I can't find info on these ammo crates anywhere.

RHEEMO · March 3, 2013, 06:53 PM

I have been lurking around these forums for a long time, and have always found the information i need here, but I cannot find a single bit of information regarding these ammo crates i recently picked up. So, i decided to finally make an account and ask for some help. The ammo crates i found are marked as 20mm inert primer. I found a stamp with a date on the inside of one of the crates that says, "LEIRD LBR CO. L.&B. LITTLEROCK. ARK. SEPTEMBER 1944". I have searched all over the internet, but cannot for the life of me find any information on these. I will attach a link to an album of the ammo crates and other stuff i managed to get. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I would sure appreciate it. I'm running out of shed space and need to know if these are worth hanging on to or not.

Link for the pictures: http://imgur.com/a/CkHqE

southjk · March 4, 2013, 03:48 PM

Very nice, I like those. I especially like the one that opens up into a table. I hope someone can give you more info on them.

bbqbob51 · March 4, 2013, 06:12 PM

I also think that unit that folds out into a table is uber cool. My next thought though is when it is loaded up it must weigh a ton! Are there any wheels attached anywhere?
This has also got me to thinking about a gun cart with drawers and set up to fold out into a shooting bench. Now that might be a project!

VegaSSG32 · March 4, 2013, 08:19 PM

The first picture looks like an officers field desk from the 40s... That might be worth hanging on too, collectors love stuff like that, especially if it belonged to a combat unit say in WWII.

The 20mm ammo crates looks like a Rifle Fired parachute flare commonly used in WWII, its a shoulder fired munition, from a rifle, probably the M1, dunno if it was for live ammo or training rounds or what cause i cant pull up the lot number W2-90-10001...

It looks like you also have some old foot lockers, Basic storage for any soldier during the 30s,40s,50, pretty much up until 90s, then the army started weeding them out. But not uncommon to see to this day...

As far as what you could get for them??? Im no expert, but i would say the only thing that might be worth anything if anything at all would be the Field Table, even then unless you knew who it belonged to, what they did, was it used during wartime, things like that always make the value increase...
Question tho, what does the White stencil on the top of the Field Desk Say, i cant read it from the picture?

Sorry i cant be of much help, but all cool stuff non the less...

lcpiper · March 5, 2013, 05:36 PM

The top pic is a Field Desk and we had them still when I was active in the 80's and I may have even seen them into the early 90s.

The 4th pic is an old foot locker, check for Jelly Donuts. Actually they got a lot of use carrying documents and office supplies in the field.

The Pic and a couple of the others are indeed an ammo crate but it's specifically for 20mm M21A1 ammo with "inert primers" stamped on one. Not sure why they would be inert as it's too small a shell to be adding primers later. Perhaps training ammo of some type. It's possible it's actually just empty brass or that these were stamped and used to transport components prior to final assembly.

armsmaster270 · March 6, 2013, 04:00 AM

Ring a ding we have a winner vegasSSG & lcpiper got it right.

**Mike Irwin** · March 6, 2013, 07:54 AM

"The 4th pic is an old foot locker, check for Jelly Donuts."

WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR LOCKER, PRIVATE PYLE?

The ONLY thing I could think of would have been proximity fused rounds, but they didn't develop a 20mm proximity fuse during WW II. In fact, I don't think that they ever did, so that's out...

The field desk is NICE!

medalguy · March 9, 2013, 01:05 AM

Leird Lumber Co was the company who made the wooden boxes. They were sent to the plant manufacturing the 20mm ammo where they were marked with the description, lot number, and other markings, and loaded. The markings on the crate indicate an inert training round, with inert primer, no powder charge, and an inert solid steel projectile. This cartridge was developed during WW II and I believe continued to be used up through Vietnam.

March 3, 2013, 06:53 PM	#1
RHEEMO Junior Member Join Date: March 3, 2013 Posts: 1	I can't find info on these ammo crates anywhere. I have been lurking around these forums for a long time, and have always found the information i need here, but I cannot find a single bit of information regarding these ammo crates i recently picked up. So, i decided to finally make an account and ask for some help. The ammo crates i found are marked as 20mm inert primer. I found a stamp with a date on the inside of one of the crates that says, "LEIRD LBR CO. L.&B. LITTLEROCK. ARK. SEPTEMBER 1944". I have searched all over the internet, but cannot for the life of me find any information on these. I will attach a link to an album of the ammo crates and other stuff i managed to get. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I would sure appreciate it. I'm running out of shed space and need to know if these are worth hanging on to or not. Link for the pictures: http://imgur.com/a/CkHqE

March 4, 2013, 08:19 PM	#4
VegaSSG32 Member Join Date: January 19, 2013 Posts: 62	The first picture looks like an officers field desk from the 40s... That might be worth hanging on too, collectors love stuff like that, especially if it belonged to a combat unit say in WWII. The 20mm ammo crates looks like a Rifle Fired parachute flare commonly used in WWII, its a shoulder fired munition, from a rifle, probably the M1, dunno if it was for live ammo or training rounds or what cause i cant pull up the lot number W2-90-10001... It looks like you also have some old foot lockers, Basic storage for any soldier during the 30s,40s,50, pretty much up until 90s, then the army started weeding them out. But not uncommon to see to this day... As far as what you could get for them??? Im no expert, but i would say the only thing that might be worth anything if anything at all would be the Field Table, even then unless you knew who it belonged to, what they did, was it used during wartime, things like that always make the value increase... Question tho, what does the White stencil on the top of the Field Desk Say, i cant read it from the picture? Sorry i cant be of much help, but all cool stuff non the less... __________________ A Soldier is he who's Blood makes the Glory of the General... Last edited by VegaSSG32; March 4, 2013 at 08:28 PM.

March 5, 2013, 05:36 PM	#5
lcpiper Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2011 Posts: 1,405	The top pic is a Field Desk and we had them still when I was active in the 80's and I may have even seen them into the early 90s. The 4th pic is an old foot locker, check for Jelly Donuts. Actually they got a lot of use carrying documents and office supplies in the field. The Pic and a couple of the others are indeed an ammo crate but it's specifically for 20mm M21A1 ammo with "inert primers" stamped on one. Not sure why they would be inert as it's too small a shell to be adding primers later. Perhaps training ammo of some type. It's possible it's actually just empty brass or that these were stamped and used to transport components prior to final assembly. __________________ Colt M1911, AR-15 \| S&W Model 19, Model 27\| SIG P238 \| Berreta 85B Cheetah \| Ruger Blackhawk .357MAG, Bearcat "Shopkeeper" .22LR\| Remington Marine Magnum SP 12GA., Model 700 SPS .223 Last edited by lcpiper; March 5, 2013 at 05:46 PM.

March 6, 2013, 04:00 AM	#6
armsmaster270 Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2008 Location: California Posts: 1,951	Ring a ding we have a winner vegasSSG & lcpiper got it right. __________________ http://www.armsmaster.net-a.googlepages.com http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/f...aster270/Guns/ Retired LE, M.P., Sr. M.P. Investigator F.B.I. Trained Rangemaster/Firearms Instructor & Armorer, Presently Forensic Document Examiner for D.H.S.

March 6, 2013, 07:54 AM	#7
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,380	"The 4th pic is an old foot locker, check for Jelly Donuts." WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR LOCKER, PRIVATE PYLE? The ONLY thing I could think of would have been proximity fused rounds, but they didn't develop a 20mm proximity fuse during WW II. In fact, I don't think that they ever did, so that's out... The field desk is NICE! __________________ "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.

March 4, 2013, 03:48 PM	#2
southjk Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2012 Location: Memphis Posts: 468	Very nice, I like those. I especially like the one that opens up into a table. I hope someone can give you more info on them.

March 4, 2013, 06:12 PM	#3
bbqbob51 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2005 Posts: 775	I also think that unit that folds out into a table is uber cool. My next thought though is when it is loaded up it must weigh a ton! Are there any wheels attached anywhere? This has also got me to thinking about a gun cart with drawers and set up to fold out into a shooting bench. Now that might be a project!

March 9, 2013, 01:05 AM	#8
medalguy Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2009 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,033	Leird Lumber Co was the company who made the wooden boxes. They were sent to the plant manufacturing the 20mm ammo where they were marked with the description, lot number, and other markings, and loaded. The markings on the crate indicate an inert training round, with inert primer, no powder charge, and an inert solid steel projectile. This cartridge was developed during WW II and I believe continued to be used up through Vietnam.

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