.45 BALL Spam Can

[GregV]

Just wondering if anyone out there has opened up a can like the one I have pictured? If so, could you let me know what you found inside? I'm thinking about opening mine, but just not sure if I should.

Thanks, GregV
30929

[Tuna]

There has to be more information on the can then what is in your photo. Cannot help ID it unless more information is provided.

[GregV]

I guess that's why I'm stumped. No other marking on the can except ::45 on the end. I looked it over really good. I'll open it up later today and let you know what I find.
30934

[dave]

If steel cased WW11 wouldn't it be corrosive? I have a lot of that but 45's are easy to clean.

[Tuna]

Yes your right if it's WW2 steel case it corrosive but steel case was also made about the mid 50's in small batches and non corrosive. But this can doesn't even have a lot number on it as to who made it. I think it may be post Korean war vintage but the only way to know for sure is to open it.

[joem]

If it's corrosive you could pull it down for components.

[GregV]

Opened it up. Here is what I found. At first, it looked like brass case, but I'm sure it's steel that has turned color a bit. Most inside are head stamped ECS 4, at least I think that's an S, Thought it might be EC 45 until I saw a few stamped ECS 43. One is stamped EC4309433094430945

[Bob K]

ECS= Evansville Chrysler Sunbeam

[Tuna]

You have a mix of EC head stamps and dates. The ECS was only used in the early production of steel case ammo at EC in 1944. The later head stamp most often found is the EC no S stamp. Steel case, copper plated steel bullet and corrosive primed. There is a lot of it floating around so no collector value. They made hundreds of millions of rounds of this ammo in case of an emergency where no brass was available during WW2. The vast majority of it was given away to other countries after the war. Quite a bit of it had been imported back about 15 years ago from South America. Shoot it as is and clean your .45 well or take it apart and use the powder and bullets for reloading.

[Bill Wylde]

I machine rest tested a slug of .45 ammo for a friend years ago. This included handloads and military ball. I had no real interest in the outcome of the test, but did chamber a 1911 length barrel for the South African Musgrave action used on the machine rest. I recall that most all ammunition shot better than expected. The Evansville Chrysler ammo shot very well, but was the cause of proper cleaning after the test. I remember shooting at two ranges. Surely it had to be 25 and 50 yards.

[GregV]

Thanks Guys, I appreciate the info!

[Southron]

Well, I visited the Frankfort Arsenal back in the 1970's when the government closed it down. I was surprised to find barrels full of:

Aluminum .45 Auto cartridge cases with a "FA 41" headstamp. Although the cases were punched for a primer, the flash hole was not yet punched.

I really wonder why the cases were not finished and why the arsenal kept them around for over 30 years.

[S.A. Boggs]

Don't shoot this ammo unless you have several extractors as steel is hard on them. I broke many extractors along time ago. The ammo is O.K. in sub guns.
Sam

[dave]

I have many boxes of that ammo, shoot it a lot. Take the gun apart and clean, its very easy to do, unlike a rifle!

[Hecklerusp45]

I have seen USGI ammo in cans like that (with mixed headstamps as well). That often happens because the ammo was sent overseas, opened, then repacked.

[Garden Valley]

Just an added note. Were this very early ammo the lot number would likely be ECS 4?. However, the EC-S- number tells you it is steel case ammo. That's what the letter "S" in the lot number means. It is merely coincidental that the early headstamp ammo has "ECS" and that would lead one to believe that the EC-S in the lot number also means Evansville Chrysler Sunbeam, but it does not.

[Tuna]

Spam cans were only done in the states and none were done overseas at all. In the very beginning of EC it was ES for Evansville Sunbeam. Chrysler came on board and took over management and production so it became ECS. Later this became just EC. Sunbeam made the cases and EC loaded them. Production was all brass at first but was switched over to steel at the request of the military as there was a perceived shortage of brass coming which never did happen. This was to be emergency use ammo and the same with the steel cased 30 carbine which was never issued for combat.

Evansville was the company that developed the spam can and was put in charge of all repacking. This is why you can find ammo from all of the companies brass cased ammo in spam cans marked repacked. There was so much ammo available in the pipeline that it was decided to spam can it for storage and later use so it was sent to EC for packaging.

[Hecklerusp45]

With all due respect Tuna, I have owned spam cans with Greek markings on them. Upon opening the cans I found them to contain USGI 45 ammo with mixed headstamps.

[Tuna]

Sorry Hecklerusp45. I was referring to WW2 and post Korean war time frame. You right about the 60's and 70's time frame in Greece.