Ammo Identification

Hello all,

I went to a gun show in York, PA about two weeks ago and was given the pictured box of ammo with a larger purchase...

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/11/06/zu7yjady.jpg

Anyone have an idea of how old the ammo is?

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/11/06/ha6ajuju.jpg

Is it ok to shoot?

Thanks

I don't know how old it is. It'd be safe to shoot.. it looks original/factory but I probably wouldn't. It's too cool and probably has some collector value.

Semi-wad cutter, that`s a hell of a good bullet, probably made in the 50`s or 60`s & heck yes they would be OK to shoot...............

I agree, that ammo should be fine to shoot but I would not. That's a cool old box of ammo with good looking ammo. I can't ever remember seeing a box of 18 rounds before.

Given the prevalence of 38s that are six shooters, 18 rounds per box, or 24, 30, 36, etc. makes sense. Manufacturers these days tend to package 20 or 50 per box, less frequently 25, but never multiples of six. Reloader market ammo boxes for revolver cartridges are always made for 50 or 100 rounds.

Is all that because of the rise of the 5-shooter?

I'm with the "don't shoot 'em" contingent, but only because of their collectability potential.

That there's apparently a tactical loadout! (hey, nutnfanchy!)
Back in the day, one carried his loaded six shooter with two reloads on his duty belt. Makes perfect sense.

Certaindeaf makes a good point, combined with the plain packaging I would bet that was some kind of LEO box. Really neat item.

Given the prevalence of 38s that are six shooters, 18 rounds per box, or 24, 30, 36, etc. makes sense.
That there's apparently a tactical loadout! (hey, nutnfanchy!)
Back in the day, one carried his loaded six shooter with two reloads on his duty belt. Makes perfect sense.
I'm not saying it doesn't make perfect sense, I'm only saying I never saw a box of 18 .38 Special cartridges. I always did wonder why a box of .38 Special ammo held 50 rounds instead of 48.

Looks like GI military packaging.

Three loads for a six-shot revolver.

I am not familiar with them ever using 158 grain SWC though.

rc

could have been ammo on bid for a police department. I seem to remember a police department back east that issued that load but who I don't know. if there is a lot # on the box you could ask Remington and they might tell you. I don't think the 38 special is used much anymore by police departments so it would have to been a long time ago

I'm not saying it doesn't make perfect sense, I'm only saying I never saw a box of 18 .38 Special cartridges. I always did wonder why a box of .38 Special ammo held 50 rounds instead of 48.
I hear you.
We probably use the decimal (base-10) number system because we have ten fingers and it works pretty good.

Thanks guys.

I figured it was ok to shoot as I've shot some pretty old stuff. Just thought I'd ask.

The whole reason I picked up the box in the first place was the number of rounds in the box. I too have never seen an 18 round box of anything. When I asked the guy ringing me up how much for the box, he just took it out of my hands and threw it in my bag. I don't think I'll shot them but i would like to figure out the story behind the ammo.

I have shot ammo so old it had crust on the lead bullets, no problems.
Wad cutter where designed to cut paper instead of ripping a hole in it hence the name

wiki:
A wadcutter is a special-purpose flat-fronted bullet specially designed for shooting paper targets,

A semiwadcutter or SWC is a type of all-purpose bullet commonly used in revolvers. The SWC combines features of the wadcutter target bullet and traditional round nosed revolver bullets, and is used in both revolver and pistol cartridges for hunting, target shooting, and plinking. Full wadcutters frequently have problems feeding from magazines reliably in automatics, so SWCs may be used when a true WC is desired but cannot be used for this reason.

Colt came out with a .38 Colt special after S&W developed the original. They were the same case as the .38 S&W special and interchanged with any .38 special out there, but used a semi-wadcutter bullet instead of the roundnose that S&W used.

I expect that's what those are. I wouldn't have any problems with trying six of them to see what they do as long as you try them in a .38 that is built for higher pressure.
The ammo companies made some pretty brisk rounds back then, especially for the 38-44.

I think it deserves more research before you shoot it up.

Cartridge collectors might pay some good money for it as long as it is all still there.

rc

I think it deserves more research before you shoot it up.

Cartridge collectors might pay some good money for it as long as it is all still there.

rc

I'm not going to shoot it and I would love to figure out its history. Maybe I'll send the picture and questions over to Remington.

hold on to them in about a 100 years they will be worth something. come one folks they are 38 semi-wad cutters hardly a collectors item. shoot them up

Holy crap. While trying to find a price or anything on those .38's, I came across this..

I bought a heaping pile of it about 35 years ago or so when monkey wards stopped selling ammo. I've been shooting it ever since.. maybe I should stop. They're asking $15 for a box of 50

http://www.oldammo.com/boxes.htm

http://www.oldammo.com/BoxesForSale/Lightning.JPG

I had a few boxes from the early 1980's [ JUST after the FBI shootout in Miami ] that were called 'Q' loads,they came in the same box and were +P+ 110 grain .38 special.

I fired them only in K frame or larger guns and they were HOT.

Mine were JHP,and I shot most of them up,a few were used to destroy critters.

The R-P head stamp came into use in the late 50's, the Rem-Umc head stamp was dropped at the same time. Mil-spec ammunition made under contract by Remington uses the RA head stamp.

Certaintdeaf,

That's a really interesting website, thanks for posting.

Scatty,

Are you talking the ammo I posted a picture of?

^
I found that site by trying to find out something about that ammo of yours.. well, if memory serves I remember seeing it years ago while surfing.

I clicked on "centerfire handgun" and there's nothing but teeny text but in a fairly linear/logical order. I did a "control F" search but couldn't really find anything on those .38's.
If my not really that old fifty count .22's are worth $15 ea, those .38's gotta be worth something, especially boxed how they are.

YES

I still have a box around here someplace and it was from a federal agency and issued to their LEO's for the .357 'K' frames that they had to carry +P .38's in.

If I find the box I will take a pic to compare for you.

I would cover the box in 'saran' wrap and take it to a gun show and see if a collector of ammo is interested.

I had a few boxes from the early 1980's [ JUST after the FBI shootout in Miami ] that were called 'Q' loads,they came in the same box and were +P+ 110 grain .38 special.

I fired them only in K frame or larger guns and they were HOT.

Mine were JHP,and I shot most of them up,a few were used to destroy critters.
Those might have been the "treasury load".. +P+ 110 grain .38 Special.

Certain Deaf and Scaaty, thanks for the great info!

YES, other than the name 'Q' load that was the name I knew them as.

It looked like the same box that the OP showed up top - leastwise to me.

I have seen a fair amount of .38 Special +P+ and it was all headstamped and box-marked as +P+. Pressures approach those of .357 Magnum and one box I have is marked not to be fired except in revolvers chambered for .357.

All I can add is that the OP's ammo appears to be contract ammo for some agency. The packaging is odd, but I can guarantee that if you order, say, two or three million rounds of ammunition, you can get it packaged any way you want.

Jim