Who can ID these 45 acp headstamps?

[m657]

Ongoing study of a group of nearly 300 'old factory ammo' I was recently gifted.

Mixed head stamps about equally divided between these IDs:
WCC 42
FA 32
W C C 9 4
F A 3 9
TZZ 87

allegedly taken out of an old 'round drum' in somebody's estate stuff

Not corroded and looks in good shape;

all have sort of a 'balloon shape' primer;

Trying to fire them results in about 50% failure to ignite rate;

have torn a 1/2 dozen down, can't ID the powder. I forgot the weight of the charge, seems to be consistent weight.

No sign of bullet or primer sealer; hard to dislodge the FMJ 230 bullets with impact hammer style puller.

 

[jt1]

WCC - Winchester
FA- Federal
TZZ- Israeli military industries

Usually the digits indicate the year of manufacture.

John

 

[jdlii]

FA=Frankford Arsenal

 

[Fredo Batali]

m657,

I believe WCC is Western Cartridge Company, FA is Frankford Arsenal, TZZ is Israeli Military Industries. I wouldn't bet my life, but maybe a dollar.

De Oppresso Liber

 

[jt1]

FA is indeed Frankford. I'm having a brain fade.

John

 

[jbull380]

Handy little web page:

Headstamp Codes on Small Arms Ammunition

 

[sgms]

jbull 380 your fast you beat me to it. Fredo Batali is correct. For general reference try
cartridgecollectors.org/headstampcodes.htm

And Fredo do you carry the coin? (Not a challenge just a question)

 

[jbull380]

That web page comes in handy at work.

 

[2152hq]

The Frankfort Arsenal lot from (19)32 may have been originally loaded with merc based priming compound. That weakens the brass over time.

In the very least both Frankfort and the WCC were originally corrosive primed.
That in itself shouldn't hurt the brass. But clean any firearm appropriately after their use. Most military primers had the 'ballon' style contour. After WW2 & Korea, surplus components were available cheaply on the commercial market.

I still have a quantity of Frankfort Arsenal primers 'for 45acp' that were given to me. They're probably from WW1 or just after.

 

[Mack]

WCC 42 = Western Cartridge Company 1942
FA 32 = Frankford Arsenal 1932
W C C 9 4 = Western Cartridge Company 1994
F A 39 = Frankford Arsenal 1939
TZZ 87 = Israeli Military Industries 1987

WCC is Winchester military headstamp I have seen it on 5.56 to .50 cal and everything in between.

 

[JR78]

I have some TZZ 9mm cases I bought 10 years ago. It is extremely hard brass. They'll last a long, long time

 

[m657]

Is there any advantage to having a small handful of 1932 military ammo?

Is there any collector value in unfired cartridges?

I just don't have the time to devote to 'cartridge collecting'.....

 

[jackcachenc]

TZZ dirty ammo... US military used it in late 80s.

 

[Linear Thinker]

Is there any advantage to having a small handful of 1932 military ammo?

Long shelf life is the advantage of 1930's ammo, it's probably chlorate primed (corrosive) and will store for a long time. Longer than the later stuff with the non-corrosive styphnate primers.
I've inherited a large quantity of WW1 through WW2 ammo, it's been extremely reliable. PITA about the cleaning afterwards, but worth it.

Is there any collector value in unfired cartridges?

Not really, unless you have something truly exotic, in pristine condition, and in the original box.