A tour to Berry’s Mfg
Yesterday Dad and I went on a tour of the Berry’s Manufacturing factory. Berry’s, a business local to us in St. George, Utah, makes some of the finest bullets for competition and hunting. But Berry’s offers much more than just bullets, as Dad and I found out…
Pulling into the driveway of the Berry’s, my first thought was ” wow, that looks like an awful small building”. Entering the reception area, a small space that loses a lot of room to a taxidermied elk head, there is a display case showcasing all of Berry’s products. After meeting with the manager, Ross Hart, with whom I had arranged the tour in advance, we went onto the Berry’s production floor. To our surprise, the first thing we saw were plastic Injection Molding machines, which were busy making the bowls for the Berry’s Vibratory Case Cleanser. Ross explained to us that Berry’s makes all the components for their products except the electric motors for the case cleaner, and that the Injection Molding machines were not only for making one part. The molding machines also make the flex tips for some of their rifle bullets, which are also sold to other bullet companies such as Barnes Bullets. Berry’s does all of the plastics for Cabela’s brand products as well as doing custom Injection Molding for local businesses.
Berry’s 400 Vibratory Case Cleaner: After
The Berry’s yard: the closer building is where the administrative work is done, as well as the plastics. the far building is where the bullets are made, as well as the shipping department is. The new building is not shown.
After showing us the first building, Ross took us through the yard where Berry’s receives all their deliveries to get to another building where the bullets are made. He asked us not to take any pictures as their bullet-making process is a bit of a trade secret.
The bullets start out as 55lb. bars of lead ingots. The bars are then put into a cast-iron hopper on a machine. The hopper is heated to over 600 degrees Fahrenheit, melting the lead. The machine measures and pours the lead into cylindrical cups of the desired caliber, where the lead hardens into a cylindrical “slug”. The slugs are poured into the hopper of another machine, oriented right-side up, and a sizing die is brought down on them, cutting and “striking” them to the desired length and shape(round nose, wadcutter, etc.). Most of these bullets go on to the plating process, but a few are packaged and sold as Hard Cast bullets, mostly used for Cowboy Action Shooting as Plated bullets are not legal for SASS competition.
As we moved to the next building, Ross turned us over to the man in charge of the Electroplating process, a retired Marine Corps sniper and Desert Storm veteran named PJ. PJ showed us the magic that puts the copper on the bullets, allowing them to fly at higher speeds without flattening.
After the bullets are meticulously cleaned and inspected, they are put into 55 gallon barrels and poured into a vat containing a cyanide and water rinse. Also inside the vat is a device to keep the bullets tumbling. The rinse is charged with electricity, and a copper ingot is inserted. The bullets are left to tumble overnight.
As the bullets tumble, the cyanide breaks down the copper ingot, while the electricity causes the copper to attach to the bullet, which has been roughened ito give the copper a surface to stick to. The end result is a lead bullet that has been plated with copper, not a copper bullet with a lead core like most “jacketed” bullets made by companys such as Sierra.
Completed Berry’s Plated .40cal Flat Point
After showing us the plating vats, PJ took us to the shipping department, where Berry’s products are boxed and shipped. In addition to housing the shipping department, this building also houses more of the sizing die striking machines. Most of Berry’s plated bullets are offered as “double struck”, meaning they have been “struck” by the sizing die twice, creating a more precise and therefore more accurate bullet.
When we were done looking at the shipping department, PJ brought us into Berry’s new building. Berry’s plans to move its entire shipping department into the new building, and the company’s owner, Gilbert Berry, plans to add a machine shop complete with CNC machines and one very, very large drill press. The new building will also have a break room and a “clean” room, where Berry’s makes medical supplies and prosthetic limbs.
Berry’s is a family owned and operated business. The company’s owner, Gilbert Berry, took over the company from his father when he turned 18. It was he who designed the machines to “strike” the bullets, and he who built every one of them. Many of Berry’s employees are hunters and shooters, but quite a few of them aren’t. Many of Berry’s employees are people who know a lot about machines, or know quite a bit about chemistry.
In summary, Berry’s is a company like no other, a company that could make anything if they needed it, a company that does not rely on any one source to keep producing, and a company that makes one darn good bullet.
Tags: Homeschool reports, Tours
A short section at the beginning on how “bullets” were made in the old days would put the modern process in perspective. The shot tower, bullet molds and lead mining are process examples in the former industry.
Check spelling on quiet vs. quite. I suspect a typo as I’m sure you know the difference.
Brian, great post. I always wondered how copper plating was done (I should never have given up on Chemistry at high school!).
Keep up the great work.
What is the difference between jacketed and plated in terms of performance or is the process a money-saving technique?
Plated bullets can actually have the copper plating stripped off of the bullet if shot at magnum velocities. This doesn’t occur often in pistol bullets because they are shot at lower speeds. Jacketed bullets are mostly copper with a lead core, and are harder. Plated bullets are cheaper, and they work well for pistols. For long range rifles, a jacketed bullet is the best choice.