Conus use only

[William Yanda]

I saw an ammo can advertised for sale so marked. Also marked 7.62 NATO. Any ideas on why not for overseas use?
Thanks
Bill

[Larry Gibson]

M80 ball was originally for CONUS use only and not for use in "temperate climates". If I recall correctly M52 was supposed to be the 7.62 round for combat. Viet Nam kind of blew that out of the water.......

Also Turned in ammunition that has not had the lot number verified/identified becomes "grade 2" ammunition and is useable for local training only. not for use overhead of troops and is often marked "CONUS Use Only". Probably other reasons also.

Thus it would be hard to determine what the "CONUS Use Only" designation really is for specifically for what ever ammo was in the can.

Larry Gibson

[Nickle]

That probably would've been M59 Larry. I don't know if M52 ever existed, but I do know M59 is the forebearer of M80. It hasn't been in the reference manuals for years now, and even .30-06 M2 Ball is still there. So, if it was M52, it's considered long gone.

Now, limiting M80 to CONUS doesn't surprise me, as M80 really wasn't what I'd consider accurate enough. Seems it was at best on the hairy edge of 4 MOA. I know, some batches were better. I've also done better than 4 MOA with pulled M80 bullets. IIRC, M59 was said to be more accurate, but I don't know personally.

Overhead use ammo uses the same model numbers, but is identified as overhead acceptable.

Totally right on the turn-ins. Usually they won't leave the installation if possible. I doubt they'll get used as overhead either.

[William Yanda]

I rechecked, additional info, the ammo was M 82, Lot LC 12981

[blpenn66502]

IIRC M82 is a blank round

[Nickle]

I just checked my manual, M82 is blank 7.62 ammo.

[Larry Gibson]

Nickle

Yup, you jogged my memory....it is M59.....thanks. I shot some M59 once (20 rounds) many years ago out of an M14 and it did seem more accurate. Sooooo.....I went and dug out the TM. The M59 bullet was 1.28" long compared to the M80s at 1.140" long. The M59 bullet also had a steel core with a lead-antimony point and base filler. The TM states the M59 was not to exceed 50,000 psi (CUP) and was to have the same 2750 fps at 78' as M80. The M80 could have an average pressure from 45,000 to 65,000 psi (CUP) depending on temperature. The TM states; "this cartridge is restricted for use in the temperate zone only at the present time" (TM dated June 1961). I've measured the psi of numerous lots of M80 from WCC63 to LC 01 and found the psi does vary a great deal lot to lot.


M82 is indeed blank ammunition.


Larry Gibson

[RoyEllis]

I'm probably waaayyyyy out in left field, but isn't/wasn't M52 the designation for 7.62x45 Czech ammo?

[Nickle]

The Czech rile that shot that ammo is an M52, IIRC.

No problem Larry, I recently retired from civil service, work in an Army Guard DS/GS Maintenance Shop. My son still works there, and he's am Small Arms and Field Artillery Repairer. I was a Surface Maintenance Inspector, technically an automotive job, but reality was my job encompassed anything the shop repaired.

And, that warning isn't in my manual. Mine is a newer one than 1961.