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Age of Cartridge boxes (ammunition)
riley p
Member Posts: 217 ✭✭
Recently I've received a fairly large quantitiy of old-er ammunition. I'm listing it to sell and would like to know the approximate age of the various boxes. Partially "just curious" partially to add data to the listings. Is there a reference or online source for such datings? I know there are cartridge collectors out there that could get within a decade or so. Thanks in advance.
Comments
imperial /1960s win red W 1960s western late 50 .win red/yellow late 50s.rem early 50s the two piece box 1910-1920s
One on the bottom left should have a month and year on it.
The Imperial is the newest box since it is the only one with the 'child warning', which started in 1962. So the rest are pre-1962. The Winchesters and the Western box have date codes which give the precise date of manufacture. If the upper right box says 'Division of Olin-Mathieson Chemical Corp.', it was made between 1954 and 1962. The Western 'Bullseye' box was used from circa 1940 until late '50s. The Remington also has a date code but looks like a 1950s box. The two-piece box I would have to look at more closely but it is roughly 100 years old.
I'm sure they have lot numbers on them you can call into the manufacturer and ask them to run it to get an exact manufacturing date.
Winchester and Western dated their boxes with a code starting about 1928. The code is included in the ink stamp typically located on the inside of the end flap. Tell us the code and I can help with a box date.....typically a "packing" date.
Older boxes like the one on the lower left should have a date on the lower right corner of the label. Something like 3 25 would be March 1925.
Here is what I have worked for the 44-40 cartridges.