I've left my complaints about the function of the ammunition I've bought elsewhere on the board. 45 ACP having unburnt powder in revolver, 38 Special inaccurate in rifle, mostly 9mm new manufacture and case head separations in my UC 9 Uzi. Even had a 38 have a bullet lose crimp and fall into the case cycling my Winchester 94ae. But I don't think that's the fatal problem.
First order we ever made had new/remanufactured mixed up, some 9mm were packaged poorly enough for bullets to come deeply seated. They corrected the issues, but other reviews even recently state poor shipping times and general office mismanagement of stock and orders and shipments. Something has never changed, perhaps even gotten worse?
I think the whole fatal blow is the fact that back after Sandy Hook FM was perhaps the only company selling ammunition at a reasonable price that was even available. Sure, the local Walmart might have factory at old market price back then, but you had to wait a month to hope you get what you wanted. FM exploded because it didn't jack prices up to the sky and used the market conditions to enter into the market with force. Probably everyone became familiar or a customer at that time because of that, sales were high.
Now there are tons of other remanufactured rounds on the market, worse standard factory from the big boys is plentiful, available, cheap. Their market edge has completely died off, they aren't the only choice for sane supply and price, they had to run on momentum from when they cornered a lot more of the market, but with other cheap alternatives for plinkers and combat shooting training, as well as FM's constant shipping problems, wore out welcome and failed to be the cheapest kid on the block. Their day has come and gone, and I think its over.
FM's plight isn't that it has money troubles, its the fact I can buy S&B factory cheaper than their reloads. They have no market, thus no future. Companies can survive severe cash flow problems, they can't survive market conditions that lead them to lose their market share and customers. I'd say they are approaching doom as they offer the customer nothing in terms of quality or price against superior competitors.
Sorry to say, i think the sun is about to set.
