December 4, 2012, 06:14 PM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 27, 2009
Location: Richmond,Va
Posts: 292
|
Case ID
Founded some 45acp brass at the range. The color of the brass is a strange off color, almost enough to make me wonder if it is brass, but not quite. As you look down on spent primer you see the letter E on the top
left and the letter C on the top right and in the middle on the bottom you see 42, which I guess is the year of manufactoring. Anyone on the forum run accross this brass? |
December 4, 2012, 06:49 PM | #2 |
Staff
Join Date: April 13, 2000
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 41,379
|
EC 42 I THINK is Evansville Ordnance Plant, which was operated by Chrysler, one of the first munitions plants to be set up during World War II.
Pretty common, as Evansville made something like 4 billion rounds of .45 ACP from 1942 to 1945.
__________________
"The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower. |
December 4, 2012, 06:59 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 27, 2009
Location: Richmond,Va
Posts: 292
|
That is very interesting and informative, THANK YOU, VERY MUCH!
|
December 4, 2012, 09:10 PM | #4 |
Member
Join Date: November 28, 2012
Location: Eastern SC
Posts: 68
|
If the brass you found is a dull silver color, it is not brass but steel cases that were plated with a zinc compound, if I recall correctly. You can determine if they are steel by checking with a magnet.
Evansville Ordnance Depot loaded steel cased .45 ACP during WWII and somewhere I still have a box of EC 43 steel cased empties stored. I recall some informattion that was published in The American Rifleman many years ago (1960's?) that explained the use of steel cases by Evansville Ordnance Depot. |
December 4, 2012, 10:17 PM | #5 |
Staff
Join Date: March 4, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 21,057
|
I found a box of those in my grandparent's attic when I was a kid. No longer have them, but remember it gave my dad an opportunity to explain the letters were the plant and the numbers were the last two digits of the manufacturing year. Zinc-plated steel, for sure.
__________________
Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle |
December 5, 2012, 07:52 AM | #6 |
Staff
Join Date: April 13, 2000
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 41,379
|
"Zinc-plated steel, for sure."
Not in 1942. At least it should not have been. From Remington Arms (RA) or Frankford Arsenal (FA) where test batches of steel cased .45 ammo was loaded, yes, but from EC? I don't think they loaded any steel-cased ammo in 1942. Steel case production wasn't fully authorized until 1943, and then only until the copper shortages that made steel cases a necessity eased, which it did early in 1944. Evansville Chrysler and Evansville Sunbeam (who manufactured the cases for loading by EC) produced virtually all of the steel-cased ammo used during WW II, including quite a bit of .30 M1 Carbine ammo. The steel cased ammo was never authorized for combat use, only stateside training.
__________________
"The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower. |
December 5, 2012, 07:53 AM | #7 |
Staff
Join Date: April 13, 2000
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 41,379
|
Ah, crap.
I just found a reference to batches of EC 42 steel cased ammo. Here's a very nice write up on it along with a good picture (Bob's now posting here). http://www.firearmstalk.com/forums/f...ased-45s-6119/
__________________
"The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower. |
December 9, 2012, 10:49 PM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 27, 2009
Location: Richmond,Va
Posts: 292
|
Oops! Can Zinc-plated steel case be reloaded, cause I reloaded two rds
in this last batch! |
December 10, 2012, 04:39 PM | #9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: July 18, 2008
Posts: 7,249
|
and before EC and Sunbeam there was Eau Clair, Wisconsin, they started with the head stamp EC, then Chrysler wanted the ‘C’ for Chrysler, EC became EW.
|
December 10, 2012, 04:42 PM | #10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: July 18, 2008
Posts: 7,249
|
Sunbeam made the steel cases, steel cases were hauled across town and loaded at the EC plant.
F. Guffey |
December 10, 2012, 04:51 PM | #11 |
Staff
Join Date: April 13, 2000
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 41,379
|
"Sunbeam made the steel cases, steel cases were hauled across town and loaded at the EC plant."
I think there's an echo in here or something...
__________________
"The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower. |
December 10, 2012, 05:47 PM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 3, 2009
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,930
|
Use a magnet on the case. If it sticks it is steel. I would either pull the bullet, and recover the components, or just toss the rounds if the case was steel. The most likely thing that steel cases would do is split, and stick in the chamber. Though they can cause a lot of undue wear on dies as well.
__________________
No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you. |
December 10, 2012, 06:17 PM | #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: August 8, 2004
Location: Alabama
Posts: 301
|
Mike, thanks for the link to Bob's article. Very interesting, indeed!
__________________
NRA Life Member |
December 11, 2012, 09:25 AM | #14 |
Senior Member
Join Date: July 18, 2008
Posts: 7,249
|
“EC 42 I THINK is Evansville Ordnance Plant, which was operated by Chrysler, one of the first munitions plants to be set up during World War II”
I read down to “I think etc., ........” Then I started with EC was Eau Clair, Wisconsin, then Chrysler, out of vanity wanted EC for Evansville Chrysler, EC became EW, I was thinking if EC changed their head stamp to EW, EW had to be one of the first munitions plants and about the same time as DM, UT, DN, SL, LC and TW , and there were others. F. Guffey |
December 13, 2012, 12:55 PM | #15 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 27, 2009
Location: Richmond,Va
Posts: 292
|
Found the two rds that I reloaded, with the E C 42 on them and the
a magnet did not stick to them! Not steel! Even so I think I will pull them. |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|