AMSC decoder

AMC is the number. AMSC is the letter.

AMC, the number

Code	What it means for a quote
0	Never screened. No AMC 1 through 5 was assigned.
1	Suitable to compete again. It has been bought competitively before.
2	Suitable to compete for the first time.
3	Buy it again directly from the actual manufacturer.
4	Buy it for the first time directly from the actual manufacturer.
5	Buy it from a sole source that is not the manufacturer.

AMSC letters that can be competed

Letter	Plain meaning
G	The government has a complete data package and the rights to use it. This is the only letter that means full and open competition, and only when the number is 1 or 2.
Z	A commercial or catalog item. A commercial description applies. A qualified source can often work from that, rather than from a government drawing package.

Letters that keep the buy with named or approved sources

B	Only the manufacturers named on a source-control drawing.
C	A new source needs engineering approval before it can supply the item.
D	The data needed to compete the part is not available. Used with AMC 3, 4 or 5.
H	The government does not yet have data good enough to buy from anyone else. A temporary code.
P	The government has the data, but not the rights to use it for other sources.
Q	Screened for a long time and still not competed. Competition is the intent, not the current buy.
R	The government never bought the data or the rights.
S	Limited to approved sources because the technology is militarily sensitive.
T	Only sources on the qualified products list.
V	A high-reliability part. The data needed to hold that reliability is not available.
Y	The design is still changing, so buys stay with the current source for now.

Letters that depend on the facts

A	Rights to the data are unclear. Temporary, until the part is fully screened.
K	Must be made from approved Class 1 castings or similar forgings.
L	The annual buy is small, so screening only looks for sources already known.
M	Manufacture needs master or coordinated tooling.
N	Manufacture needs special test or inspection equipment.
U	Opening the part to competition would cost more than it saves.

Letters you should not treat as a real code

E, F, J and W are reserved.

Getting on an approved source list

The list is a set of CAGE codes on the NSN.

Which FedOpp screen does this

DIBBS shows the AMSC on the RFQ, and the drawer explains the letter you see.

Open FedOpp

FedOpp never submits bids.

Related

• Packaging code decoder — the MIL-STD-2073 line on the same RFQ.
• Set-aside codes
• How to quote on DIBBS
• All guides