Odd 30-06 stamp

[Metroxfi]

Anyone ever see anything like this?
203941

I was digging through a bunch of 30-06 range pickups to convert certain headstamps to 7.7x58 for my brother and I came across one piece that was... different. It only has the 30-06 stamp on the lower section, there looks to be a small mark at the 1 o'clock position but it's just a scuff. It just seemed odd that there are no other markings. What do you guys think of this?

[OS OK]

It's a good example of primer over-pressure.

Can't tell anything about the mark...need a better picture.

[Metroxfi]

Yeah it was a definite over pressure, the primer looks like it has the shape/texture of the bolt face. It's tricky to get a close up picture, try this though.

203949

I'm just curious if anyone has seen a headstamp with caliber only, no other markings of brand or anything. Is this something that was common? I haven't dealt with enough antique cartridges to know.

[swheeler]

06 basic brass?

[country gent]

I have seen 308 and 223 for candlestine jobs that had no headstamp. Some was also let out to resistance fighters and such. I would bet there was the same in ww1 and ww2 in 30-06. While the primer shows some pressure sighns the 30-06 is still pretty crisp and clear not like it was pressed out from pressure and 1/2 the headstamp only would mean a very out of square bolt face or chamber. also no extractor or ejector cut outs showing in the case head rules out the pressure removed headstamp. It may have been made where they only stamp is for caliber. It also dosnt appear to be military as there is no primer crimp there

[bruce drake]

http://www.cartridgecollectors.org/headstampcodes

Just about every single headstamp recognized by legitimate manufacture companies

[OS OK]

Looks like a single 'F', look in the link there's several mfgrs.

[too many things]

many over the pond done those most were berden primed and most are soft type primers .

[Metroxfi]

203996

203997

It's boxer primed and the little mark that looks like an 'F' is either a scuff or discoloration, there's no depth to the mark at all.

country gent, that's interesting about unlabeled rounds for clandestine ops and such. "yeah we want to sell ammo but we don't want our name anywhere near this fight." I have seen other cases with semi flattened stampings from overpressure before so I know what you mean, my Dillon likes to leave a little semi-circular 'kiss' only on 9mm and after a couple go-rounds they become a bit of a mess but they're still readable.

This piece was either a range pickup or from a box of scrap I bought from a closing gunstore so there's no telling how old it is, where it came from, if it was reloaded or anything really. I haven't seen any other cases without a manufacturer's stamp, usually it's the other way around with lake city brass, the Winchester military brass, and other's with just a couple letters and no caliber stamp but this is the opposite. It's the only piece like it I have and I thought it was odd enough to see what everyone thought.

[Reverend Al]

Up here in Canada I've seen lots of this type of ammunition with only the calibre marking and no manufacturer's stamp. In our case these were from a West Coast wholesale distributor who contracted ammunition in popular cartridges (.30-30, .308, .30-06) through Winchester of Canada and then sold it under their own unique product name and packaging. From memory they would have been sold in the 1980's. I might still have a few of the boxes and cartridge cases left and if I can find any examples I'll post a few pictures of them here.

[Metroxfi]

Up here in Canada I've seen lots of this type of ammunition with only the calibre marking and no manufacturer's stamp. In our case these were from a West Coast wholesale distributor who contracted ammunition in popular cartridges (.30-30, .308, .30-06) through Winchester of Canada and then sold it under their own unique product name and packaging. From memory they would have been sold in the 1980's. I might still have a few of the boxes and cartridge cases left and if I can find any examples I'll post a few pictures of them here.

Good info, thanks!

[John Boy]

Your case with just a single "F" is probably Frankford Arsenal. Here is a list of all head stamps with just a "F":
F Cartoucherie Française, Paris, France 3
F Fábricas y Maestranzas del Ejército, Santiago, Chile 15
F Frankford Arsenal, Philadelphia, PA 3
F Giulio Fiocchi, Lecco, Italy 1
F P.W. U. Fabryka Amunicji, Skarzysko-Kamienna, Poland 3
F Small Arms Ammunition Factory No. 1 Footscray, Australia