Reloading EverythingInline FabricationMidSouth Shooters SupplyRotoMetals2
WidenersLee PrecisionRepackboxLoad Data
Titan Reloading
Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Military 22 Hornet Ball ammo

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Las Vegas
    Posts
    462

    Military 22 Hornet Ball ammo

    Is any one familiar with the availability and value of the Hornet ammo that was use in the M6 survival rifles.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    over the hill, out in the woods and far away
    Posts
    10,158
    Current listing on Gun Broker, $1 per pop in original packing

    https://www.gunbroker.com/item/866875871

    Attachment 262590Attachment 262591

    This is the same as we were issued in the Vietnam era, commercial boxes sealed in waxed paper.
    The ENEMY is listening.
    HE wants to know what YOU know.
    Keep it to yourself.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    dtknowles's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Southeast Louisiana
    Posts
    4,858
    Not what I had. Plain white boxes with WCC headstamps with conical, not ogive FMJ's. 50 to a box with no dividers.

    Tim
    Words are weapons sharper than knives - INXS

    The pen is mightier than the sword - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

    The tongue is mightier than the blade - Euripides

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
    Bent Ramrod's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Southern Arizona
    Posts
    4,284
    In the 70s, Jensen’s Custom Ammunition used to have bins full of that ammo, mostly unpackaged in bulk. I recall the rims said WCC 60 and R A (forget date). Loaded with a cute little FMP pointed boattail, smeared with lacquer, and some very fine Ball powder. Sometimes they had for sale more conventional looking soft noses; these were still in the package that said “Not For Anti-Personnel Use.”

    The FMP ammo wasn’t very accurate in my Savage Anschutz, but breaking the cartridges down, reweighing a slightly smaller charge and reseating the bullets gave much better results. Got a lot of reloads out of those shells; the last one retired in the late 90s.

    The Hornet was pretty much an orphan cartridge by the 70s. It was not easy to find commercial ammo, so this surplus stuff was manna from Heaven.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Eastern Ky
    Posts
    469
    My uncle was one of the first 90 door gunners in Vietnam. He got shot down 5 times and survived, he never talked about the war until recently. He told me once that he had to shoot a Vietcong with a 22 survival rifle. I wonder if it was a M6 or a Henry/armalite 22lr survival. He said the shot was about 75 yards long and it came out his forehead...

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    2,516
    The white box stuff is around, it seems to hover in the $1 a round range depending on the legibility of the box markings. I shot that stuff by the truckload through a single shot Stevens growing up - Remington ammo was $21 / 50, the surplus was $2.

    Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Boolit Master


    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Perryville, Ky,USA
    Posts
    4,513
    Way back when, I hunted with two guys in the AF. One had a Martini Hornet and the other one worked at the ammunition supply point. He was forever bring him .22 Hornet that was outdated. Most was in 50 round white boxes and some in the packets. There were several oddities. One was a 35 grain FMJ spire point and the other was a 30 grain RN FMJ. Much of it was commercial round soft point in commercial cases. He use to pull the FMJs and seat soft points in them. He gave them to me for loading in my .222 Remington as I was poor as a church mouse. Those 30 grain FMJs would really blow up snapping turtles out of the .222./beagle
    diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy varmintpopper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    cental calif
    Posts
    237
    Attachment 266789

    M-6 Springfield Survival Rifle. 22 Hornet/410 Shotgun

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    356
    They also came in mini spam cans.
    Some of those cans were even a 22 hornet/410 shotshell mix.
    I had a bunch years ago, they all sold to cartridge or survival gear collectors.
    Still have a half dozen of the 50rd white boxes and a bunch of the small foil paper wraped boxes in the stash...
    My hornets are pretty accurate with good bullets,, but I've never found much use for fmj ball ammo in them.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master


    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Perryville, Ky,USA
    Posts
    4,513
    Not to change the thread but the AF also issued .410 "survival" shells in aluminum cases. Went through a lot of that stuff as well. Never saw any packaged so I don't know how it came./beagle
    diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Las Vegas
    Posts
    462
    yovinny.... Noel good to see you back, been 4-5 years. I hit the range this am, took the AUG, the PS90, and the "AR" 47. The heat almost got to Me, cant do that sheet like I used to. At least I dont have to run the course 70 times a day. I think the next range session will be the Hornets, on the main range under cover.
    AL

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    356
    Quote Originally Posted by SOFMatchstaff View Post
    yovinny.... Noel good to see you back, been 4-5 years. I hit the range this am, took the AUG, the PS90, and the "AR" 47. The heat almost got to Me, cant do that sheet like I used to. At least I dont have to run the course 70 times a day. I think the next range session will be the Hornets, on the main range under cover.
    AL
    Good to hear your well and kicking brother,,, it has been a while.
    Absolutly nothing new here,,, just more free time with this virus scare. My work has been shut down for months with no foreseeable end in sight. Trying to catch up on my loading some and resume some casting too. I havent actually cast anything since I moved about 4yrs ago, so Ive lots of catching up to do,,lol
    You take care and be careful out there in that heat.
    Cheers, yv

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    2,516
    Bothered me that I couldn't remember what those containers looked like. Found this and it refreshed my memory. Good times hunting with my Stevens bolt action with these.

    http://www.ammo-one.com/410ALmilitary.html

    Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

  14. #14
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    Tampa, FL
    Posts
    14
    Oh wow! I haven't seen those shot-shells for a long time.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master


    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Perryville, Ky,USA
    Posts
    4,513
    Both the .410 and Hornet were supposed to be destroyed as it was removed from Life Support Equipment due to shelf life. I think most made it out the gate as ammo people hated to see useable ammo be destroyed./beagle
    diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
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