Special Ball M41 38 cartridges?

[KodeFore]

Recently at a boy scout thrift sale I picked up a partial box of 38 special for 5$

The box is simple cardboard and has 44 of the 50 rounds in it ( So some one kept out 1 cylnder full ) the condition of the box and ammo indicate it has been stored properly. It looks like something you could pull of the shelf at gun shop.

The box is marked as follows:

50 CARTRIDGES

SPECIAL,BALL

CALIBER .38 M41

LOT IVI 44121

VALCARTIER INDUSTRIES INC.

It imressed me right of the bat as some kind of military round, for 44 rounds for 5$ thats cheaper than I load it myself and my first thought was to send it down range. Then I got to thinking maybe I better check first to see if it might have some collector/historical value before I add the empty cases to my brass bucket.

So far this is what I have come up with from a simple search and I am parpharsing for brevity. The special ball M41 round was developed as a light 130 grain load that was land warefare compliant for use by air force security police in 1956. It was later beefed up a little and used by the air force and the army.

Valcartier industries seems to have been a Canadian ammunition maker (French canadian by the look of the name) that was later swallowed up by a larger company.

Does any one have any better information about these cartridges? Does anyone know if it has any collector or historical value ? (I accumulate, I don't collect. the only common thread to my gun safe is if I can afford it and I like it, and I can legally own it, I get it.)

Thanks

 

[Gordon]

I carried that wimpy ball for 3 years in an S&W M&P model 10 2". If you want to collect it it's interesting but nothing special or illegal .

 

[hboy35]

found this on gunbroker

not sure if it is what you have. I did a search under completed auctions.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=292237101

 

[Jim K]

That ammo was made under U.S. contract for use in revolvers carried by pilots and others who might have contact with the enemy in wartime. It is loaded with full metal jacket bullet to comply with the Hague convention. The first contracts were let in 1942, but that Canadian ammo is Korean War era. It is perfectly good ammo, though there is some collector interest today.

Power is very similar to the standard 158 grain .38 Special lead bullet load, considered a light load today, but which was carried by U.S. police for decades.

Jim

 

[Striker]

More info here:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=657590

 

[rcmodel]

I have to disagree that power was very similar to WWII 158 grain FMJ ammo.
It isn't.

The 130 grain M41 load is an anemic load developed for SAC for use in the alloy revolvers air crews carried in the 1950's.
The older WWII FMJ load was too powerful for the alloy guns and they were coming apart early on.

The RA 1967 M41 ball I have an ammo can full of is loaded with a undersize .355" dia, 130.7 grain FMJ bullet.
Also an effort to reduce pressure in the old SAC Aircrew alloy revolvers.

WWII 158 grain FMJ was full power .38 Spl, loaded with .357" dia. bullets, and more powerful then todays standard pressure 158 grain loads by quite a bit.

rc

 

[AABEN]

Put it up and save it. Not every one has them.

 

[KodeFore]

Picture of the box/rounds

Sorry its upside down but you get the idea