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WW2 History Bullets

Cirrus N210MS

Cirrus N210MS

Charter Member
:salute:

Hey Guys I have some really Cool History!


i have 50cal Machine GUN Heads and Shells which were fired from American Bombers from WW2 when they used to Train The Crews In Gunnery school KINGMAN AZ Army airbase


plus i have Bell P-39 Aerocobra 30cal Machine GUn Heads and Shells! all Fired! in training!!

some are dated from 1942 1941 1944 1943 and other dates

Just So Much neat History!

:salute::medals:
 
scan0001.jpg
 
Back in 1996, I had the fortunate experience of spending 8 days on Wake Island, courtesy of the US Navy. I had escorted a liquid oxygen cart there (they are totally dependent on outside resources). I spent a lot of time, walking the beach all around the island. Am sure it is the same case now, but you can literally find spent .30 rounds just laying around. I brought home a few. Someday, I plan to encase them in resin, and use it as a paperweight....... So much valiant fighting took place on Wake. Later on, if I can find them, I will post pictures I took there.

NC
 
It's great to own a piece of history. I don't think I have heard the term "heads" in relation to machine gun rounds... are those part of the links?
 
Cratermaker said:
It's great to own a piece of history. I don't think I have heard the term "heads" in relation to machine gun rounds... are those part of the links?
Click to expand...

Hi
The component parts of a machine gun round (and most small arms rounds) are the projectile (bullet) and the case which holds the propellant and which has a primer in the base.
Those pictures of the bases of the cartridge cases show the primer (the ones shown have been fired) and the numbers and letters on the base are the headstamp. These appear to have been made at Salt Lake Arsenal (S L ) in 1943

I used to collect cartridges and still have a few, including a live WW2 .50 cal round.

Alan
 
Do not try to fire any live rounds from WW2!
The powder they used back then will gain strength over time. You just might blow up the gun you fire them in.
 
Spent Ammo

If you find any of the armor piercing .50 cal projectiles, you can use them for a center punch. When they hit the ground, the gilding metal jacket usually strips off and leaves the hardened steel core intact and it usually shows no sign of wear. The point of it is perfect and hard enough to center punch most steel.

I used to pick up old .50 calibre projectiles and cases as well as 20mm cases in Central Wyoming years ago. The Casper, Wyoming airport was a training base in WW II and they used the high desert in the surrounding area as a gunnery range. They say the pilots often shot up the numerous herds of Antelope in the area, but I'm sure the pilots would never have done that. :rocket:

Yeah, right.
 
JoeW said:
Do not try to fire any live rounds from WW2!
The powder they used back then will gain strength over time. You just might blow up the gun you fire them in.
Click to expand...

I shoot surplus ammo all the time dated back to 1942 in 7.92x57, .45, 7.62x39 and have never had a problem.2 weeks ago i shot about 30 rounds of .303 Brit through my great grandfathers WW1 service rifle and the ammo was 1927 vintage.The case of 7.62x39 corrosive i just bought is 1956 Czech surplus and millions of those are fired in North America every year without problems. 5.56mm i have is also Vietnam era and everyone i know that shoots AR-15s uses it without problems.
My experience shooting old ammo is that if it has been stored properly and the rounds are in good shape with no sign of corrosion blast away.I would be more worried about the old gun than the old ammo that is being used.Gunpowder loses its potency as it ages so it blowing up in your face isnt my major concern but getting a squib load (underpowered bullet stuck in the barrel ) as the follow up shot can be deadly.Its well accepted that old surplus ammo can loses up to 50% of its potency at 50 years but my experience on a chronograph is more in the 25-30% range with the surplus available to me.
Steel cased ammo is what i stay away from as the case can corrode due to a reaction with the solvents in the powder and cause extream overpressure.
For competition i use i only fresh handloads.

Just my 2 cents
 
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