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WWII Ammo Box


Rifleman
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I've always thought these were WWII time period. I'm sure these were used post war ,but can anyone tell me about this particular box? I know it was for M2 Ball in 5 round stripper clips in bandoleers,420 rounds. So this was for the 1903 Springfield or the 1903A3.But can the date be determined by the lot number. Also ,what does the number on the top by the handle signify?

 

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Most likely Korean War .30 M2 , I know 9,xxx SL lot numbers trace to 1950’s. Interesting is your .30 M2 has been packed into a .50 cal can. 

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silverplate

Your lot number "SL 8552" dates the cartridges as early 1944 production. 1944 lot numbers for SL M2 Ball were 8551 to 8910.

At that time, St. Louis was also producing .50 caliber cartridges so it's a good bet that the bandoleers were packed in that box at the time of production. I have seen bandoleers from that period packed in spam cans and .30 caliber cans. Your can is a bit more unusual to see, so it could be a post-war repack done at the plant, even though the can is WWII-era. Either way, still a nice piece 

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Silver: thanks for your expertise, your production lot number charts are a rarity. Have you ever thought of copying them and selling to collectors?

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silverplate

Interesting idea. I already make replica  WWi - WWII  ammo boxes and related material, so that would fit the criteria. Thanks, I'll have to give it some thought. I do have a compilation of all the lot numbers from 1942-1945 already made up. The original service bulletins would be too bulky to duplicate.

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Thank, silverplate for the information. I picked this up for $10.That's cheaper than the modern ammo cans.

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