Old ammunition

bigolddave · #1 06-03-2008, 09:55 AM

Last fall I picked up a couple of boxes of old ammo, one 45 Auto, Peters Rustless, with a picture on the box of the cartridge, number 4504. The other is 45 AR, Remington Kleanbore, green, lot 7545. Ten bucks apiece. I went back to get the very early 357 box, which was twenty bucks, but somebody was standing there, money in hand. After reading about the rarity of very early 357 ammunition, I decided to keep my eyes open.

Last Saturday, at the local gun show, I picked up three more boxes, for a total of fifty-five dollars. The first is a Wichester picture box, 38 Special, nickel plated cases, 158 grain lead bullet, Lot K3884T. Second is Western, Target box, 38 Special Super Police, 200 grain lead bullet, lot 38S3P. Third is later, Western, yellow,red, and blue box, 357 Magnum, 158 grain Lubaloy bullet; lot 3571P.

I have no idea if these are worth much, but on days when small amounts of money are burning a hole in my pocket, its fun to pick stuff like this up. All boxes are full, and all are sound. Does anybody else but this stuff just for the heck of it?

bigolddave · #2 06-03-2008, 09:55 AM

Last fall I picked up a couple of boxes of old ammo, one 45 Auto, Peters Rustless, with a picture on the box of the cartridge, number 4504. The other is 45 AR, Remington Kleanbore, green, lot 7545. Ten bucks apiece. I went back to get the very early 357 box, which was twenty bucks, but somebody was standing there, money in hand. After reading about the rarity of very early 357 ammunition, I decided to keep my eyes open.

Last Saturday, at the local gun show, I picked up three more boxes, for a total of fifty-five dollars. The first is a Wichester picture box, 38 Special, nickel plated cases, 158 grain lead bullet, Lot K3884T. Second is Western, Target box, 38 Special Super Police, 200 grain lead bullet, lot 38S3P. Third is later, Western, yellow,red, and blue box, 357 Magnum, 158 grain Lubaloy bullet; lot 3571P.

I have no idea if these are worth much, but on days when small amounts of money are burning a hole in my pocket, its fun to pick stuff like this up. All boxes are full, and all are sound. Does anybody else but this stuff just for the heck of it?

john traveler · #3 06-03-2008, 10:10 AM

Sure thing!

Those old, classic ammunition boxes make nice displays for photos of guns and their ammo together.

The S&W brand ammo in their blue and white boxes (although not that old) make excellent displays with the S&W guns.

guy sajer · #4 06-03-2008, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bigolddave:
I have no idea if these are worth much, but on days when small amounts of money are burning a hole in my pocket, its fun to pick stuff like this up. All boxes are full, and all are sound. Does anybody else buy this stuff just for the heck of it?

Yes , sir

You can buy many of these boxes for what a new box will cost you so besides having some collector interest , you can always shoot them up if you lose interest

sunday bill · #5 06-03-2008, 11:34 AM

I don't know if this is the proper Forum section for this or not but I'm sure happy to see that someone else has this habit, too. I did it once before, kept the 22 Hornets and made about $250 on the deal as it contained 3 boxes of .351 Winchester Self-Loader ammo.

Just yesterday I gave a cousin 50 bucks for a box of old, unsearched ammo that had belonged to his bro-in-law.

It contained:

* 5 full bricks of old Winchester 22
-1 Winchester Leader standard velocity LR
-2 Winchester Superspeed #12 Birdshot
-1 Winchester Superspeed LRHP
-1 Winchester Superspeed LR
Great shape, old yellow, red and blue boxes

* 1 brick Remington High Speed Kleenbore 22 LR
Very good brick box, wonderful shape 50 round old red, white and green boxes

* Box and a half (150 count)CCI CB (recent)

* 1 box of Peters 30-30 High Velocity Rustless 150 gr Inner Belted Soft Point #3044(full box, excellent shape except box marked $3.50 in red pencil)

*1 full box (65 rounds) HAERENS AMMUNITIONSARSENAL 6.5 mm patroner m. 1946 ru., stamped 9 NOV 1950. FMJ silver looking roundnose bullets Thought this one would be a treasure, looked it up on the net, determined its Danish and a catastrophe waitin to happen. They say blow-ups resulting in destroyed guns have been reported acc. to some posts on Gunboards. Those boys also guesstimate that "ru." stands for rust, as in corrosive. Sooooo, glad I got these things out of circulation before someone bought them planning to shoot them in some old Danish mil. rifle.

*6 boxes Remington #8 shotshells (fairly recent mfg.)

*2 half moons with 6 45 ACP rounds of unknown origin

* 2 sets of OLD custom earplugs

* one of the neatest gun screwdrivers I have ever seen

* several tattered partial boxes of mixed brand 22s and 300-500 rounds of loose 22 LR in envelopes, medicine bottles, etc.

* 10 rounds Winchester 25 Auto in excellent box.

Dang!!! Christmas on June 2.

Rich

smith17 · #6 06-03-2008, 01:07 PM

All .38 Special.

Ed

kleinkaliber · #7 06-03-2008, 01:57 PM

Since I collect LE marked guns, I have been picking up old boxes of shells like Super Police, Police Special, etc... Looks good displayed with the guns and can make an otherwise unproductive gun show trip worthwhile.

SRT · #8 06-03-2008, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bigolddave:
Last fall I picked up a couple of boxes of old ammo, one 45 Auto, Peters Rustless, with a picture on the box of the cartridge, number 4504. The other is 45 AR, Remington Kleanbore, green, lot 7545. Ten bucks apiece. I went back to get the very early 357 box, which was twenty bucks, but somebody was standing there, money in hand. After reading about the rarity of very early 357 ammunition, I decided to keep my eyes open.

Last Saturday, at the local gun show, I picked up three more boxes, for a total of fifty-five dollars. The first is a Wichester picture box, 38 Special, nickel plated cases, 158 grain lead bullet, Lot K3884T. Second is Western, Target box, 38 Special Super Police, 200 grain lead bullet, lot 38S3P. Third is later, Western, yellow,red, and blue box, 357 Magnum, 158 grain Lubaloy bullet; lot 3571P.

I have no idea if these are worth much, but on days when small amounts of money are burning a hole in my pocket, its fun to pick stuff like this up. All boxes are full, and all are sound. Does anybody else but this stuff just for the heck of it?

Ya done good at $55, and especially so if the boxes are in good condition!

rburg · #9 06-04-2008, 06:38 AM

I like old ammo boxes almost as much as old gun boxes. I like old ammo boxes full of ammo almost as much as old gun boxes full of old guns!

Pictures are the next best thing to being there.

BRush · #10 06-04-2008, 07:28 PM

Vintage ammo is interesting in its own right, but I think it is especially pleasing when displayed with the vintage arms which were made to use it. It has gone up in price like everything else, but as some have attested, can still be found at reasonable prices. Here are some of my 38 Special boxes dating from the teens to the 1960's.

smith17 · #11 06-04-2008, 07:41 PM

Excellent, MrRush. I really like the Peters at the top right.
Ed

AirCommando · #12 06-05-2008, 02:04 AM

I was given this box last week. Now I have to buy a gun that shoots it!

AC

BRush · #13 06-05-2008, 09:57 AM

I appreciate your comment Ed. The Peters box, which, I believe dates from the late 20's, is on of my favorites also.

Nice box AirCommando. Looks like a "Bullseye" , "Gold Bullet" box. Western used this box from the 30's up to WW II. A nice 30's vintage Regulation Police would appear to be in order

guy sajer · #14 06-05-2008, 10:39 AM

Great stuff guys

Roughly what vintage do you think this box is ?
Thank you .

BRush · #15 06-05-2008, 04:02 PM

Mitch - Looks like you have a pre WW II Super Match Box.

guy sajer · #16 06-05-2008, 04:24 PM

Thank you . I was hoping that as it photos nicely with this 1937 Detective and my 1936 Shooting Master .

I'd like to find a pre-war box of .357 to go with my 357 SM , but what I've seen offered runs a little high for my budget .

Great thread .

Here's my earliest box of commercial ammo . Pretty sure from about 1913-15 .

smith17 · #17 06-05-2008, 04:54 PM

Mitch:
Nice box of .45 ammo. There was a box of UMC (not UMC/Remington) from 1911 which would place it as about the first of its kind that went for over $800. It had the same callout, bullet weight and velocity, as yours. They do get pricey. A box of pre-war .357 Magnum is peanuts compared to that.
Ed

guy sajer · #18 06-05-2008, 07:25 PM

Thanks Ed .

I was able to estimate the age on this one from John Potocki's "The Colt 1905 Automatic Pistol" . These were made from 1911-16 according to his book .

Has anyone published a good source of "ammo box identification" ? I'd be good for a copy .

Mule88 · #19 06-10-2008, 04:42 AM

Mitch, I may have the ammo your looking for, I have some pretty old stuff around here ill go thru it and see what I have. I have some very old .44 russian ammo (full box) that I still have in plastic wrap.

smith17 · #20 06-10-2008, 02:20 PM

Mitch:
Regarding your question about box id, one of the best is by Giles and Shuey entitled One Hundred Years of Winchester Cartridge Boxes 1856-1956. It is primarily long gun ammo but you can get an idea of the designs of the boxes and the periods to which they belong. Ray Giles also has a website, www.rtgammo.com where he sells ammo and boxes and just perusing the list (which has pics) will give you an idea of time periods of boxes he has. Another site, http://www.oldammo.com/december06.htm , has a history of some old rem/umc boxes. This one is part 4 and there are 3 before it as is shown on the left margin of the opening page of the webpage. Just a few.
Ed