Lapua Cartridge Factory Museum

The museum represents the history of the manufacture of firearm cartridges in Lapua. The State Cartridge Factory (Lapuan Patruunatehdas, or Paukku) was established in 1923 to support Finland’s security after it declared independence from Russia in 1917. The Lapua brand of cartridges was exported worldwide for defence and hobby shooting. As part of the process, the factory manufactured the brass cases and filled them with the gunpowder propellant. Production during World War Two rose to 97 million cartridges a year. Afterwards, the factory diversified into metal components in addition to cartridges, such as rivets, bicycle pedals and drive chains. The factory buildings were transformed after 1993 into a cultural and business centre with several museums. Galleries in the former factory halls show the history of industry in Lapua through photographs and artefacts and explain the manufacturing process of cartridges with original machines, tools and scientific equipment. A chapel commemorates a tragic explosion at the factory in 1976, which killed 40 people.