AFK, located in the city of Pune, came into being on 16th December 1869 as a Small Arms manufacturing unit of the British Government. Regular production of ammunition cartridge using gun powder commenced in 1872. In 1886, manufacture of Cartg. 0.303″ was established using cordite (made from nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine paste) propellant. In 1914 there was an expansion of manufacturing facilities at AFK & different types of primary explosives like mercury fulminate, lead azide, lead styphnate and filling of caps, detonators, percussion fuzes & different pyro technique stores were introduced at AFK for meeting the requirements of war in Asia & Africa.