45 ACP 230gr FMJ Headstamp ID
- Thread starter VaTom
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Perhaps the I is a 1… therefore Remington Arms 1919 ?
I would assume those old rounds have corrosive primers. No big deal to shoot it, as long as you start your cleaning with a water based solution. I use 90% water and 10% Ballistol.
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Yep Remington ammo, versus RA on a stock is Raritan Arsenal. There is still a chance it could go bang. I was given some 1943 plated case 45 ACP from Evansville and what I did was pull the bullet, dump the powder and neutralize the primer in one, reseated the bullet, polished it all up, and made a key chain.
Unless the ammo has been stored in absolutely horrible atmospheric conditions, there is a 99.999% chance each and every round will go "bang" and it will still provide the specified chamber pressure and velocity.
DWalt
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It is R A 6 1. Remington Arms 1961. Noncorrosive primed, should be 100% fireable. Someone put them in half moon clips much later.
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LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
I've shot hundreds of rounds of WW1 and WW2 surplus ammo in .45ACP and .30 caliber (.30-06). Never had a problem.
Corrosive primers can be an issue, but not really a problem. Hot soapy water will neutralize the residue. Also the old military bore cleaner solvents will take care of it very well. I purchased a carton of 12 quart cans of GI bore cleaner many years ago, about a buck per can, and it is better than anything else I've ever used (other than the smell).
Corrosive primers can be an issue, but not really a problem. Hot soapy water will neutralize the residue. Also the old military bore cleaner solvents will take care of it very well. I purchased a carton of 12 quart cans of GI bore cleaner many years ago, about a buck per can, and it is better than anything else I've ever used (other than the smell).
DWalt
Member
Maybe 20 years ago, I came into about 100 rounds of WWI (1918) .45 ACP military ammo in 20 round boxes at a garage sale for several dollars. Cosmetically not pretty, but not too badly corroded. I fired most of it, as I remember I had about a 20% misfire rate. Not bad for being 100 years old. Shooting corrosive ammo is of no concern so long as you clean the barrel with water soon after firing. Water is the best solvent for the corrosive salts produced. Conventional bore cleaners will not dissolve the corrosive salts. The GI bore cleaner of WWII and Korea was an emulsion of oil in water and did a fair job dissolving the corrosive salts. But straight water is just as good.
One other thing about that 1918 (REM-UMC) .45 ammo. The primers were undersized. LP primers would not fit.
One other thing about that 1918 (REM-UMC) .45 ammo. The primers were undersized. LP primers would not fit.
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Back in the 80's had a friend that left Va. and became LEO in Wilmington,NC. Went to visit him and naturally he took me to the police range. In the range house there was an open crate of WWI 45 ACP. Any officer could grab a box or several and shoot. We fired several boxes and cleaned our pistols when back at his place. IIRC the head stamp date was 1918. Over 50 years of collecting US militaria have had many many boxes of " old GI ammo" Most is used for display these days as just about any WWI or WWII ammo is collectable and more valuable than current ammo.
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This is one of the most difficult 45 ACP rounds to get for the collection, then the tracer rounds. These were in various survival kits used in WWII.
DWalt
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I have a quantity of .45 military shot rounds, but all are loose, no boxes. I don't believe I have ever seen a box of them.
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Gave most of my collection to my son few years ago. He is moving and I wonder what he thinks about all of it? lol. He collects OSS things.
smoothshooter
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Remington Arms, 1919.
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There seems to be a lot of confusion in this post. That head stamp in the original post doesn't match WWI era Remington contract ammo in my collection. WWI era 45 ACP I have has a REM-UMC hdstp. It does match 1960's era Remington contract ammo that I have. Which has an RA & date stamp. Another poster put up a picture of WWI 45 ammo in an original box which clearly shows an REM-UMC hdstp.
The OP states he received the ammo in vintage 3 rd clips but I suspect that someone had put those shells in the clips. Another poster (s&wchad) showed a list of later contract ammo and the proper way to read the head stamp but people continue to post that this is WWI stuff which it isn't.
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flintsghost
Member
That is RA 61 for Remington Arms 1961 GI issue 230 Grain ball round. They have crimped and lacquered primers and the bullets are sealed with an asphaultum glue. They are virtually waterproof. They will go bang no matter how they were stored. It is non-corrosive. I still have several boxes of the same ammo. You don't need to look it up the lacquer color on the primer indicates it's non-corrosive. Corrosive ammunition has a darker lacquer that is almost black.
