military cases.....

[mikeym1a]

Stopped at my friend's gun stuff shop today. (used to be a gun store, until AFT became so bothersome that he gave them the license back) Amongst the things I got was a box of several hundred 30-06 cases. They are headstamped FA 49. I presume that means the Frankfort Arsenal. The primers to me are a bit of a mystery to me. They are a dark grey, almost as if they were aluminum. Also, when they were punched out, they had a fibre washer under them in the primer pocket. They were very heavily crimped into the pocket. I didn't know they used aluminum primers. All the military cases I've seem til now had the standard brass primers. And what about those little washers/spacers? Can anyone offer enlightenment?

[mrblue]

Sounds neat, how about a picture?

[mikeym1a]

Sounds neat, how about a picture?
I can take one easily enough, buy, I might be a bit slow in figuring out how to post one. Guess I'll get my son to help out. He's a lot smarter than me, that way. Is late now. Actually is very early (0145). Will try later this afternoon.

[mikeym1a]

Sounds neat, how about a picture?Well, If I can do this right, here's two, before and after.....6617166172hope I did this right...

[Bwana]

Zinc or tin coated steel?

[wch]

Sounds as if that ammunition might have been loaded for foreign use as specified by the ordering government.

[mikeym1a]

Zinc or tin coated steel?

Non-magnetic, according to my trusty magnet. This stuff is marked FA 49. I presume that means the Frankfort Arsenal, which was near Pittsburg, if I remember correctly. One thing I read about them is that they experimented with using aluminum and soft steel for cartridge cases. Maybe this is one of those experiments. 'wch' suggests that it was ordered for a foreign government. Did our national arsenals make ammo for foreign entities?

[wch]

Sure, we made ammunition for NATO and SEATO countries for years.

[mikeym1a]

Sure, we made ammunition for NATO and SEATO countries for years.

To bad we don't have that manufacturing capacity now. Ammo wouldn't be so scarce. Maybe they should consider reopening those arsenals and put them to making ammo again.

[Frank46]

Just carefully use the sizing die to deprime and remove the primer crimp and than reload using new primers and you should be good to go. I've shot a bunch of TW44 after I deprimed them, good brass. The primers in those cases are most likely corrosive and most gov't arsenals didn't finish changing to non corrosive until the mid 50's. Frank

[mikeym1a]

Just carefully use the sizing die to deprime and remove the primer crimp and than reload using new primers and you should be good to go. I've shot a bunch of TW44 after I deprimed them, good brass. The primers in those cases are most likely corrosive and most gov't arsenals didn't finish changing to non corrosive until the mid 50's. Frank

These cases were somewhat stained, and I've been cleaning them with citric acid to get the old corrosion out. I hadn't really thought of the corrosive thing, so the citris should take care residue in the case. But back to the cases themselves... What is the purpose of the fibre washer/spacer? Was that a waterproofing seal? I don't know. Just curious. One of those things that make me go '...huh??...'.

[country gent]

FA49 designates Frankfort Arsenal made in 1949. Primers may have been tin coated as this is around when they were also trying out the tin plated bullets. These were corrosive primed and in 49 the powder may have even been corrosive. I have shot a very few FA cases but they were good and gave good working life. I would swage the crimp out and then WORK up a load slowly in them as most military cases were heavier than commercial cases meaning slightly less capacity. Get them good and clean deburr case mouths and swage primer pockets then you can load as normal. You have some good solid cases here depending on the level of corrosion.

[captaint]

The Frankford Arsenal was in Philadelphia. Many of the buildings are still there. Most of it is private
industry now. I used to know guys that worked there during the war. They were older, and all gone,
now. Mike

[spfd1903]

I sorted all the military .30-06 brass I had accumulated over the years. Nearly a hundred each, St. Louis, Twin Cities and Frankford from early fifties, and Lake City from the sixties. Brass was all in good condition, sized easily, and de-primed without incident. Swaged all the primer pockets. Loaded about a third of each type and fired from a 1903A3 with good results.