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Thread: Cool old military headstamp

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Cool old military headstamp

    Was sorting about 1500 cases of 30-06 and came across this headstamp. If I interpret it correctly it is Lake City August of 1940. Pretty neat if you ask me.

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  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Actually that was non-corrosive Ball M2 or tracer ammo made mostly in linked pack for clandestine ops about the time of the Bay of Pigs and the Euro headstamp style was meant to confuse its origin. It is described in Bill Woodin's book and was in common use through the Vietnam era, including CONUS training use.
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  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master



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    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ary_headstamps

    Special cartridges[edit]
    During World War II the Western Cartridge Company made 7.92mm Mauser ammunition for the Chinese Nationalists. There are Chinese characters at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions and the year of production (42, 43 or 44) at the 6 o'clock position.
    In 1953, large batches of .30-06 ammunition were manufactured under unique arsenal headstamps.[4] The case had red lacquer sealant around the primer.[4] The headstamp has a two-letter manufacturer code and the lot code (rather than the year) is the number 40 followed by a third numeral.[4] Collectors allege that the cartridges were intended to be aid to anti-Communist insurgents and Allied forces equipped with US weapons.
    AN 40# Twin Cities Ordnance Plant, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
    BN 40# St. Louis Ordnance Plant, St. Louis, Missouri.
    CN 40# Lake City Ordnance Plant, Independence, Missouri.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Lake City agreed on then.

    What about the 8 40 markings?

    http://www.cartridgecollectors.org/headstampcodes

    If it helps, this was in my fathers fired casings to eventually be loaded for the Garands and is 30-06

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    The 8 40 markings are camouflage, this ammo was loaded post WW2.
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  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Any idea when it was made?

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by osteodoc08 View Post
    Any idea when it was made?
    It was after standardization of the M34 primer so had to be post 1952.
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  8. #8

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    I was also told that this was clandestine ammo and the Bay of Pigs invasion was also mentioned. There were a couple different headstamps used. Either BN or BXN with a month and year on the case head. I was testfiring a M1 Garand and found some live rounds and fired cases on the ground. Would have to go through my cartridge accumulation to check if I still have the live rounds. Have three large plastic boxes marked Sporting, U.S. Military, and Foreign Military. Frank

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    The brass I have is marked C N 9 40.I bought as loaded M2 ball probably in the late 50's.I believe it was corrosive primed.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    I'll be the contrarian. It could be French. http://www.cartridgecollectors.org/h...adstampcodes#C

    Is it berdan or boxer primed? That should tell the tale.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master

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    It's boxer primed for sure.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check