Old Ammunition worth anything?

triiko · November 11, 2009, 11:39 PM

Hi, I have acquired a 50 box of Caliber .45 - Ball M1911 - Lot WCC - 2 - 12 -Olin Corporation. The casings are stamped: WCC 73.
Is this box worth anything special or should I shoot them off at the range with my 1911??
Any advice is appreciated!

spencerhut · November 12, 2009, 10:52 AM

WCC 73? Shoot them.

ISC · November 12, 2009, 12:56 PM

It's worth about $10-$20.

jonnyc · November 12, 2009, 04:10 PM

Excellent non-corrosive shooting ammo and reloading brass.

**44 AMP** · November 13, 2009, 01:59 PM

But '73 ammo isn't "old". Not to a collector. To them, old begins before WWII, and goes back from there, generally.

You might think you ammo is elderly, but it isn't, in collector's terms. All it is, is GI surplus ball, with no real value beyond what you can buy new made today.

Shoot it, or keep it (properly kept, it won't spoil). Stored right, it will still be good decades from now.

triiko · November 13, 2009, 02:06 PM

What is the best way to store it? I live in AZ so it's pretty dry and hot 10 months out of the year. I have a lower level quazi- basement if it needs to be cool. Thanks!

jonnyc · November 13, 2009, 03:27 PM

Cool & Dry.

HvyMtl · November 13, 2009, 10:07 PM

what Jonnyc said - keep it cool and dry - sounds like you got the dry covered (AZ joke)

triiko · November 14, 2009, 02:18 PM

Thanks!!

stickhauler · November 15, 2009, 03:54 AM

To a vet who was serving in that era, I bought some M-1 Carbine ammo with a 1954 headstamp (the year I was born) and some with a 1972 headstamp (the year I went into the Army) just to have. Probably paid more than it was actually worth dollar-wise, but it was something I wanted to have. I'll likely never shoot it, and I'll try to impress on my grandsons why I got it and saved it. I kind of think they'd honor my wishes and keep it as well.

Spartan23 · November 28, 2009, 11:27 AM

You can always remove the powder, fill the cases with clay or anything you can fill them with, put a little art on them, and then sell them.

You can make very nice "jewelry" with bullets.

Maybe you must fire the cases first to make the primer useless, so they can be legal as it has to be here.

Alternately, you can sell the shells of fired bullets to collectors. Here with the gun restrictions, many people are selling bullets or cases of bullets from WWII or other eras.

The WWII guns and ammo, manufactured before 1945, can be sold as collectors items, without demilitarization here. Guns must be registered to police, but ammo is somewhat free to have.

Always good to search your local market for every probability.
You never know what may comes to your hands. Some ammo is really rare and expansive i heard.

P5 Guy · November 28, 2009, 07:02 PM

100 years from now it maybe. That's the year I graduated from high school, not really that long ago to me.
If the box and the ammo inside are in perfect, like new condition then put them away for your Great Grandchildern. Seal them up real good and DO NOT touch them in the next 100 years.

Swampghost · November 28, 2009, 07:29 PM

As a comparison; I have some 7.62 linked ammo in the original boxes from the WWII era. Potential buyers are more interested in the boxes and links than the ammo.

I use the rounds for roughing in scopes and don't know what to do with the tracers. Ultimately it saves me the cost of new ammo. I've never had a bad round in two boxes.

November 11, 2009, 11:39 PM	#1
triiko Junior Member Join Date: November 11, 2009 Posts: 3	Old Ammunition worth anything? Hi, I have acquired a 50 box of Caliber .45 - Ball M1911 - Lot WCC - 2 - 12 -Olin Corporation. The casings are stamped: WCC 73. Is this box worth anything special or should I shoot them off at the range with my 1911?? Any advice is appreciated!

November 13, 2009, 01:59 PM	#5
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,846	Matter of perspective.... But '73 ammo isn't "old". Not to a collector. To them, old begins before WWII, and goes back from there, generally. You might think you ammo is elderly, but it isn't, in collector's terms. All it is, is GI surplus ball, with no real value beyond what you can buy new made today. Shoot it, or keep it (properly kept, it won't spoil). Stored right, it will still be good decades from now. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

November 13, 2009, 02:06 PM	#6
triiko Junior Member Join Date: November 11, 2009 Posts: 3	Storing Ammo? What is the best way to store it? I live in AZ so it's pretty dry and hot 10 months out of the year. I have a lower level quazi- basement if it needs to be cool. Thanks!

November 13, 2009, 10:07 PM	#8
HvyMtl Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2009 Location: Nashvegas, TN Posts: 228	what Jonnyc said - keep it cool and dry - sounds like you got the dry covered (AZ joke) __________________ Μολὼν λάβε

November 14, 2009, 02:18 PM	#9
triiko Junior Member Join Date: November 11, 2009 Posts: 3	Cool and dry Thanks!!

November 12, 2009, 10:52 AM	#2
spencerhut Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2006 Location: Idaho Posts: 147	WCC 73? Shoot them.

November 12, 2009, 12:56 PM	#3
ISC Junior member Join Date: August 5, 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,982	It's worth about $10-$20.

November 12, 2009, 04:10 PM	#4
jonnyc Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2009 Location: PA Posts: 1,731	Excellent non-corrosive shooting ammo and reloading brass.

November 13, 2009, 03:27 PM	#7
jonnyc Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2009 Location: PA Posts: 1,731	Cool & Dry.

November 15, 2009, 03:54 AM	#10
stickhauler Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2009 Posts: 244	It Might Be Collectable.. To a vet who was serving in that era, I bought some M-1 Carbine ammo with a 1954 headstamp (the year I was born) and some with a 1972 headstamp (the year I went into the Army) just to have. Probably paid more than it was actually worth dollar-wise, but it was something I wanted to have. I'll likely never shoot it, and I'll try to impress on my grandsons why I got it and saved it. I kind of think they'd honor my wishes and keep it as well.

November 28, 2009, 11:27 AM	#11
Spartan23 Member Join Date: November 23, 2009 Location: Athens, Hellas Posts: 75	You can always remove the powder, fill the cases with clay or anything you can fill them with, put a little art on them, and then sell them. You can make very nice "jewelry" with bullets. Maybe you must fire the cases first to make the primer useless, so they can be legal as it has to be here. Alternately, you can sell the shells of fired bullets to collectors. Here with the gun restrictions, many people are selling bullets or cases of bullets from WWII or other eras. The WWII guns and ammo, manufactured before 1945, can be sold as collectors items, without demilitarization here. Guns must be registered to police, but ammo is somewhat free to have. Always good to search your local market for every probability. You never know what may comes to your hands. Some ammo is really rare and expansive i heard.

November 28, 2009, 07:02 PM	#12
P5 Guy Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2005 Location: Tampa Bay Posts: 1,804	Collectable Ammo? 100 years from now it maybe. That's the year I graduated from high school, not really that long ago to me. If the box and the ammo inside are in perfect, like new condition then put them away for your Great Grandchildern. Seal them up real good and DO NOT touch them in the next 100 years.

November 28, 2009, 07:29 PM	#13
Swampghost Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: Florida, east coast Posts: 2,106	As a comparison; I have some 7.62 linked ammo in the original boxes from the WWII era. Potential buyers are more interested in the boxes and links than the ammo. I use the rounds for roughing in scopes and don't know what to do with the tracers. Ultimately it saves me the cost of new ammo. I've never had a bad round in two boxes. __________________ NRA Patron Member