Interesting AMMO find

[psteinmayer]

I was sorting through a can of CMP purchased HXP M2 Ball ammo yesterday, placing the rounds in clips when I found one round that was very dull, and had some crud on the head stamp. When I cleaned the crud off, I made an interesting discovery: It is an SL 43 round - Saint Louis Ordnance Plant, manufactured in 1943. It's also an AP round (attracts a magnet). Don't think I'll be firing this one!

Pictures below

[raymeketa]

SL was one of the first wave Ordnance Plants so they made billions of rounds of Cal .30. So, that cartridge is not rare or uncommon.

And, it appears to be a Ball M2, not an AP. It attracts a magnet because the jacket is GMCS (Gilding Metal Clad Steel).

Ray

[StockDoc]

May not be rare, but to find one that survived that fracas is indeed amazing. Nice find.

[PhillipM]

SL was one of the first wave Ordnance Plants so they made billions of rounds of Cal .30. So, that cartridge is not rare or uncommon.

And, it appears to be a Ball M2, not an AP. It attracts a magnet because the jacket is GMCS (Gilding Metal Clad Steel).

Ray

Ball M2 Alternate.

“In May 1942 the first lot of M2 Ball cartridges assembled with clad-steel bullets was made at Frankford Arsenal.------------- The first full-scale production of this cartridge started at Frankford Arsenal on September 28, 1942. This round was called Cartridge, Ball. Cal. .30 M2 (Alternate) and is shown on Dwg. B137544 as revised September 30, 1942.”

[raymeketa]

May not be rare, but to find one that survived that fracas is indeed amazing. Nice find.

I'm not trying to rain on anybody's parade, but it's not amazing. They are very common. How many do you want?

Ray

[emmagee1917]

Other people are reporting the same thing . It is wise to check your HXP ammo because , while it's noncorrosive , the mixed in WW2 USGI is .
Chris

[StockDoc]

Didn't think you were, Ray. Thanks for the offer.

[psteinmayer]

I never thought it was rare... just interesting that I found it mixed in with 199 rounds of HXP. My mistake about it being an AP round - I forgot about them being GMCS.

[joem]

I bought three cans of that stuff. All black tip and shot really well. Only have two spam cans left.

[Orlando]

Pretty common with the floor sweepings ammo CMP has been selling

[kcw]

SL was one of the first wave Ordnance Plants so they made billions of rounds of Cal .30. So, that cartridge is not rare or uncommon.

And, it appears to be a Ball M2, not an AP. It attracts a magnet because the jacket is GMCS (Gilding Metal Clad Steel).

Ray

It's interesting to note that U.S. arsenals were cranking out so much small arms ammo (50cal and smaller) during WWII, especially 06', that some contracts were being cancelled as early as mid 44'. Production lines were then converted to munitions deemed to be in scarcer supply.

[raymeketa]

Got 45 ammo??

The Evansville Ordnance Plant was converted from manufacturing 45 ammo to automotive materiel in April 1944. Here's one reason why.

Ray

[4F4Nam]

I found 8rds of US '06 in a can of FNAP a few years ago.

Ed

[sdkrag]

Let me back in there with a pickup and the boys and I would be set for life.