WWII .45 ACP headstamp?

[Navy_Guns]

I have some once-fired .45 ACP cases with the headstamp "EC 42" and the primer pockets are quite undersize (a large pistol primer pocket cleaner and crimp remover tools won't come close to fitting). Anyone have a clue who may have made these, and why the primer pockets are so small? Any reason to keep them?

 

[Chief-7700]

This may be a place to start:

http://www.jouster.com/Bulletin/primers.htm

 

[10X]

It is definitely WWII 1942 production by Evansville Ordnance Plant, Evansville, Indiana. EC was their code.
I believe the Chrysler Corp operated this plant in WWII.

Some early WWII 45 ACP was small pistol primer sized, rather than large pistol primers we are used to.

I assume this is brass not steel cases?

 

[Khornet]

On my desk right now

are eight steel-cased EC 43 .45 ACP rounds with standard sized primer.

 

[fatelk]

Seems like I've run across, and thrown out, some .45 brass from the 30's that had undersized primer pockets. IIRC, I even tried to swage them with my RCBS primer pocket swager. They were simply made undersized for some reason.

 

[Jim Watson]

I know that at one time Frankford Arsenal made .45 ACP with their own .204" primer so as to not risk mixing large rifle and large pistol primers. Maybe EC made cases for use with FA primers; but it would take a cartridge collector to say for sure.

 

[snorko]

As stated above, It was produced at the Chrysler plant in Evansville, IN. There was even a short book written over the conversion of the plant to ammunition production. I have heard that +/- 90% of .45 acp ammo was produced there. The plant also produced .30 carbine ammo and specialty paper encased .45 acp shot shells for survival kits. The powder depot was approx. one half mile from the plant and a conveyor fed the powder. The city alo produced LST ships, P-47 planes and, during Korea, International Harvestor M-1 Garands.

yeah, I live there and kinda like history

 

[snorko]

As stated above, It was produced at the Chrysler plant in Evansville, IN. There was even a short book written over the conversion of the plant to ammunition production. I have heard that +/- 90% of .45 acp ammo was produced there. The plant also produced .30 carbine ammo and specialty paper encased .45 acp shot shells for survival kits. The powder depot was approx. one half mile from the plant and a conveyor fed the powder. The city alo produced LST ships, P-47 planes and, during Korea, International Harvestor M-1 Garands.

yeah, I live there and kinda like history