Nebraska-based Hornady Manufacturing this week was awarded a large contract by the Navy to supply the service with MK316 Mod 0 cartridges. 

The cartridge selected is a 7.62 NATO precision match rifle load with a 175-grain bullet. The $35.4 million contract, awarded by Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, will run for five years, and Hornady will produce the ammunition at its Grand Island, Nebraska. The expected completion date is June 2031.
 

The MK316 originated in the early 2000s, after long-range engagements in Afghanistan’s mountains and Iraq’s deserts revealed shortcomings in the existing M118LR 7.62 NATO round. Although the M118 was designed for bolt-action rifles such as the M40, it showed accuracy and reliability problems in newer gas-operated semi-automatic rifles, including the MK 11 Mod 0/1 (Stoner SR-25), MK 11 Mod 2 (Knight’s M110), and MK 17 (FN SCAR Heavy). The Navy also still stocks quantities of M-14s as well. 

Crane responded by developing the MK316 long-range special ball cartridge to meet demanding requirements: 10-shot groups with an extreme spread under 7 inches at 600 yards, supersonic performance beyond 1,000 yards, reliable function, lethality, and reduced muzzle flash across service bolt-action and semi-automatic rifles.

Banner image: A Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 1 holds security as the fire team crosses a road during a drill at a training location in California, June 15, 2026. (Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class August Clawson/U.S. Navy).