.30'06 ball 8 rd clips, head stamp BN 40 3

[Griff Murphey]

The headstamp would suggest a 1940 date - my guess is BN is thr MFR. - the green bandoliers are marked BN and there is none of the typical US nomenclature stamped on the bandoliers, just a circle with an "X" and B and N on it. My guess would be foreign but a manufacture date of 1940 makes no sense at all for foreign Garand ammo and certainly no foreign powers were putting 06 in enbloc clips in 1940.

Whuzz it?!?

[raymeketa]

Griff

Clandestine ammo. Manufactured by St Louis Ordnance Plant. 1953. Also loaded by Lake City (CN) and Twin Cities (AN).

Fairly common. I've described it in more detail on other Forums. Here's one from CMP Forum:

The "clandestine" cartridges have been discussed on several of the forums, more than once. There are 3 unique headstamps, AN, BN, and CN, manufactured by Twin Cities, St. Louis, and Lake City respectively. They were made in 1952/53 when the Ordnance Plants were still operating at full capacity during the KW. This was a good time to manufacture other types of ammunition at very little cost.

There is absolutely no evidence to support the Internet Myth that they were made for the Bay Of Pigs fiasco. In fact, there is no evidence that they were used for any clandestine operation. They were declassified in 1962. Most were distributed and used in conventional military operations in Central and South America and the Far East.

They are fairly common and well known by collectors. Their value is minimal, no more than any other shooting ammo.

Ray

[Griff Murphey]

Big thanks! Now that makes sense!

[Calif Steve]

If I recall it this stuff was made for Chinese units operating out of Thailand and Burma circa 1954. Old men who ran out of China when Mao won the Civil War. Now called the Shan State also known as the Golden Triangle. Taiwan supported these guys for years.

[raymeketa]

Calif Steve

What is your source for that? I've never seen documentation of any such thing. That would be news to cartridge collectors.

I'm not questioning. I'm just askin'.

Ray

[fguffey]

The headstamp would suggest a 1940 date - my guess is BN is the MFR.

We supported the Bay of Pigs, we did not want anyone to know so the 30/06 ammo was given a head stamp of BN 1940. I have close to 80 cases with that head stamp.

F. Guffey