By all appearances, the American shooting public loves its 9mm and .223 Remington. These cartridges dominate the range, from backyard plinking to weekend training. But for those looking to punch tighter groups or stretch the limits of precision, standard ammo rarely cuts it. Match-grade ammunition exists, but at a price point that discourages regular use. That challenge is what sparked a revolutionary idea in the minds of Jeffrey and Jordan Low, a father-and-son team with backgrounds in business and military service. In 2018, they laid the groundwork for First Breach, a company born with one bold ambition: deliver match-grade components and ammunition at a price the average American shooter can afford.
Their strategy? Start from scratch, control every element of the process, and never compromise on quality.
A Factory with a Fighter’s History
Every great idea needs a launchpad. For the Lows, that place came with history and soul. Nestled in Hagerstown, Maryland, the former Fairchild Aviation plant had been dormant for more than 30 years. Once a symbol of American airpower, this very site had helped produce several iconic aircraft, most notably the A-10 Thunderbolt II: a flying tank built around the GAU-8 Avenger 30mm autocannon.
Known affectionately as the “Warthog,” it’s a machine designed not around flight, but firepower, with a known reputation for taking a beating and returning home.
That spirit of resilience resonated with the First Breach mission. The facility sits at the crossroads of three states — Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia — making it not only a symbolic choice but a strategic one, too, with its potential for regional economic impact.
Building a Legacy, Not Just a Product
But ambition alone doesn’t renovate a 1940s factory. When the Lows, joined by VP of Operations Benjiman Donivan and Plant Manager Michael Fuentes, set out to restore the facility, they rolled up their sleeves in the most literal sense.
Plumbing, wiring, and infrastructure had to be completely reimagined. They overhauled the compressed air system, updated electrical networks, and installed a dozen new transformers to make full use of the existing 7,900-amp substation.
What sets this team apart is their willingness to do the work themselves. Many executives would outsource the labor. Not here. The First Breach team poured sweat equity into the project, because this wasn't just about making ammo; it was about honoring craftsmanship.
Rewriting the Rulebook on Manufacturing
Once the building was ready, the next question was: which machines could meet their high standards? The answer, surprisingly, was none. Even the best equipment on the global market didn’t measure up. So, First Breach launched a machine shop alongside its production floor. Their goal? Upgrade everything.
From pneumatic systems to precision bushings, they replaced wear-prone components with custom-fabricated, tighter-tolerance parts. This gave their machinery a longer life, greater accuracy, and something rarely seen in modern manufacturing: independence. If a part breaks, they can make a better one in-house. That’s not just clever, it’s efficient.
Precision Starts at the Molecule
First Breach’s obsession with quality begins with raw materials. The brass for cartridge cases is a 70/30 copper-zinc alloy, selected for its superior ductility. This allows for more consistent drawing during the forming process, critical for reliable feeding and consistent pressures. Bullet jackets are formed from a 90/10 copper-nickel alloy, even softer, ensuring a uniform fit around lead cores.
Throughout production, components are repeatedly induction annealed, a modern heat-treatment method that uses electromagnetic friction rather than flame. This results in tighter thermal control and the uniform elimination of work-hardened areas. This directly impacts accuracy and safety as it staves off case splitting.
Lead by Example
Where many companies would outsource core production, First Breach takes the opposite route. They smelted their own lead and drew it into wire for bullet cores, controlling the process from the molten state onward.
The lead-smelting area is housed in a walled-off section of the plant, complete with its own ventilation system. Staff are outfitted with personal respirators, and their blood is tested quarterly for lead exposure. It’s an approach that puts worker safety front and center — an all-too-rare commitment in today’s industrial world.
From Components to Complete Rounds
Initially, First Breach only intended to produce top-tier components. But once they had perfected brass, jackets, and cores, the next step felt inevitable: full ammunition production.
This leap required mastering an entirely new skill set. Many ammunition companies focus solely on loading; for First Breach, this was simply another mountain to climb. They reverse-engineered proven bullet designs, held them to even tighter tolerances, and redirected savings from R&D into extreme quality control.
For example, a standard match-grade grain scale was modified to reject bullets with a variance of just 0.3 grains. Samples are still checked by hand with go/no-go gauges, but 100% of projectiles also undergo digital inspection. Laser micrometers and 8K resolution cameras scan every bullet from every angle, detecting imperfections the naked eye would miss. This is the kind of attention to detail usually reserved for aerospace, now being used to load your next box of 9mm.
The American Dream, Reloaded
Perhaps the most inspiring part of the First Breach story is how it embodies the classic American dream. What started as a kitchen-table conversation about better components is now a full-scale ammunition factory operating out of one of the country’s most legendary aviation facilities. The company name may be a nod to Jordan Low’s military service, but it also speaks to their first “breach” into the tightly held world of ammunition production.
Their methods for loading ammunition are proprietary, but what we can say is that every round passes through human hands before packaging. Nothing leaves that facility without a final set of eyes. It’s old-school meets new-school in the best way possible.
What’s Next for First Breach?
First Breach is just getting started. With major manufacturers lining up to source their components, the company is scaling fast. A second cup-production line is already planned, and by the end of 2025, an additional 190,000 square feet of the Hagerstown facility will go live. Most notably, primer production—often the most challenging component to source—will occupy 60,000 square feet and begin toward the end of the year. This will fill a major gap in domestic manufacturing and help stabilize the supply chain for the entire industry.
As the future of course includes more dedicated workers, they’re not just producing components—they’re creating opportunities. Local technical schools are now in talks with First Breach about internship programs, offering machining and engineering students a chance to work at the cutting edge of American industry.
Expanding the Arsenal
Today, First Breach offers match-grade ammo in 9mm Luger and 5.56/.223—an excellent starting point. But when asked what’s next, Jordan Low just smiled. Thanks to recent international certifications, First Breach is now cleared to produce cartridges for several military entities. That means a broader global footprint—and the potential to serve both civilian and defense markets around the world.
While the next cartridge to receive the “First Breach treatment” remains a mystery, one thing is certain: it will be precise, reliable, and cost-effective. In a market that often forces shooters to choose between performance and price, First Breach is proving you can have both—and still buy American.
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