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  #1  
Old 11-13-2010, 12:02 AM
luv2shoot luv2shoot is offline
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Default Is it OK to shoot this ammo???

A buddy gave me this ammo 38spl. as you can see in the pics.
I would like to shoot it up and use the cases for reloading.

The lead is really dry, is there a lube I can use on them that
might help.

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]
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Old 11-13-2010, 12:06 AM
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You might be better off selling the antique ammo to a collector and buying some once-fired current brass, especially if you have no idea how the ammo was stored.
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Old 11-13-2010, 12:06 AM
john traveler john traveler is offline
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Sure, you can simply shoot it up, but with the boxes in such nice condition, it may be worth more to a collector than new ammo.

The dry bullets won't hurt anything. The rounded (ogive) part of the bullet does not touch the chamber throat or barrel bore.

If it really bothers you, you can wipe on some gun grease or dip it into Lee Liquid Alox bullet lubricant, but it is not necessary.
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Old 11-13-2010, 12:23 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OKFC05 View Post
You might be better off selling the antique ammo to a collector and buying some once-fired current brass, especially if you have no idea how the ammo was stored.
Yea I guess I could look into selling it.
Thanks guys for your help.
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  #5  
Old 11-13-2010, 01:49 AM
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Default It stinks

I shot some of that same ammo years ago. The ammo was smokey and stinky to say the least. The cases are good to reload but selling to a collector could net you more rounds. Save it for the next gunshow and find a collector to sell it to.

Bruce
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Old 11-13-2010, 09:46 AM
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More valuable to a collector than for brass.
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Old 11-13-2010, 10:51 AM
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Those are just too "cool" to shoot. As other mentioned either keep them or sell to a collector.
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Old 11-13-2010, 11:40 AM
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You seem to have a mixed assortment of factory and possibly reloaded rounds in both boxes, judging by the mixture of case makes, case finishes and primer types.
The "dry" lead is just lead-oxide coating - it happens to exposed-lead bullets over time. Don't worry about it.
The ammo should be OK to shoot.

Western (Winchester) and Peters (Remington) ammo is some of the most popular ever made, and the collector value is probably zilch.

Some of the brass might be of the balloon-head type - don't reload those.
LT

Last edited by Linear Thinker; 11-13-2010 at 11:45 AM.
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Old 11-13-2010, 11:51 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Linear Thinker View Post
You seem to have a mixed assortment of factory and possibly reloaded rounds in both boxes, judging by the mixture of case makes, case finishes and primer types.
The "dry" lead is just lead-oxide coating - it happens to exposed-lead bullets over time. Don't worry about it.
The ammo should be OK to shoot.

Western (Winchester) and Peters (Remington) ammo is some of the most popular ever made, and the collector value is probably zilch.

Some of the brass might be of the balloon-head type - don't reload those.
LT
Thanks for that bit of info on balloon-head type.
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  #10  
Old 11-14-2010, 01:05 AM
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I would just put those on a shelf and get some new brass to reload.
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  #11  
Old 11-14-2010, 01:12 AM
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I don't know that I've heard of any balloon head .38 cases, especially that new.
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Old 11-16-2010, 08:37 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul5388 View Post
I don't know that I've heard of any balloon head .38 cases, especially that new.
Paul - I have a number of ballon-head 38 cases in my old-ammo collection.

What prompted my concern was the convex primer shape on some of the pictured cases. That indicates older ammo. However, no way to tell the case-head construction without pulling the bullet.
LT
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Old 11-16-2010, 09:00 PM
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Speer #7 has balloon head data for .45 Auto Rim, but doesn't mention any for .38 Special. So, that's part of my observation of the age they would have to be. Here's what Phil Sharpe says in the 1951 edition of his Complete Guide to Handloading.



Sharpe indicates balloon heads weren't in production by major manufacturers at the date of printing (which could also be 1937, depending on what was revised in later editions). So, as I said, the cartridges don't appear to be from the balloon head era.
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Old 11-16-2010, 09:10 PM
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Domed primers do not necessarily indicate balloon head type cases.

Several US manufacturers used the older "domed" primers into the late 1960s and beyond. I've encountered israeli military production 9mm that used the domed type primers with manufacturing dates of middle-to-late 1970s, probably from using the Winchester production machinery sold to IMI.

Balloon head cases, on the other hand, were discontinued a generation before. WWII spelled the end of balloon head cases as well as the bulk type powders that Sharpe wrote about.
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  #15  
Old 11-16-2010, 09:23 PM
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Yes, I should have mentioned about bulk powder passing from production long ago and being generally powder that could be loaded dram for dram in black powder applications. There isn't any bulk powder now, since it certainly doesn't mean what we buy in bulk. Bulk powder is shown on the left of the following image.

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38spl, military, primer, remington, winchester, wwii

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