing are stable, particularly as Poland maintains defense capabilities and supports NATO obligations. Employment is typically available in specialized ammunition factories, munitions plants, and military-associated manufacturing facilities. Advancement opportunities include progressing to senior assembler roles, quality control positions, production supervision, or specialization in specific ammunition types. This career offers competitive wages and job security, though it requires passing strict security clearances and demonstrating responsibility with dangerous materials.

Key Work Functions

Core areas of responsibility for a ammunition assembler.

1

Ammunition Assembly and Component Preparation

  • Assemble ammunition by combining explosives, propellants, projectiles, and casings
  • Operate bullet press equipment to insert projectiles and components into cartridges
  • Assemble bombs and other explosive devices according to specifications
  • Load propellant charges and explosive materials with precision measurement
2

Product Finishing and Extraction

  • Extract finished ammunition products from production molds and presses
  • Finish shells and cartridges by cleaning, polishing, and trimming excess material
  • Remove defective products and segregate them according to procedure
  • Handle finished ammunition safely and prepare for packaging and shipment
3

Quality Control and Testing

  • Inspect ammunition products for quality defects, dimension accuracy, and functionality
  • Check raw materials and ammunition components for defects before assembly
  • Perform product testing to verify safety and reliability of ammunition
  • Verify compliance with quality standards and manufacturing specifications
4

Safety and Hazardous Material Handling

  • Adhere strictly to safety protocols and procedures when handling explosives
  • Use personal protective equipment and maintain safe work practices at all times
  • Store and transport explosive materials according to legal and safety requirements
  • Report safety incidents, equipment malfunctions, or material defects immediately
5

Production Documentation and Record Keeping

  • Maintain detailed records of ammunition batches, quantities, and specifications
  • Document raw materials used and track traceability of production batches
  • Record quality control test results and any defects or issues encountered
  • Maintain compliance with legal documentation requirements for weapons and ammunition

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (13)

explosivesexplosivesBehaviour of explosives, pyrotechnics and blasting techniques. Associated risks and legal requirements.types of cartridgestypes of cartridgesField of information wich distinguishes different types of cartridges based on size, shape, ignition type and the propellant. An example is the change in the diameter of the bullet, or caliber.types of ammunitiontypes of ammunitionTypes of small weapons, such as pistols and machine guns, their functionality, various types of ammunition and position on the market.quality standardsquality standardsThe national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.manufacturing of weapons and ammunitionmanufacturing of weapons and ammunitionThe manufacture of heavy weapons (artillery, mobile guns, rocket launchers, torpedo tubes, heavy machine guns), small arms (revolvers, shotguns, light machine guns), air or gas guns and pistols, and w...perform product testingperform product testingTest processed workpieces or products for basic faults.assemble ammunitionassemble ammunitionFabricate cartridges by greasing threads on fuses and inserting them in sockets. Place primers in cartridge cases and fill these with gunpowder propellants. Seal the cartridges by the use of adhesives...assemble bombsassemble bombsTighten pierced and threaded plugs into the base of aerial bombs. Slip metal sleeves around the projectile, and pack the product in metal containers together with additional identification data.extract products from mouldsextract products from mouldsRemove finished products from moulds and examine them in detail for anomalies.check quality of raw materialscheck quality of raw materialsCheck the quality of basic materials used for the production of semi-finished and finished goods by assessing some of its characteristics and, if needed, select samples to be analysed.finish shellsfinish shellsGauge finished shells by using acceptance jigs. Use a stamping press to record the shell data on the cartridge as well as on the projectile. Finalize the tubes by dipping them in molted parrafin and p...operate bullet pressoperate bullet pressHandle the machinery which presses bullets through a lead core according to a uniform size and weight. Manually check the bullets for visual and dimensional characteristics.types of propellantstypes of propellantsField of information which distinguishes different types of propellants such as black gunpowder to forms of smokeless powder derived from nitrocellulose. These create an expanding gas which makes the ...
Optional (16) — show
quality assurance proceduresquality assurance proceduresThe procedures to inspect a product or system to ensure that it is according to specifications and requirements.electroplating metal materialselectroplating metal materialsThe various processes various materials used for electroplating may produce, such as copper plating, silver plating, nickle plating, gold plating, embossed gold plating, degreasing, and others.alloys of precious metalsalloys of precious metalsTypes of material that consist of two or more metals or non-metals.legal requirements related to ammunitionlegal requirements related to ammunitionLegal regulations and requirements in the field of selling, buying, handling and storing ammunition.maintenance of ammunitionmaintenance of ammunitionTypes of maintenance techniques and the impact of various types of firearms and other weapons.cold forgingcold forgingThe metalworking process of forging whilst hot metal is right below its recrystallisation temperature, being cooled and solidified after casting.record production data for quality controlrecord production data for quality controlKeep records of the machine's faults, interventions and irregularities for quality control.tend punch presstend punch pressTend a punch press, monitor and operate it, according to regulations.recognise signs of corrosionrecognise signs of corrosionRecognise the symptoms of metal showing oxidation reactions with the environment resulting in rusting, copper pitting, stress cracking, and others, and estimate the rate of corrosion.heat metalsheat metalsHeat steel and metals in fire; adjust and regulate heat controls to reach appropriate pouring temperature.operate explosives production equipmentoperate explosives production equipmentOperate equipment used for mixing of chemical ingredients having as their end product explosives such as TNT, tetryl or nitroglycerin.send faulty equipment back to assembly linesend faulty equipment back to assembly lineSend equipment that didn't pass inspection back to the assembly line for re-assembly.tend metal polishing machinetend metal polishing machineTend a metalworking machine designed to buff and polish metal surfaces, monitor and operate it according to regulations.store pyrotechnical materialsstore pyrotechnical materialsSafely store materials used for pyrotechnical stage effects and the produced trays of pyrotechnics sorting them according to the processing date.replace diereplace dieEvaluate if a replacement of the die of a machine is deemed beneficial and take the necessary actions for replacing it either manually (depending on its size, by the use of a manual lifting tackle) or...tend stamping presstend stamping pressTend an automated or semi-automated stamping press, monitor and operate it, according to regulations.

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Frequently asked questions

What does an ammunition assembler do?

Ammunition assemblers put together explosives and other ammunition components. They perform this work in mass production in ammunition factories. The production itself focuses on the manufacturing of cartridges or projectiles.

What skills does an ammunition assembler need?

An ammunition assembler needs 13 essential skills, including explosives, types of cartridges, types of ammunition, quality standards, manufacturing of weapons and ammunition.

Will AI replace ammunition assembler jobs?

The AI disruption score for ammunition assembler is 61/100 (high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: record production data for quality control, types of propellants, types of cartridges. Most resilient: explosives, heat metals, extract products from moulds.

AI Replacement Risk

61/ 100
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Quick Facts

SectorManufacturing & Production
ISCO GroupAssemblers
Essential Skills13

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