What Is This 18 Round Remington .38 Spec. White Box All About?

[ordnanceguy]

Gentlemen:

Can anyone give me the background on this ammo? At first I thought this might be USGI military ammo, but now I doubt that hypothesis since the military generally does not use non-jacketed lead bullets for Geneva Convention reasons. And why the 18 round size box, which of course would be 3 cylinders worth? Can anyone fill me in on this ammo? Thanks in advance.

 

[WR Moore]

Back in ye dayes of olde, a full reload for a LEO with a revolver would be 18 rounds. Six in the weapon, and 12 in loops/dump pouches/speedloaders. I'd expect it to be from about the 1970s as that was the time period SWC was replacing RLN as the preferred duty round.

I'd think it might be a order by a particular large department requesting that packaging. The troops do their requalification, get issued one box of duty ammo and off they go.

 

[ordnanceguy]

Thanks for your reply, WR. That makes sense.

 

[pete950]

Gentlemen:

Can anyone give me the background on this ammo? At first I thought this might be USGI military ammo, but now I doubt that hypothesis since the military generally does not use non-jacketed lead bullets for Geneva Convention reasons. And why the 18 round size box, which of course would be 3 cylinders worth? Can anyone fill me in on this ammo? Thanks in advance.

I saw these 18 rd boxes on Gun Broker in Winchester and Remmington and the guy selling them said they were NYPD issue.

 

[BUFF]

I believe pete950 is correct. Somebody posted an 18 round box of same from another manufacturer on this site last year and a former or retired NYPD officer said that was how his duty ammo was issued to him for years.

My department just handed us 18 cartridges and a gun when I was hired 30 years ago.

 

[kmrcstintn]

neat packaging & a nice collectors' item (maybe not for dollar value, but nostalgia)

when my father (after Air Force military career) worked federal contract security jobs & federal court security in the 80's & 90's, he was issued 50 round boxes (usually 2) to cover qualification and duty each year and had a variety of semijacketed +p hollowpoint loads leftover from winchester & federal...too bad I shot them up after he gave them too me, I wish I kept them for sentimentality as he passed in '09 from lung cancer; he willed me his 2 revolvers & hunting rifle so I have those to reminisce over