Head Stamp ID Site

[Jeff L]

http://cartridgecollectors.org/headstampcodes.htm

-Jeff L

[Richardrose]

Hi, I have one I can't find info on. TUC The U has a dot in the middle,1944 FS 7.9. my guess it is occupation made German? I have several bandoliers of it. I shot 5 rds of it and I found 4 cases had length wise splits. They all shot well but I will not shoot them again. They were Very Very strong. Anyone have a guess? The K98 single Rune shot great, three rounds touched and two 1 1/2''to the right at 50 yds.

[Sunray]

"...occupation made German..." No part of German under occupation in 1944. I'm wondering if the 'U' really isn't a 'U'. TC is an unknown factory in Turkey. Mind you, Turkish ammo is usually stamped in Arabic lettering. http://www.turkmauser.com/ammo.aspx
Mind you, there are some Yugoslavian stamps that have a 'U' like stamp that isn't a 'U'.
There are hordes of 8mm Mauser head stamp sites. Mostly about German ammo though.
"...length wise splits..." Indicates extremely brittle and hazardous to even think about shooting.

[Richardrose]

Thanks for info on the Turk ammo. The ammo is from that unknown Turk factory. 1941,43, 44 dates. I will pull the heads and might save the powder? The powder looks and smells Ok? I have weighted the charges on several rounds and I am considering a charge a few grains less than what the Turks used. I have cut several casings open and they look ok, no corrosion, but seem thin and the brass was soft. This could be why they failed.
Again thanks for the help.
Rich

[Sunray]

Hi. Pitch the powder. You have no idea what it is.
Not entirely sure I'd trust 1944 vintage Turkish brass either. Mind you, I know nothing about the quality of W.W. II Turkish stuff other than they were officially neutral until 1945 and used W.W. I vintage rifles. Turkey has long been known as the Poor Man of Europe, so whatever else they used was the lowest end of the low end.

[Story]

Another mystery - .30 M2 headstamped 4 79 / brass colored primer. :eusa_wall:

Never mind - 1944 Saint Louis. :icon_rolleyes:

[fguffey]

I have cut several casings open, and they look ok, no corrosion, but seem thin and the brass was soft. This could be why they failed.

TIME: This could not happen to anyone but me. I pull the trigger and get a bang. eventually the bullet makes it out of the barrel and then I start making assumptions. I assume the neck of the case seals the expanding hot high pressure metal cutting gas from escaping back between the chamber and neck. And then it gets very complicated. The gas trapped between the case and chamber increases in pressure, not a problem until the pressure in the chamber drops. When the chamber pressure drops the pressure that is trapped between the case and chamber collapses the case. If the case is soft as you suggested the case will collapse, if the case is brittle it will split. Not a problem for reloaders,

F. Guffey

[fguffey]

I say "Not a problem for reloaders", but something is wrong, this has been happening for years and no-one has considered the case is splitting when the pressure drops because of pressure trapped between the case and chamber.

F. Guffey