Please help date ammo packed in 18 rd. Box

[ssgmac]

I have gotten these and was wondering who they might have been packaged for in this configuration, I have been told the G prefix is GOV. or possibly LE. Any help much appreciated....

 

[Dragon88]

Very interesting! A cylinder full and two speed reloaders?

 

[GyMac]

ssgmac,

I wish I could help. I did a search on the numbers and couldn't come up with anything. Why a contract would be let for a seemingly ordinary .38 load packaged in that way is beyond me. I hope you find out.

 

[KEN L]

Dragon88 is basically correct.

However, depending on the vintage, they may have been intended for 6 in the gun and 6 each in two dump pouches. When the speed strips came out they were designed to fit into the dump pouches. So maybe 6 in the gun and 6 in each of two speed strips. I don't know who originally came up with the idea of only 12 reloads, but it stuck. Probably the FBI, in they're all knowing wisdom! My department never bought/used ammo sold like that. We always used reloads which always came in 50rd boxes. Obviously there were departments, with much fatter budgets, that could afford factory manufactured ammo in 18 round boxes. As a matter of fact it probably was a govt agency like the FBI. They always buy factory ammo for training. At any rate they're very collectible, at least to those of us who collect such things!

 

[Dragon88]

Dragon88 is basically correct.

However, depending on the vintage, they may have been intended for 6 in the gun and 6 each in two dump pouches. When the speed strips came out they were designed to fit into the dump pouches. So maybe 6 in the gun and 6 in each of two speed strips. I don't know who originally came up with the idea of only 12 reloads, but it stuck. Probably the FBI, in they're all knowing wisdom! My department never bought/used ammo sold like that. We always used reloads which always came in 50rd boxes. Obviously there were departments, with much fatter budgets, that could afford factory manufactured ammo in 18 round boxes. As a matter of fact it probably was a govt agency like the FBI. They always buy factory ammo for training. At any rate they're very collectible, at least to those of us who collect such things!

So speed strips came before speed reloaders? I guess the original "speed reload" before that was six loose rounds in a pocket...

 

[pete950]

That ammunition was packaged for the NYPD when they were carrying winchester 158 SWC ammo.
There was a guy on gunbroker trying to sell boxes of 38 ammo like that.

 

[ssgmac]

That ammunition was packaged for the NYPD when they were carrying winchester 158 SWC ammo.
There was a guy on gunbroker trying to sell boxes of 38 ammo like that.

I wish I could confirm this, it woulld go with this NY-1 Detective revolver I obtained about a year ago. i purchased the ammo today at a Gun Show... thanks for all the response, i showed the pics to a very schooled ammo guy and he had never seen .38 packaged this way.

 

[LOBO]

Why not contact Winchester? They might be able to tell you.

 

[clint_lnl]

one thing I see in the picture is the address and NO zip code . so they started using zip codes in the what early 60's ? so has to older than that

 

[pete950]

Type in auction number or productAuction number: 204994392 2 18 Rd Boxes 38 Spl Semi Wads NYPD Issued Boxes
Listing started: 2010-12-06 20:52:28
Listing ended: 2010-12-20 20:52:28DescriptionSeller: oldrifles
Price: 50
Buy now: NO Aditional details
Payment Methods: Money Order / Certified Check, Personal Check, See Item Description
Sales Tax: Seller does not collect sales tax
Shipping: Ground: $15.00 No international shipments.
Inspection Period / Return Policy: Unspecified
Item Condition: New Old Stock
Requires FFL?: You might be interested in:
spl boxes
wads
nypd
www.myoldrifles.com - Your Home for Quality Military and Collectable Rifles, Ammo and Accessories
CALIBER: 38 Special

NUMBER OF ROUNDS: 2 18 round boxes (36 rounds)

MANUFACTURER: Remington

BULLET WEIGHT: 158 grain Semi Wadcutters

CASING: nickel

RELOADABLE: yes

AMMO CONDITION:fine

BOX CONDITION: fine These yellow boxes are the boxes manufactured for the NYPD in the 60's and 70's.

 

[Reloader Fred]

Before dump pouches were belt loops, then came the dump pouches. We used to cut an opening in the back side of our dump pouches so we could strip the rounds out with our thumb. They didn't always just fall out when you needed them. The speed strips were made by Bianchi and we thought they were pretty slick. Then when speed loaders came out the first thing we had to do was sand off the top edge of our grip so the Safariland Speedloaders would fit. With practice, a guy could reload in a couple of seconds at most. I once proved that by shooting 24 rounds in 12 seconds, all aimed and in the X ring of the B-27 target from the 7 yard line. The case of cold liquid I won tasted especially good afterwards! Those were the days.............

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Jellybean]

KEN L said,

When the speed strips came out they were designed to fit into the dump pouches.

It took me a long time to find any dump pouch that the speed srips would fit into, and I've had more than my share of dump pouches. When I did find some, they were made by Bianchi for use with the strips and featured a plastic liner that had to be removed in order to use the strips. These pouches were quite a bit larger than any other pouch I've ever used too.

I believe the strips were designed to fit a K frame S&W.

 

[KEN L]

I wish I could confirm this, it woulld go with this NY-1 Detective revolver I obtained about a year ago. i purchased the ammo today at a Gun Show... thanks for all the response, i showed the pics to a very schooled ammo guy and he had never seen .38 packaged this way.

Looks good to me! I'd definitely keep em but get rid of those oogla grips. Magnas with a Tyler T would look MUCH better!