How Prvi Partizan (PPU Ammo) Became a Global Ammunition | Sportsman's Guide

Prvi Partizan. PR-vee PaRRti ZAHN. PPU. No matter how you say it Prvi Partizan is an ammo brand that is recognizable all over the world. The name however was not adopted until 1947. PPU began in 1928 as a private workshop venture in Yugoslavia by Jakob Posinger. For the first few years the factory operated out of the Stevan Nemanja military barracks in Krcagovo producing hunting rifle and pistol ammunition. In 1935 a piece of land was given to Posinger by the town of Uzice to build a new factory. This would end up being the first private arms and ammunition factory built in the Balkans. At this time the factory changed its name to FOMU Factory of Arms and Ammunition in Uzice. 

FOMU produced ammunition and arms in various calibers; 7mm, 9mm, 12mm, Browning 6.35mm, 7.65mm and Serbian Nagant 7.62mm were the top rounds from the factory.  Single barreled and double barreled arms in 12, 16 and 20 gauge as well as 7.9mm military rifles and 9mm government short pistols are the top caliber arms to come out of the FOMU factory. The FOMU factory was heavily damaged by occupying forces in the early years of World War II.  

In September of 1941 the town of Uzice was liberated and many businesses began to operate under the control of the Partisan military authorities.  FOMU continued to operate as an arms and ammunition manufacturer, being the only one in Yugoslavia and possibly all of Europe, despite the occupation of WWII. The production facility for ammo was moved to an underground bank tunnel. FOMU is known for its important role in supplying the National Liberation Army, or the Yugoslav Army. Operations continued like this until November 22nd, 1941 when an explosion, caused by sabotage, killed over 120 workers and forced the closure of operations in the bank tunnel. 

Despite all of the struggles the brand survived and in 1944 operations resumed in the old, restored, FOMU factory. The company became state owned, as did most companies in the new Communist Yugoslavia nation, in 1947 and changed its name to Prvi Partizan Fabrika, or First Partisan Factory. The company became abbreviated and widely known as PPU based on the head stamp on the cartridges. is the abbreviation of the company's letter in Cyrillic letters and translates to PPU. In 1970 PPU broke ground on new buildings and infrastructure to increase productivity and capacity. Now PPU is one of the leading manufacturers in the world; producing over 400 variations of ammunition rounds and hand loading components for civilian and military use. Prvi Partizan prides itself on being a leader in the ammunition industry and producing quality ammo for one and all.