.38 Special brass I haven't seen

[Corner Pocket]

I picked up a considerable quantity of .38 Special brass at the range the other day. About 30-40 pieces of them just have four characters as the headstamp:

R A 7 6

Don't think I've ever ran across these before. Just wondered about reloading them. Your thoughts/insights are appreciated. Thanks!

Corner Pocket

 

[rcmodel]

They are military Remington Arsenal made in 1976.

Perfectly fine for reloading.
(Check for GI primer crimps, but it is unlikely)

 

[ants]

Remington Arsenal, or Remington Arms?

 

[Runningman]

rcmodel nailed it. Remington operated the US Government owned arsenals under contract from 1940 -1985.

 

[fguffey]

http://www.odcmp.org/1101/USGI.pdf

F. Guffey

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I think it's Remington Arms, not Arsenal. (But does it really matter? Close enough for Government work!! LOL)

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Definitely check for crimped in primers. Quite a bit of .38 military manufactured during the Viet Nam era had crimped in primers. I wound up with a bit over 3000 of the R A series, WCC (Winchester) and LC (Lake City) military .38 special brass picked up off a police range and they all had crimped primers. Not difficult, but a PITA having to ream the crimp out of each one before reloading.

 

[rcmodel]

Remington Arms it is.

What was I thinking?

rc

 

[fguffey]

RA Raritan Arsenal

http://toonsatwar.blogspot.com/2007/05/raritan-arsenal-publications-dpartment.html

F. Guffey

 

[ReloaderFred]

All of the military .38 Special brass is good brass to load. I'm still using some I got back in the early 1970's from a nearby Air Force Base, when we used to hold training sessions with the Security Police Detachment there.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[GRIZ22]

RA Raritan Arsenal


Raritan Arsenal stored ammo and did rebuilds on various small arms but never produced ammunition. RA headstamp is Remington Arms.

 

[rmfnla]

I once got hold of some .38 Spl Remington FMJ tracers.

Those were fun!

 

[DesmoDucRob]

I once got hold of some .38 Spl Remington FMJ tracers.

Now that the OP's question has been answered; What would one do with such an animal?

 

[rcmodel]

Used by law enforcement years ago for training.
I have seen old photo's of the FBI shooting revolvers with tracer from the crouched point shooting position they used to use many years ago.

rc

 

[ReloaderFred]

Tracers were used by the military. I got several boxes of them from the Security Police at Edwards AFB. Lots of fun to shoot, since they make big spirals as they go downrange. Accuracy was terrible, since most of the projectile was taken up with trace material, and didn't have much weight.

I still have one round left, since the others all went sailing off out through the desert at night..........

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[GRIZ22]

I once got hold of some .38 Spl Remington FMJ tracers.

Now that the OP's question has been answered; What would one do with such an animal?
__________________

38 tracer was commonly carried by pilots and aircrew who carried 38 revolvers. As long as you had your revolver and some tracers you always had a signaling device for rescue. The tracer ammo could also be used defensively if needed.

 

[Ed Harris]

Problem using tracer for signal is that it looks like AA fire and may draw friendly fire onto your position. By the 1970s the Navy replaced them by the pen flare Mk. 79 Mod. 0.

 

[Ret.CWO]

GRIZ22 is correct. I was with 1stMAW in VN 65 & 66 in a section that was responsable for keeping flight crews emergency equipment supplied and updated. Most flight crew carried S&W Mod. 10 revolvers in 38Spl. cal.There were FMJ rounds and FMJ Tracers provided for emergency singling. I guess one could in a pinch use the round for self defence.