Colt .45 ACP Cartridges???

timbroman

I recently bought a modern used Colt .45 semi-auto and today was digging through the "Misc Bin" at the Harry's Ace Hdwe and GunShop. I came across a ziplok bag with what I thought were .45 reloads and added it to my basket of stuff. I just got a good look at them and here's what: The cases are almost white (aluminum?), primers are red, with copper-covered bullet. The headstamps have "E C" at 12-o'clock & "43" at 6-o'clock. There is only slight if any difference between these and the UMC .45's that came with the Colt. What are your thoughts? Thanks. Best, Jim

timbroman@aol.com

Laredo Lefty

What you have is WWII aluminum cased ammo. The "EC" is from the Euclaire ammo factory and the "43" is the year of maunfacture.

rufe-snow

Evansville Ordnance Plant (EC)



Located in Evansville, IN this plant was operated by the Chrysler Corp. from 1942 to 1944 and produced billions of rounds of caliber 45 and caliber 30 carbine ammunition. Most cases were made of steel using the EC headstamp.

Jody Commander

The EC ammo is corrosive primed so clean with a solvent that will de-activate the residue or a ruined barrel and scarred slide and frame can result.

timbroman

Aha! Thanks guys for all the info. I guess i'll just keep these aside along with a few old paper bird shot and buck shot shells that we have here as curiosities. Its good to know what they are. Best, Jim

timbroman@aol.com

MIKE WISKEY

this is steel cased ammo not aluminum

11echo

I also think these are steel cases. I ran across a number of spent 45 ACP case with the same type of marking on the head. I reloaded them a number of times, and they functioned well ...just not very "pretty"! My 2 cents ...Mark

"FEAR the Goverment, that fears your ARMS"

Iconoclast

These are corrosive primed *STEEL* cased .45 auto rounds loaded by Evansville Chrysler. This plant and it's subsidiary Evansville Chrysler Sunbeam ("ECS") loaded both .45 and .30 Carbine in steel cases during 1942-1944. There is still a lot of this around as it was never shipped overseas except as Lend-Lease to the Russians (lately some of it has been brought home from the former CCCP in the original spam cans!), but kept for domestic use - training, National Guard, etc. This steel cased ammo was manufactured in anticipation of a serious copper shortage (remember the steel 1943 pennies) which never materialized and by 1944 the steel cased production was phased out. I've never seen any brass cased EC or ECS rounds. I did reload some of these cases when I was young, foolish and really cheap. Worked OK, but the common wisdom is that the steel loses its elasticity far more rapidly than brass and case failures are more likely, especially on reloaded rounds. We're talking corrosive primed ammo which is 60 years old, people.

timbro, try a magnet on the bullet as well as the case; some of these were loaded with a gilding metal jacket, some with gilding metal clad steel like the .30 M2 (Alternate) ball. If these were reloaded, you will be able to tell - the steel cases show re-sizing marks much more readily than brass because it requires much more to work them back to spec. If they are, frankly I'd just pull the bullets and use them in my own loads rather than chance shooting them. Even if not, this ammo is really reaching the point where discretion would suggest shooting them is not a wise choice. Just MHO . . . .

timbroman

Roger that Icon. My magnet picks up the cartridge from either end - the bullet, case, headstamp, all with lots of steel! Another example of the knowledge and willingness to share it at this site. Thanks to all, Jim

timbroman@aol.com