Some old ammunition.....

[LOBO]

Here is some ammo that I picked up to go along with some of my S&W's.


This is a full box of Remington-UMC .45acp from 1918.....

Here is a full box of Canadian made .380" MKIIZ from 1943.....

Here is a partial box of Western .38 S&W's. If anyone about when these were made I would appreciate the info.

 

[desi2358]

I don't have a lot of data on "western' boxes but based on the style I would estimate somewhere in the 'teens or 20's. I have owned similar 22 cal boxes that dated to that era. Most makers switched to the more familiar one-piece box style in the 30's.

 

[Texas Star]

Great pix! I especially liked those MK IIZ ammo boxes.

 

[feralmerril]

I have quite a bit of old ammo like that laying around. I should get a table at a gun show someday to get rid of it. In this picture is some super old peters faded pink or red box of .44 special ammo. I remember buying about 5 unopened boxs of it about 45 years ago and it looked old then! Balloon head of course. I am quite sure it must have been made around the 1920s. Whats some of that worth?

 

[bobelk99]

The box of 45s is a real prize catch!

 

[David LaPell]

 

[LOBO]

Thanks for the info desi

I have to admit that a part of me really, really wants to run some of the .45acp's through one of my 1911s

Cool pics D LaPell

 

[g_conway]

Very Cool.

Question, Assuming Ammo is kept reasonably dry, how long is it actually safe to shoot?

 

[Cyrano]

Hard to tell how long it stays good. I've shot some USC Co military 30-06 dated 1918. It all went Bang, but all the necks split. They didn't know about neck annealing back then. The remainder of it I pulled the bullets and powder, annealled the necks and I'm on about the fifth reloading now.

US ammo is really good; I wouldn't shoot British, French or German from that old. I even reload some 45-70 copper cases from the 1880-90s era. Of course I use black powder and cast bullets for that.

 

[Texas Star]

David LaPell posted a pic of .38 Spcl. Metal Piercing loads, 150 grain metal point, NOT the 110 grain loads seen in another photo recently.

How far back was that loaded, and was the velocity higher than normal .38 ammo? Crossed my mind that it might be intended mainly for .38-44 guns.

 

[Class III]

I have to admit that a part of me really, really wants to run some of the .45acp's through one of my 1911s

Last year I ran across 17 rounds of 1917 dated REM-UMC, no box, laying loose in a wooden crate at a gun show. The dealer gave them to me after buying two factory M39 mags for $5.00 each (He didn't know what they went to). Well, I loaded up seven of the rounds when I got to the range. The first five went BANG. Number six went pphhhht. Number seven went BANG. I was really suprised that number six fizzled out without going BANG. I notice that yours is steel jacketed and has copper primers as do mine. Nice find, especially intact in the original box.

Class III

 

[g_conway]

thanks for the info, all.