"National Match" .30-06 ammo question

[mp43sniper]

A couple years ago at a small gun store out in the country I bought some national match ammo which had been on the shelf for a while. Got it for $10 or $15 per box of 20. I was wondering if this is ok to shoot in my Garand, or if it's collectible, or any other details. Is this what would be used at Camp Perry or something? Why is it called National Match?

I recently discovered my stash of ammo for my Garand is berdan primed stuff so this led me to search for more ammo but stuff that's reloadable. I had forgotten about this.

Thanks,
Craig

 

[David Wile]

Hey Sniper,

Fifteen to twenty years ago, the DCM was selling "National Match" 30-06 ammo in twenty round boxes for about $2 a box. If I recall correctly, the bullets were about 165 grain FMJ boat tails, and it certainly shot like match ammo. The brass was Lake City, and it was Boxer primed, not Berdan primed. If you got Berdan primed 30-06 ammo, I would question if it was really DCM National Match ammo.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

 

[USSR]

A couple years ago at a small gun store out in the country I bought some national match ammo which had been on the shelf for a while. Got it for $10 or $15 per box of 20. I was wondering if this is ok to shoot in my Garand, or if it's collectible, or any other details. Is this what would be used at Camp Perry or something? Why is it called National Match?

If the headstamp says "NM" instead of "MATCH", then it was indeed made for use at the National Matches held at Camp Perry. Perfectly safe for Garand use, and not particularly collectible (I still see it at occasional gun shows).

Don

 

[MMCSRET]

I have a five gallon bucket of FA 58 NM brass that came from the military matches of the early sixties around the army and Marine Corp bases on the west coast. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard had a rifle team up into the 80's. NM brass is a pleasure to load and the most uniform you are likely to ever find.

 

[Bart B.]

Both Frankfort and Lake City Arsenals loaded M72 match ammo for the .30-06. Lake City also loaded M118 and M852 match ammo. Before production runs of any match ammo lot was started, several hundred rounds were loaded with the same lots of primers, cases, powder and bullets. This was done to make sure velocity was within specs as well as accuracy which was 3.5-inch mean radius (about 11 inches max diameter) at 600 yards. Several dozen to a couple hundred shots were fired in each group.

M1903 Springfield actions were fitted with heavy accuracy test barrels made to very exact bore and groove specs. These barreled actions were clamped in a heavy V-block that slid in a V-groove. Shots were single loaded and fired about once every 30 seconds. All that was being tested was the quality of the ammo. Tests were conducted early in the morning with no wind to cause problems.

If the accuracy specs were met, many thousands of rounds were made for each lot. When an exceptional lot for accuracy was tested and was in the best 10% of all lots fired before, that lot would start a full production run until the head stamp in the case making machines was changed from normal to one with "NM" in it. NM signified a "National Match" lot and was sent to Camp Perry for the Nationals.

Most NM lots of M118 7.62 NATO tested 2.5- to 3-inch mean radius (about 8 to 10 inches diameter) and a few were about 2-inches mean radius (about 6 to 7 inches diameter); these were NM lots. 30 caliber M72 match ammo tested about 10% to 20% larger groups than 7.62 NATO stuff. With either one, it's a bit impressive to see a couple hundred holes in a 600 yard test group that's 6 to 7 inches in diameter.

 

[mp43sniper]

CORRECTION

Sorry, this ammunition does not say National on it anywhere.

One side of the 20 rd box says:
1968
MATCH (Match is really big) with an eagle over the word.
Lake City Army Ammunition Plant.

Other side:
20 Cartridges
CALIBER .30 MATCH
M72
Lot LC (lot #)
Bullet 173 grains
Velocity 2640 F.P.S.

Lake City Army Ammunition Plant

Top:
Disposal of fired cases shall be as prescribed by Army Regulations

One box is slightly damaged and I can see the headstamps which are LC 67 MATCH.

The sticker says $8 which I thought was an ok deal since new 30-06 ammo was twice that when I bought it. Ended up with 4 boxes. Thanks for the informed responses so far. I'm still confused though, is this Camp Perry ammo since it doesn't say National on it? I've picked up lots of brass at WWII reenactments with an NM headstamp but these simply say MATCH.

Craig

 

[Slamfire]

I am unaware of any National Match, White Box 30-06 ammo ever loaded with anything but the 174 FMJBT bullet.

While the ammunition shot well, the GI bullet was a limiting factor. I would not shoot it in a match past 200 yards, though it probably would still shoot fine at 300 yards.

If you want to shoot it for match accuracy, remove the GI bullet and put in a 168 Match (anything)

This match ammo is wonderful stuff in a Garand. It was loaded the for Garand, it won't beat up a Garand, and it will shoot fine in a Garand.

As for being collectable, well that is hard to say.

If you label it as "sniper ammo", you can sell it to sniper wannabee’s at $40.00 a box.

If you label it as match ammo, you will get less.

I have an ammo can and a case of unfired NM LC68/69, maybe if I live long enough it will be worth something.

I would keep this box of ammo as is.

 

[USSR]

I'm still confused though, is this Camp Perry ammo since it doesn't say National on it? I've picked up lots of brass at WWII reenactments with an NM headstamp but these simply say MATCH.

Craig,

It's standard M72 Match ammo, and not M72 National Match ammo. Still, that's a good thing and it will work fine in your Garand. While the gov't lists the bullet at 173gr, having weighed thousands of these bullets, I have found that the majority of them actually weigh between 173.5gr and 174.5gr, hence myself and others typically refer to them as 174gr bullets. Enjoy.

Don

 

[mp43sniper]

Thanks guys! I love history and crave details for anything and everything. Love the '37 box.

Craig

 

[Grump]

The "NM" on the headstamp was NOT used for every year's ammo issue on the line at Perry. In fact, it was more often than not just "MATCH", though usually selected to be the best of the match production lots.

Before yearly manufacture ceased, I believe there were even a few years when the Perry ammo was from the previous year.

'Course, in 1985, the '06 ammo was all LC 63, IIRC, because production of M72 ceased after the 1968 or 69.

To know whether THOSE boxes of ammo were the same as was issued at Perry in any particular year, you'd need to look up what lot numbers were issued there.

 

[Bart B.]

Here's a bit of history regarding those 173-gr. full metal jacket boattail bullets used in M72 and M118 match ammo.

After the US military changed their 30 caliber ammo for M1903's to a 150-gr. bullet instead of the original 210-gr. one, it did well for many years. It didn't buck the wind very well and the 1000-yard targets used at the time were 10 feet wide to catch those blown off center could still be scored.

Machine guns using this round had problems with accuracy at longer ranges as their barrels heated up enough to enlarge the bore too much for those 150-gr. bullets. Tests were conducted at Daytona Beach, FL, with different bullets that were heavier and better shaped. In the early 1920's the US military folks settled on a 173-gr. FMB boattail bullet that was about .0006-inch larger in diameter than the 150-gr. one. This new bullet shot flatter and more accurate at the longer ranges. It was also adapted as the standard bullet for all .30-06 rifles and the bullet was dubbed the M1 bullet.

Some target shooters used this long range .3086-in. diameter machine gun ammo in their M1903 match rifles and immediately noticed they were more accurate and bucked the wind better than the standard round they were used to. Not a surprise as their barrels typically had .3083-in. or thereabout groove diameters that didn't shoot the .3078-in. 150-gr. flat based spitzers too accurate. Frankfort Arsenal began loading special lots of this ammo dubbed "Match" for the National matches as well as other international ones such as the Palma Matches. They even sold the bullets in bulk packs to civilians to reload for their M1903 Springfields atop Hi-Vel No. 2 powder which was a favorite of the time.

In the late 1930's when world issues convinced the smarter military folks that a world war was soon to start, the US Army thought they heavier recoil the 173-gr. bullet produced was not good for the average soldier to get decent accuracy with either the M1903 or the new M1 rifle. So they went back to the old 150-gr. flat base for standard ammo, called it the M1 bullet, changed the 172-gr. bullet to be named the M2 bullet.

WWII snipers using the M1903, M1 Garand or Winchester 70 preferred arsenal match ammo with the heavier and fatter bullet 'cause it shot more accurate. Anyone getting hold of some was very pleased.

 

[Darreld Walton]

An Old Thread, I know...

but yesterday, a fella came into the shop with two cans of "White Box" LC NM 7.62, and another can with the "Brown Box" M118 7.62 "Special" ammunition. I snatched every round of it.
When I was shooting on the Idaho National Guard Hi-power rifle team with NM M-14, this ammo was THE 'stuff'. I've witnessed near fist-fights start on the line over the expended rounds between competitors. Biggest difference I saw in it was that the weight of the brass was very consistent, and there was no primer crimp to deal with when reloading it, vice the 'regular' 7.62 NATO rounds.
I've used the 'white box' FA (Frankford Arsenal) 59 NM .30-06 rounds with the same 173 gr. boat tail, at a thousand yards through 'match prepped' M1903 and 03-A3 rifles, and it shot REALLY well out there, but I don't have enough left to complete two 'over the course' shoots. These days, I use 175 gr. Sierra and Varget with better results, as the Varget isn't near as sensitive to temps and temp changes as the 4895 and other powders.
From what I hear from WWII vets, the next best thing for long range performance and accuracy was the .30-06 armor piercing round, and even today, when a few boxes show up, it never lasts more than a few minutes on the shelf.
I sure do miss the days when "Uncle Sugar" was footing my ammo bill!

 

[1KPerDay]

Shooting AP for accuracy, eh? I've got a couple hundred rounds of 1942 AP. I may have to try it out and see if it's accurate.

I've also got some 1954 "MATCH". Maybe I'll shoot both and see which is better.

 

[USSR]

I've got a couple hundred rounds of 1942 AP. I may have to try it out and see if it's accurate.

Just make sure you clean your bore (and gas cylinder if a Garand) with hot water immediately after. The primers are corrosive.

Don

 

[1KPerDay]

Yep, thanks.

 

[Offfhand]

Speaking of Match ammo, here's a couple interesting boxes from my collection. The 1933 wood crate is empty of course (wish I had some of the original to test.) but the can is full.

 

[Grump]

By way of correction of an otherwise excellent post Bart B. a few months ago:

The replacement of the M1 Ball round and its 173 or so grain BT bullet was with the 150-gr flat base, which has always to my knowledge been named "M2 Ball". I've seen packaging indicating M2 Ball in Garand clips and bandoleers going way back.

In the 1930s when the ammo change was implemented, there were some efforts to get the M2 bullet up to 2900 fps, but the powders that could do that were problematic--bore erosion and pressure spikes led those involved to opt for the more modest 2850 fps at 78 feet standard.

There was supposedly some tactical advantage of switching to the M2 Ball round, in that the LMGs firing it at distant targets had a higher trajectory, which was considered "safer" for friendly troops to maneuver under as they advanced. I have also read rumors that some military installations did not have enough downrange distance for the M1 bullets to land before occupied areas could get "sprinkled" by the longer-flying projectiles, but their "safety fan" areas were adequate for the M2 bullets' downrange carrying distance. I find this believable, as it *could* be a valid additional reason to go with less-effective ammo (but which eats up less copper and lead per round--strategic advantage), but putting such facts in print form like a memo or letter *might* be discouraged.

Some of my sources indicate that in the latter half of WWII, many infantry combat units were issued AP ammo almost exclusively.