After almost 62 years of existence, Metallwerk Elisenhuette (MEN) in Nassau, Germany, owes its vitality to its customers – those that it has been supplying for decades and those who the company has acquired in the past few years. Moreover, the membership in the CBC Global Ammunition Group is a very important milestone in this development. The company consider it an extraordinary stroke of luck to have an owner who has supported, challenged and promoted MEN with considerable commitment and vision, and a willingness to take risks. And last but not least, the company's motivated employees – long-term and new – ensure its capability to overcome any and all challenges ahead.
Production at MEN began in 1958. From the beginning, MEN produced ammunition not only for the German armed forces and police, but also for NATO partners. Today, the range of MEN cartridges includes the calibres 9×19mm, 5.56×45mm (.223 Remington), 7.62×51mm (.308 Winchester), 7.62×67mm (.300 Winchester magazine), 8.60×70mm (.338 Lapua magazine) and 12.7×99mm (.50 Browning machine gun). The products are broken down into three product lines – MilitaryLine, PoliceLine and SniperLine.
The current situation of the operational forces has changed. As a result, training must be adapted and expanded in order to ensure that missions go smoothly. The resulting requirements to the training ammunition include a lead-free bullet to protect users' health, as well as minimising wear on the shooting range materials. The solution from MEN is called LFI – Lead-free Indoor. The cartridge is available in 5.56×45mm and 7.62×51mm. Its advantages include the protection of the rebound material of the shooting range and the almost identical point of impact to the service ammunition, as well as being lead-free and low-emission.
