Decided to put some of my accumulated .38SP range pickups to use as light range fodder..

I usually give the completed round a once over when I take it out of the press & noticed a case with "WCC" and "90" headstamp. No caliber marking.

I always thought a date code indicated a .mil casing?

.38SP still in use in 1990?

Any thoughts?

I can tell you I qualified with a model 15 with the Naval Reserve in 1994. Didn't notice the ammo used, though.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Are the primers crimped in on military .38 Spl cartridges?

Generally speaking, the military crimps the primers of any cartridge that can be used in a fully automatic weapon. IE, submachine gun, machine gun or assault rifle/carbine. The only thing they use 38 spec in is revolvers. I have never seen an American made military 38 spec case that had a crimp. There may be some somewhere, but I havn't seen any.

Appreciate the info. I had seen 45 ACP cases crimped, but I guess I've never run into any surplus .38s and I was curious.

Thanks for that. Ya learn something new every day. I would not have guessed (but I'm not surprised) that the military still has some .38's around. If it ain't broke don't fix it.


I've used milsurp 9mm cases with crimped primers. Even though only about 1 in 4 for actually "rejected" the new primer I bought a reamer. The rest were just about like seating in a S&B pocket. Now when they come out of the tumbler the .mil get sorted to their own box for reaming.

The .38 case was a bit stiffer going into the sizing/'capping die, the old primer popped out with a noticable "ping" and the new primer seated with resistance but no real problem.

Back in the 80's I had access to thousands of Military 130 gr RN .38 spcl empties. I loaded lots of them. Most were WCC marked headstamp.
Never had any issues. They cleaned up nice and shiny in the tumbler and seemed to be very consistent in quality.

Wish I'd not given away so many.....I'm almost OUT.

When I think of all the .45 & .308 I dumped in the barrels instead of taking home....

mmmmmmmmm........... barrels of .45 brass....

Look like this??

WCC NATO

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Still Running Against the Wind

Oh, heck yes. My USAF unit was using the Model 15 until I retired in 1993. Switched to M9 the next year.
Wouldn't make any bets some M15s are still around, someplace.

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Science plus Art

I have some Lake City 38 spl brass that was definately crimped primers. I also have some WCC that is military but was not crimped.

Not exactly. No cross and the WCC90 are evenly spaced around the primer.

I have a few military 38SP brass, and the primer pockets aren't crimped on them. They load just like commercial brass.

If you are really curious and want to know what it is, contact the folks at the website they may be able to tell you exactly what it is. Not sure if you need to be a member but they list their e mails.

No it's not the ATFE its AFTE

The Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners

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Still Running Against the Wind

I was pretty sure it was .mil, just a little curious about it being so new. The .38 cartridge is alive & kicking & will probly outlast us all.

...especially the old timers on THIS forum...

FWIW I also come across quite a few .mil WCC .45ACP cases & haven't needed to ream a single one.

Since the WCC head stamp gave me fits in 9 mm, any caliber marked "WCC" gets tossed. Maybe I should revisit that notion.

I find no problems with any of the WCC marked head-stamps, in either 38 or 9mm, and I have loaded thousands of it in .45. I did find some, not all, of the 9mm crimped, as well as most of the .45. I use my de-burring tool to ream the edge off the crimp and don't seem to have any problems. The only pistol brass I have any problems with is Seller & Belloit. The primer pocket is straight up and no bevel at all in the rim of the primer pocket. Unless the primer is "perfectly" in line with the pocket it can cause the primer to seat sideways or mash it self catywompas in the primer pocket. I usually pitch any S&B I accidentally pick up.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I picked up a bunch of 38 Sp. stuff when I was in Calif. National Guard in the 50's. Most are stamped WCC 57. I've loaded them a number of times. I weighed them & they are the same as Winchester brass. No crimped primers.

I was just out today shooting some "R A 64" and "R A 67" 38's and they have no crimp. They have been trough 12 or 14 reloadings, and today, I found one case-mouth split out of a couple hundred. But I do give them a significant roll-crimp.

Flash

Have a WCC 79 and a LC 78 with crimped primer pockets.

All the rest of my .mil 38sp brass (most VN era) is not crimped.