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Old ammo

wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
edited March 2008 in Ask the Experts
,,,,,have been given three hundred antique cartridges (black powder/smokeless),,,,,most have a hole in the case (screwed to a display board),,,,majority are primed and powder will trickle out,,,,how can I make these inert/safe,,,,,they range from a .600 Nitro to the smallest .22,,,,,,,
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  • wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Is there a way of checking if loose ammo(308) which has been exposed to hot and freezing temps is safe to use.
    Thanks
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  • wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I came across some old rifle ammo & would like to know something about it. Some has headstamp NC 17 with a 218.6gr round nose bullet over 34.2gr of some kind of stick powder. The other headstamp is RA 17 with a r in the middle of the primer. Bullet is 150.2gr pointed over 42.5gr of stick powder. Was able to pull the bullets out of the cases by hand so not in the best of shape.
    Thanks for any information
    Walt
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  • wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes,i bought some old ammo today at a garage sale,It is tarnished and some has some mold trying to start on a few piece's,Now my question is can you clean it up in a tumbler,If not how can i clean it.

    Thank's For Any Information
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  • wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hello,just thought I would toss this out and see if anyone could tell me what this is.
    I had a customer come in with a stripper clip full of some old military ammo.
    Problem is He's not really sure what caliber is is,and after looking at the rounds I'm not either.
    OK,the case is marked with the # 19 on the left of the primer,and #38 to the right of the primer.On top of the primer is in Roman numerals VIII.The case is brass,but it is not "necked down" like a 8mm,it is almost shaped like a rocket,He has the rifle for these and was wanting some more.I told him to bring in the rifle and let me take a look at it,but until then I wanted to see if any of my Gunbroker Pals could figure this one out.Thanks,John

    J&F
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  • wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was given 3 boxes of Remington .308 150gr soft points that are about 35 years old. Should I expect it to shoot the same as current production of same weight, style? The gun I bought was sighted in with these rounds originally, and I would stick with the same type, but I don't want to go from an old box to a new box and have them shoot different.

    I get old shotgun shells often, but I don't expect much diffenerce in shotguns as compared to centerfire rifle ammo.
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  • wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    What gun fired .45 gov.? I have a .45 round marked on the base bottom.......... peters above,,,,,,,on the left side 45,,,,,,,,on the right side C,,,,,,,,,, on the bottom GOVT. This is a rimed round and the brass stands only about 1 inch; bullet is lead cone shaped and flat nosed.
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  • wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I bought some old reloading stuff yesterday, and in with the equipment and stuff was some old ammo. A partial box of Ajax 20ga heavies, A box of Eley cb caps, and a box of Peters 32 long shot cartridges. Are these shells worth anything anymore?
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  • wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Looking at buying some old 300 H & H ammo. They are all silver-tip, so I want to use them sparingly for hunting. Would it be a good idea to pull the bullets and put fresh powder in, or assume they all would be good and use them as is?
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  • wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    anyone know the address or phone # to old western scrounger? or home page add? thanks joe
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  • wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Does anyone know about BALL FRANGIBLE AMMO CAL.30 T44 lot F.A.32? I got a letter out to an ammo collecter. Haven,t heard back, any info would be great. thanks[:)]
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  • wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I went to a gun range a while back and took along a couple boxes of 22 ammo I found when cleaning out deceased in-laws house. About one fourth of bullets would not fire. Can anyone tell me how long ammo can should last and still be dependable?
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  • RadarRadar Member Posts: 2,312 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Maybe 30-40 Krag, i had some old stuff that cracked around the neck from age.Stick powder ? you dont mean sticks just a little shorter than the case do you, because that sounds like Brit. maybe 303
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  • tinmantinman Member Posts: 126 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think you're best bet is to pull the bullets, collect and burn all powder, and recycle all the cases as brass scrap. If you shoot a .308 rifle i would use the bullets.
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  • heavyironheavyiron Member Posts: 1,421 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hi,

    Sounds like what you have are two WWI era caliber 30 Model 1906 cartridges. In other words, 30-06 from WWI.

    The NC headstamp means it was made by National Conduit & Cable Co., Hastings-on Hudson, NY. The "17" means it was manufactured in 1917 and this indeed is probably true. NC was given a US Navy contract in September 1917 for 4 million rounds of 30-06. Early bullets used on this round could be the 220 grain round nosed bullet.

    The other "RA 17" was manufactured by Remington Arms in 1917. During WWI 30-06 ammunition was produced by a number of commercial manufacturers under contract to the government. This included Winchester, Western, NA, and Peters in addition to several Remington plants. The "RA" headstamped ammunition may have a copper primer.

    Millions of these rounds were produced for the war to feed the Model 1917 and 1903 Springfield rifles as well as the BAR and Browning water cooled machine guns.

    Hope this helps.

    Heavyiron
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  • XracerXracer Member Posts: 1,990 ✭
    edited November -1
    What's the bullet diameter?

    Round nose doesn't sound like .30-06 to me, and "stick powder" sounds more like .303 British.
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  • wfkwfk Member Posts: 107 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The cases marked RA 17 are 2.31" long; head diameter is .537"; rd nose bullet is .311" diameter and 1.253" long. The cases marked NC 17 are 2.493" long; head diameter is.467"; bullet is .308" diameter and 1.10" long. All the powder is very short fine stick with the NC 17 powder being the finest of the two. They are definitely 2 different calibers at least by looking at the cases.
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  • heavyironheavyiron Member Posts: 1,421 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hi,

    The NC case is definitely a 30-06.

    Is the case with the RA headstamp rimmed and does the "A" look to be the shape of an arrow head? It sounds like a 303 British if it is a rimmed case and has a 0.311 diameter bullet.

    Better yet, can you post a photo?

    Heavyiron
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