French M1 30-06 surplus ammo

[sikwhiskey]

I have a few hundred rnds of these, from what info I have collected from the net so far the were made in France in the 2nd Quarter of 1953 for the M1 Garand of 1949? The Head Stamp reads 2-53, M1, F 7.62. the Bullets are FMJ 150 grn lead core .308" , Berdan Primer .210". There is Black sealant were the Bullet seats in the crimp grove, and around the primer. There is a large grove around the primer? The Bullet is cupped at the base with lead in the base? The powder was large square flake. Haven't shot any yet, Just waiting to see if anyone Knows some more about this cartridge. Corrosive? any info would be great Thanks

 

[ATOM]

The groove around the primer is typical military ring crimp, intended to keep the primer in place under extreme conditions. N American military uses a slightly different method for the same purpose.

Given the date, almost certainly corrosive. I could be wrong on that, but treating it as corrosive primed would be a good precaution.

Black stuff is a sealing compound.

 

[PerversPépère]

I have a few hundred rnds of these, from what info I have collected from the net so far the were made in France in the 2nd Quarter of 1953 for the M1 Garand of 1949? The Head Stamp reads 2-53, M1, F 7.62. the Bullets are FMJ 150 grn lead core .308" , Berdan Primer .210". There is Black sealant were the Bullet seats in the crimp grove, and around the primer. There is a large grove around the primer? The Bullet is cupped at the base with lead in the base? The powder was large square flake. Haven't shot any yet, Just waiting to see if anyone Knows some more about this cartridge. Corrosive? any info would be great Thanks

I would say a definitive YES. Much of the French military ammo from that era is corrosive. I just can't see why French ordnance makers would change their priming composition just because the caliber was American.
Maybe these were also made for the U.S. Browning .30 caliber machinegun of which the French army had a good provision.
PP.

 

[sikwhiskey]

Shootable? Never fired a FMJ before, hard on barrels? Don't own an 06, wondering if I should buy an old 06 and have some fun. 580 rnds were given to me, all appear to be Ok, No corrosion and sealant still on them. Maybe I need a new old Gun. Thanks for the info.

 

[r.fallon]

Could it be Belgian and it's for a FN49? I am only trying to make an educated guess because I don't think any military would issue MG ammo in 20 round packs.

 

[Brutus]

The general consensus, is this is very corrosive ammuniton.
If you keep and fire it, ensure to clean your rifle properly, that day, using methods to kill any possibility of mercuric primer barrel/chamber corrosion.

 

[guess_kto]

People who collect ammo would trade it for a current ammo

 

[JP]

Yes French, at that time the French Army still had a large number of M-1 Garands left over from WW2. Free French forces were completly outfitted with US equipement during WW2.

 

[green]

The groove is the French syle of primer crimp. It is French and corrosive.
France received 232,499 M1 rifles, M1917 rifles, BARs, and M1919A4,A5 and A6 MGs.

 

[smellie]

Remember, even American priming was corrosive in 1949 and remained so until they completed their changeover in the 1950s. Lake City went noncorrosive only late in 1952.

The only American ammunition of World War II that was all noncorrosive and nonmercuric was the ammo for the M-1 Carbine.

ALL Canadian Defence Industries (DI-Z headstamp) and Dominion Cartridge Company (DCCo) was noncorrosive and nomercuric.
ALL Canadian Government-plant ammunition (Dominion Arsenal: D/!\A headstamp) was corrosive and (just for good measure) mercuric.... as was all other Commonwealth ammunition.

 

[BUSHMAN79]

I've fired lots of the French 8x50 Lebel ammo, and it doesn't seem corrosive. 1948 vintage. Likewise the 1945 and 1950 vintage DA .303. I actually have a special junked out .303 for testing suspect ammo. No issue with the Canadian ammo, but both Brit RL and RG were bad, and so was Aussie MH. In my neck of the woods, the climate is so damp that if ammo is corrosive, it will do its evil in a matter of hours. My SKS was showing signs of rust before I got home from the range once. Anyway, it's good practice to clean your rifle quickly, so treat it as corrosive.

 

[Deltasilver]

Could it be Belgian and it's for a FN49? I am only trying to make an educated guess because I don't think any military would issue MG ammo in 20 round packs.

 

[Cocked&Locked]

No,,this is deadly dangerous ammo, under no circumstances should you fire it. Mail it to me for proper disposal thru my M1, er i mean, disposal facility..

 

[smellie]

Oh, no, my friends!

That horribly-deadly stuff was designed and made for use with a Constantinesco hydrostatic synchroniser. If you don't have one, it IS permissible to use it in your Hurricane.

Or else you COULD change-over the calibre of the Vickers in your Sopwith Camel.

That's it: send it to Snoopy!

(But save a box for me!)

 

[smellie]

All funning aside, that stuff is a real PRIZE.

Our airplane museum in Brandon (Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum) could use a box of that for display. They have a website.

The RED LABEL ammo was carefully dated as to its expiry date. After that date, if could no longer be used in SYNCHRONISED machine-guns, but it was okay for the wing-mounted Brownings in the Hurris because they were free-firing and didn't have to pass through to rotating propellor to get to Fritz.

My Dad was with 133 FS RCAF, stationed at Lethbridge, Boundary Bay and Tofino. Their Hurris were Hurricane IIs, made in Canada. Each had 6 Brownings in each wing and every gun was speeded up to 'max', which was a tad over 20 rounds per second. That's 1,440 rounds per second, each and every time you hit the button.
Dad told me that, later in the War, 135 was stationed at the same base, had their hangar on the opposite side of the runway. One day the Armourer was showing a new trainee what to do and what not to do. Dad was checking the tach take-off on the Merlin at the time, heard the Armourer say, "One thing you never do, is THIS". And the Armourer mashed the button and all 12 Brownings let loose, putting about 500 rounds of ammo into the top of 135's hangar! Dad was safe only because he was INSIDE the propellor arc at the time.

It can happen to anyone; just don't get TOO familiar with anything or it might bite.

 

[smellie]

240 rounds per sec.

I never was any damn good at math.

Planes carried enough ammo for one minute of combat, that's all.

 

[Deltasilver]

LOL totally hijacked the OP. The .30 pictured above is sitting unloved and neglected on a shelf at Armco's shop. Last I bothered to look he had one box left and wanted $50.00 for it.

 

[mmattockx]

Shootable? Never fired a FMJ before, hard on barrels? Don't own an 06, wondering if I should buy an old 06 and have some fun. 580 rnds were given to me, all appear to be Ok, No corrosion and sealant still on them. Maybe I need a new old Gun. Thanks for the info.

FMJ is no harder on barrels than any other copper jacketed ammo, no worries there. As noted, this stuff is collectible and you would probably do better to sell it as a collector's item than shooting it. If it is worth enough, it might pay for a nice Garand and a pile of new ammo for it.

Mark