WWII M19 Brass Shotgun Shells 00-Buck - Boxes and Spam Can

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I have an empty military wooden shipping crate from WWII that held 675 rounds of 12 ga. The AI Code was T3ABD. Brass cases were used then because they don't swell if they get wet. By Vietnam, plastic shells were used. With the REM-UMC headstamp, your shells are very likely pre-1960, could be Korean War era, I doubt WWII because I think that style of spam can was not used during WWII.
 
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AJ said:
Ask these folks on this forum. International Ammunition Association Web Forum Someone there will know a boatload probably....
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I’ve been a member of the international ammunition Association for many years and yes, I have a post on there to see if anyone might have more information on production dates but unfortunately we have lots of information on lot numbers, but very little on dates of manufacture for those lot numbers.
 
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I have some empty brass hulls

AND

The handtools so I can reload them.
 
From what little information I could find, the M19 designation and the 10 round boxes were adopted late in WWII. That "78 37" on the lower part of the label is thought to be possibly a date code. The lot number is printed higher in a larger type font. Lot numbers assigned to Remington begin with 5. Both Winchester and Remington made them. Some old stock M19 brass case shells apparently were issued as late as the Vietnam war. My crate is identified as Lot No. 5322 (which would be Remington), and on the side of the crate it says it was re-packed 5/3/44. M19 is nowhere stenciled on the crate, so that is a strong indication that M19 was not a designation in use on 5/3/44.
 
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THREEDFLYER said:
I’ve been a member of the international ammunition Association for many years and yes, I have a post on there to see if anyone might have more information on production dates but unfortunately we have lots of information on lot numbers, but very little on dates of manufacture for those lot numbers.
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Have you tried the folks at the Remington Forums?
 
If you can't get an answer on the IAA Forum regarding an ammunition question, there probably isn't one. Those who frequent it are very difficult to stump. But I have done it several times.
 
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375hh1973 said:
Wonder if my Benelli M4 will run those
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In all probablility. Before relatively recent times, all U. S. military service shotguns, except for the Remington Model 11, which was a semiauto, were pumps and quite a few different ones, starting with the Winchester Model 97. If they will function through a pump they should function through a semiauto. Not all U.S. military shotshells were 00B made for combat. For example shells used for AAF aerial gunnery training were essentially trap/skeet loads. Also some shotshells with small shot were made for survival purposes. Shotguns were not used much in combat during WWII in the ETO, mainly for guarding Axis POWs, and other security purposes. Most WWII combat shotgun usage was in the PTO, mainly against the Japanese.
 
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NICE!!!!!!!!!!!

So here's my question...... Do they work? If they were mine I'd at least fire (or try to ) a few just out of curiosity. I have some very very old Browning marked 12 gauge paper shots shells that I found many years ago. I tried 3 of them and none fired. I don't know exactly how old they are but I'd guess somewhere around 100+ years old and I have no idea how or where they were stored before I found them.
 
chief38 said:
NICE!!!!!!!!!!!

So here's my question...... Do they work? If they were mine I'd at least fire (or try to ) a few just out of curiosity. I have some very very old Browning marked 12 gauge paper shots shells that I found many years ago. I tried 3 of them and none fired. I don't know exactly how old they are but I'd guess somewhere around 100+ years old and I have no idea how or where they were stored before I found them.
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Have shot old brass shotgun shells years ago and they went bang. The same with paper hulled shotgun shells that had been stored properly. If not stored in a dry place they will absorb moisture and fail to fire.
 
Interesting that the military still called it “Buckshot “ and not something like : 12 Gage No. 00 Anti Personnel Round.
 
So my sources on the international ammunition Association forum are telling me that this particular lot was late World War II production.

I’ll most likely keep one box of 10 rounds and sell the rest of the loose boxes and the sealed spam can on an auction at some point.

Although I do have a sealed spam can of M1 carbine from World War II the value on this spam can of shotgun shells is more than my paygrade!
 
I wonder why anyone would want to fire these. Seems like it would be only as a novelty or a stunt, assuming that they would fire at all. I would be concerned that, like much of the other ammunition of WWII, they would have corrosive primers.

They have to be worth more to collectors than what their modern equivalents would cost.
 
Jack Flash said:
I wonder why anyone would want to fire these. Seems like it would be only as a novelty or a stunt, assuming that they would fire at all. I would be concerned that, like much of the other ammunition of WWII, they would have corrosive primers.

They have to be worth more to collectors than what their modern equivalents would cost.
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I don’t think there would be any issue whatsoever in firing these. The brass does a pretty good job of keeping things dry unless they were submerged at some point and there’s no sign of that having happened

Yes, you are correct they are far more valuable in full boxes are sealed spam cans as collectors than anyone would pay for shooting ammo!!

And if you happen to be one of the fortunate ones to own, a genuine military issued 12 gauge trench gun, these would be a must!
 
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