found WW2 Ammo Yesterday aftenoon

[Cirrus N210MS]

was out playing in the desert Yesterday and came across a mess load of 30cal machine gun ammo laying in the desert wonder how it got there... i took it home i am goto have a reloader guy take the bullets and make them safe so i can display them


http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/hotshotmike1001/30cal.jpg
(http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr258/hotshotmike1001/30cal.jpg)

[HouseHobbit]

WOW.. have him safely pull the bullets and then soak the cases in water to disable the primers
or snap them in a .30 cal rifle( Looks like 3006 ammo) Hard to judge it from a picture, no scale to use.... Remember to remove all the powder and bullets..

The date will be stamped on the Bottom, along with the cal.. ie.. 1943 ammo will have a 43, 1945 ammo will have a 45 etc..
and a code to which factory built it..

I have ammo from the 30's that shoots just fine, I have to clean my Mausers very well after using it, corrrosive primers in this older ammo..

As long as ammo is stored in a Cool dry place it can last for Many Many years..

Oh, DON"T TRY and EVER handle Old stuff like this you have found, it can become very unstable after exposure to the weather and heat Etc..
I have many years of the shooting sports behind me, and been loading ammo, Making bullets etc, since I was about ten..
I am not concerned that someone with knowage, and experience handles Old exposed ammo like this, But to the inexperencied it can be dangerous..

[safn1949]

I was going to say it was probably later ammo but looked up the M-1919 and saw it used links in the Korean war photos.I thought they used cloth belts in WW 2,anyone know for sure?

The first photo is the US Marines in WW 2 and the second is US Army from 1953.I wouldn't worry too much,even if one of the rounds managed to go off (doubtful) with no barrel to build up pressure it will just split the case and go pop.Might lose a finger or eye if you were really unlucky,but the chances are slim.

Don't try to shoot that stuff,that's where you will get hurt.Oil will kill the primers instantly,spray WD-40 into the cases after pulling the bullets.

[Cirrus N210MS]

dated 1942 to 1943 one was dated 1945


yeah i am really carefull with old ammo dont play with that kinds of stuff thats why i rapped them up in padded ammo can so i can take them to the reloader and get them fixed so its safe:salute:

[safn1949]

There's no telling what era they were actually shooting the stuff,military ammo stored properly will last 60+ years easily.I had ammo for the 8x56 Steyr with Nazi headstamps from 1938 and 7.92 Mauser ammo from the 20's that I shot all the time.

Shot a lot of Turkish 7.92 ammo from the 30's and 40's,had a 1891 Argentine Mauser (7.65) and a 1922 Persian Mauser along with too many others to list.When to start worrying is when you find some API or any HE ammo,that will get you hurt right now,but .30 ball is no big deal.

[Cirrus N210MS]

hey whats yellow tips on 50cal normal mean whats it do? i have a yellow tipped 50cal round my grandpa hade from when he was in the navy :salute: then aswell he gave me a buch of 30cals which were off the carrier aswell