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At the range the other day, an older fellow came in and wanted to unload some spent shell casings. He had a good amount of it in various calibers. What caught my eye was, what appeared to be, some pretty old shell casings in their original boxes. Anybody have any input to the age of this ammo?


haka

Judging by the styrofoam, not all THAT old, 60's maybe, but that's just a guess.

I'm not an ammo collector. My headstamp guide says that the R-P headstamp on 38 special ammo is from 1960 and later. With the styrofoam cradle I'd estimate it as 1970's to 1980's but that's the best I can do. Really doesn't matter for spent cases, if they're in good condition they can be reloaded.

R,
Bullseye

Bullseye wrote:I'm not an ammo collector. My headstamp guide says that the R-P headstamp on 38 special ammo is from 1960 and later. With the styrofoam cradle I'd estimate it as 1970's to 1980's but that's the best I can do. Really doesn't matter for spent cases, if they're in good condition they can be reloaded.

R,
Bullseye

The 70's or 80's time frame sounds about righ to me, can remember that type of packaging at that time.

I've bought ammo with styrofoam bullet holders in the past 3 years. I'm still using the old boxes to hold reloads. Unless there is something really unique about the brass, my only interest would be running it through the press.

I just looked at the Starline and Midway sites. Seems that a brass for a number of calibers is "backordered." Makes me glad I'm real choosy about the brass I use: if I can reach it, it goes into the brass bucket for reloading.

Last Saturday the guy shooting the .44 was tossing his brass on the ground. I don't have anything in .44, but I picked it up for future use or to give to my son. A couple folks were shooting .45 ACP and not picking up the brass. I started policing it and another shooter asked if I were using the nickle plated brass. I gave him the few rounds I'd picked up and he gave m all the non-plated he picked up. Seems like a pretty good deal since i was shooting .38, .357 and .22. Now if I could only find a .45 colt shooter who tosses his brass. Most of those guys seem really selfish.

greener wrote:if I can reach it, it goes into the brass bucket for reloading.
Now if I could only find a .45 colt shooter who tosses his brass.
Most of those guys seem really selfish.

'G', we need to buy each other a beer...
but we'd end up fighting over the empties!!
--toy

Single action brass is just too easy to keep, it drops right into your hand when you eject it and it's non magnetic properties make it almost impossible to throw it away. Luckily when I used to belong to the now defunct indoor range they let me pick up anything on the floor when I quit shooting. Even gave me some pails to take home and sort now and then.

greener wrote: Now if I could only find a .45 colt shooter who tosses his brass. Most of those guys seem really selfish.

Yes, we are!

.45LC brass ain't cheap, and at the moment (like everything else) it's hard to find too!

I hit every on-line site I knew yesterday looking for a .223 shellholder. Zip. Nada. Backorder Okay...

Greener, too bad you weren't at the range I go to a few weeks ago. There was a fellow out there who seemed to have an affinity for .50 stuff. He was shooting .50GI, .50AE and .500S&W and didn't pick up a single case. I thought it was especially strange that he didn't pick up any of the .50GI as I've never seen it sold anywhere -- then again I've never seen the dies for it either.

Really doesn't matter for spent cases, if they're in good condition they can be reloaded.

hmmm, I really wasn't planning on reloading, but maybe I'll have to learn. It seems like there is a panic in the "gun world" to buy guns and ammo. Strange thing is, it's getting just as hard getting reloading parts as well. The 22lr pistol seems like a great handgun to have now-a-days.
haka

Speaking about the shortage of reloading materials, the other day I stopped by the gun shop, stop there quite often as it is always good to see old friends. Noticed that the primer shelves were damn near bare, they had some Federal Gold Medal primers but hey had just once in, the other brands were maybe a pack or two here and there. My supply of Winchester large pistol for the .45ACP is still good, have almost a full carton and there may be another full one there also, have no small pistol primers foo the .38 at all. Bullets in both .45 and .38 are getting low. powder supply is good as I use Green Dot or Unique and have a lot left over from my shotgunning days.

I think I'm gonna open a new business, selling reloading parts.

Hakaman wrote:I think I'm gonna open a new business, selling reloading parts.

That would be a great business to be in but as no one seems to have anything in stock, even Midways USA lists most ammo and primers as out of stock and no back order, you will have to make everything yourself.

bearandoldman wrote:

Hakaman wrote:I think I'm gonna open a new business, selling reloading parts.

That would be a great business to be in but as no one seems to have anything in stock, even Midways USA lists most ammo and primers as out of stock and no back order, you will have to make everything yourself.

Checked Starline and Midway for brass. Most is on backorder. Midway is even showing backorder on dies and some presses. Seems like the "panic" demand would peter out and ammo stocks would return to normal. I've been figuring that it would happen soon, but I guess the empty shelves keep fuel the urge to buy.

There's no reloading supplies to be found in Ga either. I've got a few hundred cases cleaned and ready, just nothing to put in them.