Lake City 62 Match 30-06 cases?????

[Mohave-Tec]

I have run into a bunch of Lake City 62 Match 30-06 brass. It still has the primer in it but it doesn't look quite like brass. Is it re-loadable? Is there a market for it? I want to sell it for a reasonable price but I don't know what that would be. What do you guys think?

[RC20]

Hard to tell from the picture but it looks tarnishes as opposed to corroded.

I would run some in a tumbler and see how it cleans up

Also can cut one with a hacksaw and see what the cut flakes look like.

[Mohave-Tec]

I am running a batch now.
Cut flakes?

[Bart B.]

Yes, Lake City Army Ammo Plant used standard cartridge brass for their match cases. It's reloadable as millions of rounds of it have been. And LC62 stuff had non-corrosive primers.

[Mohave-Tec]

Thank you very much. There are a few other cases mixed in including NM but I am separating by head stamp. There are 40 pounds of these cases. Very old fellow just gave it to a buddy of mine.

[Bart B.]

Those headstamped "NM" are from lots made for the "National Matches" held at Camp Perry, Ohio. Ammo so marked shot much better, accuracy wise, than normal production runs. I'd sort them out then sell them at 50% higher prices than the standard MATCH ones.

You've got 1300 to 1400 cases, I'd guess.

[Mohave-Tec]

I'm learning more by the minute. It seems like there will be about 10% in the bucket that is various other and 10% will be NM. About 80% of the remaining will be 62 match but there is also some 61 and some 63. My guess is the 61, if it was loaded, would be a collectors item?
Would you be kind enough to give me you assessment of these two photos please? Some of this brass is really scuffed looking. It is very straight but find of etched looking. It looks like it was made this way. I'd shoot it in my rifles but I just want to know if this is an acceptable amongst the LC Match aficionados.
Also, I have to assume the ejector marks are normal for these rounds once fired?
And to answer your question, yes, I'm guessing about 1400 by weigh.

[Bart B.]

Good info on .30-06 NM ammo:

http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com...mmunition.html

My guess is the surface pitted and coloring's mostly the result of the environment those cases were kept in. Having seen all sorts of 30 caliber MATCH and NM stuff from the 1960's, when new the appearance was all the same across all years. Only the headstamp differed. And some of it never shot all that accurate in civilian bolt guns; M1 bolt faces were never squared up. Fired cases from them had quite out-of-square case heads; a known cause of poor accuracy. New cases with fairly square case heads shot very accurate in match grade Garands as well as bolt guns.

While some folks think arsenal 30 caliber match ammo cases are the cat's pajamas, most of them were not as good as Winchester or Western Cartridge Company match ammo brass or even regular commercial production cases. Federal Cartridge Company's made .30-06 brass that's more uniform than arsenal match brass. Arsenal's marked match ammo as such as it was much more accurate than regular service ammo.

[Mohave-Tec]

You have been very helpful and I appreciate it.

[Mohave-Tec]

I have what I hope will be the last questions for anybody in-the-know about this brass.
Did they use nickle primers in this Match ammo?
and
See the little ding at the bolt face? Is this from the extractor or what and is it an issue?

Thanks again for the help.

[SVO]

All the '06 match ammo I ever saw had brass colored primers with a red primer sealant like in the first picture you posted.

[Mohave-Tec]

Yeah, I have since discovered. Thank you.