USGI Shotgun Ammunition

[usmce4]

I posted a thread "G.I. 12 Ga. Brass Case 00 Buckshot & Box" yesterday and Charlie was good enough to steer me to this thread. Just to try to resurrect this thread I'm going to re-post my stuff here. The box is one which is not listed here anyhow so maybe it will and some info to the thread as well as some new interest.

These are WW II vintage and evidently even back then there were bleeding-hearts types who thought it wasn't nice to shoot at the enemy with shotguns. To shut them up the Government had Winchester put "FOR USE IN HUNTING SMALL GAME" on the box.

 

Art

 

[usmce4]

Here are some shells I actually found in my own junkbox. Interesting feature is the UMC round which is not crimped at the mouth but appears waterproofed fairly heavily on the top wad. I'm assuming that being "UMC" rather than "REM-UMC" makes it WW I vintage.

 

Art

[usmce4]

Lastly, here's a picture of a better grade "For Small Game" I found on the net in somebody's "For Sale" ad

 

Art

13767 BOX WW2 WINCHESTER 25 ROUNDS 12 GA BRASS CASE 00 BUCK AMMUNITION FOR TRENCH GUNS - Nice clean full box or 25 rounds of the brass cased 00 buck ammunition used with the Trench and Riot guns during WW2 and after. Most of these boxes are well used and have problems with burst seams at corners, etc. This has a smudged area on the top as shown in the photo, otherwise is excellent throughout. The “For use in hunting small game” marking was used briefly while the JAG types argued about the legality of using buckshot in combat, but procurement continued and it was issued regardless of the marking, mixed under the same stock numbers as the ammo without that marking. As nice as box as we have had in several years. Sealed in plastic for display. $450.00

 

 

[268th C.A.]

Here's a few more. I'm sure duplicates...

[268th C.A.]

lots of these...seem to be around

[gap]

Here is some paper buckshot that was used prior to the adoption of full brass cased ammo. There is a reference in the 1945 TM 9-1900 Ammunition General (See post #6) and it is also described in the 1942 version of that Technical Manual.

 

 

[gap]

head stamp

[gap]

last one

[Charlie Flick]

Here is an example that is new to me. It is Remington 12 Gauge combined No. 8 Chilled Shot and Tracer. I have never seen that one before. The image comes from a 2014 post on the American Rifleman site.

 

 

Regards,

Charlie

 

[Charlie Flick]

Member CCYooper recently posted an interesting photo of a WRA 12 gauge No. 8 CS carton, spam can and the wooden crate.  I have added it here.   The WRA carton is similar but not identical to the one posted in Post #7 and the crate is similar to that posted at #73 by Hirsca.

 

Charlie

[Charlie Flick]

Here is another variant box of WW2 USGI shotgun ammunition.  One of the reasons I find this type of ammunition so interesting is that there are so many versions of it to be found.

 

This one is Western Xpert brand in 16 Gage with No. 4 Chilled Shot.   As is usually the case this civilian style of carton is marked U.S. Property on the top.  Photos were sourced from an auction site.

 

Charlie

 

 

[Charlie Flick]

And another one of similar style by Western but it's explicitly a trap load.  It is 12 Gage with Number 8 shot.  It was probably used for gunnery proficiency purposes.  Photo was sourced from the well known auction site.

 

 

[Charlie Flick]

This one from Federal's Hi-Power brand comes in a carton with rather striking graphics of the pre-war type.  It is for 12 Gage No. 6 Chilled Shot.  Again, a U.S. Property marked top flap.   I did not record the source for these photos.

 

[Charlie Flick]

Another update for this long running Reference thread.  This is a Winchester Ranger brand of 12 Gage 00 Buckshot with the usual U.S. Property marking.  Photo source not recorded.

 

 

[Charlie Flick]

And here is another Winchester Ranger example with different but very colorful graphics.   It is for 12 Gage No. 8 Trap loads.  Photo source was Ward's Auction.

 

 

[Charlie Flick]

This is an example of the Federal Monark brand of Trap loads.   12 Gage with No. 8 Chilled Shot.  Photo credit to Ward's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Charlie Flick]

We have shown images in this thread of many of the Federal brand of USGI shotgun ammunition cartons.  It so happens that 2022 is the 100th Anniversary of Federal Cartridge Corporation.  Federal has posted some nice images and good info on its product line and history on its website.

 

This image, taken from the Federal website, is useful here as it illustrates the wide variety of military shotgun cartridges made by FCC during WW2.  Of special interest are those cartridges made with a brass collar to facilitate ease of loading under combat conditions.

 

 

[marcwells]

On 10/31/2011 at 1:50 AM, Charlie Flick said:

Gentlemen:

 

It is a recognized phenomenon that firearms collectors tend to branch out and add items to their collections beyond the guns. This is especially true of USGI firearms collectors who, like me, find themselves buying holsters, spare parts, tech and field manuals, slings, and all manner of other accoutrements. Today's topic brings me to one of those peripheral items that I find very interesting and that subject is ammunition and, more specifically, USGI shotgun ammunition as used over the past 100 years by US forces. It is well known that the US military has used, and continues to use to this day, a wide variety of shotguns for guard, riot, combat and skeet and trap shooting for aerial marksmanship purposes.

 

I'll post here photos of some of the types of USGI ammunition I have encountered in my travels. All items and photos posted here are from my collection, unless stated otherwise. I have picked up photos from many sources over the years, usually as a visual reminder of items that I would like to add to the collection but have not always recorded the source of the photo. (Apologies in advance to anyone whose photo I have borrowed without attribution. I will be happy to provide that attribution if you will let me know.)

 

This is not intended to be a comprehensive listing, as I am sure that there are many types of ammunition not yet found in my collection or otherwise shown here. For my own collection I have chosen to forego proof, test, experimental and prototype ammunition and favor boxed ammo rather than singles. I invite other members to post examples of shotgun ammunition in their collections and to share their knowledge on the subject.

 

I'll start here with the smallest sized USGI shotgun ammunition. This ammo is the .410 gauge M35 ammo that was intended to be used for the USAF's M6 survival rifle/shotgun developed in the 1950's. The ammo was aluminum cased and contained Number 6 chilled shot for hunting game. This is the foil wrapped package for the M35 ammo manufactured by Western Cartridge Company.

 

Inside the foil wrapping was this kraft box of shells.

 

This is an unusual ammunition can for 30 rounds of .410 ammo. Note that the ammo is not identified as M35 and it carried Number 7 1/2 size shot. It is also Western manufactured (WCC). Photo source not recorded.

 

Regards,

Charlie Flick

I don't have a lot of shotgun ammo in my collection, as it's not one of my specialties, but I have accumulated a few over the years. Please post any that you may have.

[Charlie Flick]

Here is another update on this long running thread.  The photo below shows an ammo can from 1988 (Desert Storm era) of Winchester 12 Gauge 00 Buck.  Photo was taken off of the well known auction site.  The individual boxes are of the type seen in Post #46 above.

 

Regards,

Charlie

 

 

[ccyooper]

Here is a box of Western shells that I believe is WWII too, forgot I had it in my collection. 

[marcwells]

On 8/11/2023 at 1:20 AM, Charlie Flick said:

Here is another update on this long running thread.  The photo below shows an ammo can from 1988 (Desert Storm era) of Winchester 12 Gauge 00 Buck.  Photo was taken off of the well known auction site.  The individual boxes are of the type seen in Post #46 above.

 

Regards,

Charlie

 

 

acid staining boston 

thank you so much for your suggestion

[Charlie Flick]

Elsewhere on the Forum member THREEDFLYER posted an inquiry about the value of M19 brass shells in cartons and a spam can.  The photos below taken from that thread nicely illustrate the spam can in question.  It is similar to that shown by member RobinB in post #62 above, but is from a slightly earlier Lot.

 

Regards,

Charlie