Headstamp Identification

[sjneugebauer]

I found a can in the garage marked 30 cal jap. The bullets are soft nose hunting type and not military ball.
the head stamp is marked 30.06 at 12:00 o'clock, 43 at 6:00, M at 3:00 o'clock and F at 9:00. Can anyone confirm the commercial maker and verify my belief that this is a commercial made cartridge for the Jap 7.7 rifle. The cartridge is about a 1/4 inch shorter than a standard 30.06.

[Shiloh]

M could be Milwaukee. M could be foreign ordinance plants as well. Because of the .30-06, That may suggest U.S. Manufacture 43 is more than likely the year of manufacture. Other than that, I have no clue.
Could you post pics?? Possibly with a .30-06 as a reference??

Shiloh

[pworley1]

I think Shiloh has it right. The Milwaukee plant was open from 1942- 1943 and used the 30 06 M and either 1942 or 1943 on the head. I am not sure about the "f". Your round is most likely a 7.7 jap formed form a fired Milwaukee 30 06 brass.

[runfiverun]

definitely re-formed 30-06.

[Cmm_3940]

MF is an Australian headstamp, but I only find reference to them producing .303 in 1943?

If you read it left to right as FM it could be Argentinian or Mexican, or Syrian :veryconfu

http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=headstampcodes

[gwpercle]

Shiloh nailed it ! reformed US military 30-06 cases, 1943 manufacture, reformed to 7.7 Japanese Arisaka .
A lot of us did that to make ammo for the surplus WWII rifles in the 1960's. Plenty of 30-06 cases to be had. The 06 case head wasn't an exact match but with war time tolerances being generous they usually fit just fine.
Gary

[stormingnorm]

That's exactly how I make cases for my jap 7.7. It's not that hard. That jap 7.7 is why I am learning to cast boolits.