You inherited a fabulous package!

The ammo you purchased was produced sometime after 1962. That's when the government required the child safety warning on ammunition boxes. The bidding war you got into wasn't because old high speed .38 Special ammo is hard to find, it's because of the metal piercing bullets. You vintage AP box is legal to own, but it's now illegal to manufacture and sell to the civilian market.

You may want to look for a box of period correct ammunition. Keep your eyes open for a Western box without the child warning. You want one marked "Western Cartridge Co" on the back, with no mention of Olin or Olin Mathieson. Other manufacturers also produced pre-war high speed .38 Special and .357 Magnum ammo.

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