Steel cases common for LC 30 carbine ???

Magnum Wheel Man · March 17, 2015, 02:35 PM

I was selling at a gun show this last week... I sell mostly reloading components, & my table neighbor asked to put some loaded 30 carbine ammo in stripper clips on my table next to my 30 carbine brass, to get better exposure, as he was selling AR components...

they were steel cases, with a Lake City headstamp ( sorry, I didn't write down the year )... about half of them were starting to corrode, but half to 3/4 of them looked shootable... they had a yellowish cast on top of what almost looked like galvanize... I've never seen "vintage" US manufactured steel cased 30 carbine ammo... so I assume it was not common...

they didn't sell, & thus went back to him after the show... I wasn't interested in offering him anything for them... should I have ??? would they be collectable for the cartridge collection guys???

James K · March 17, 2015, 07:22 PM

U.S. .30 carbine and .45 ACP zinc or zinc-based alloy plated steel cases were pretty common in WWII. Early development of the carbine ammunition was at Evansville and Kings Mills, but steel case production was transferred to Lake City early in 1943 (the same year the mint made steel pennies the same way to save copper). It was never approved for general issue, since the supply of brass proved adequate (and the mint went back to copper in 1944). Steel case carbine ammunition was approved for use in training on 11 October, 1945, after WWII was over.

Manufacture and issue for combat of steel case .45 ACP was much more common, though I have not determined how much of the approximately four billion rounds of .45 made during the war were steel cased.

Jim

**44 AMP** · March 18, 2015, 11:07 AM

The only headstamp I've ever seen on US steel cased .45acp is LC 43.

I was unaware of steel cased .30 carbine rounds. Looks like there weren't a lot made, compared to brass.

Magnum Wheel Man · March 18, 2015, 11:18 AM

maybe I should have offered him a few $$ for them... I could have used the stripper clips any way, & thrown 2 in my cartridge collection

James K · March 18, 2015, 02:57 PM

Evansville produced over 100 million steel case .45 rounds. I didn't think Lake City made .45 ammo in WWII, though I could very well be wrong on that.

Jim

**44 AMP** · March 19, 2015, 12:46 AM

I'm sorry, I must apologize. Old fumble fingers and bad memory.

Not LC 43, but EC 43 on the steel case .45 ammo. (pretty sure it was EC,

)

Ibmikey · March 25, 2015, 08:21 AM

I have collected carbines and accessories for many years (since the first DCM offering) and fired untold thousands of rounds of GI carbine ammo and can not think of a single time where I encountered any steel cased U.S. ammo.

Magnum Wheel Man · March 25, 2015, 08:38 AM

making me wish I had picked them up for collecting purposes... they definitely had LC head stamps

March 17, 2015, 02:35 PM	#1
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	Steel cases common for LC 30 carbine ??? I was selling at a gun show this last week... I sell mostly reloading components, & my table neighbor asked to put some loaded 30 carbine ammo in stripper clips on my table next to my 30 carbine brass, to get better exposure, as he was selling AR components... they were steel cases, with a Lake City headstamp ( sorry, I didn't write down the year )... about half of them were starting to corrode, but half to 3/4 of them looked shootable... they had a yellowish cast on top of what almost looked like galvanize... I've never seen "vintage" US manufactured steel cased 30 carbine ammo... so I assume it was not common... they didn't sell, & thus went back to him after the show... I wasn't interested in offering him anything for them... should I have ??? would they be collectable for the cartridge collection guys??? __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust... Last edited by Magnum Wheel Man; March 18, 2015 at 05:39 AM.

March 18, 2015, 11:07 AM	#3
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,870	The only headstamp I've ever seen on US steel cased .45acp is LC 43. I was unaware of steel cased .30 carbine rounds. Looks like there weren't a lot made, compared to brass. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

March 18, 2015, 11:18 AM	#4
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	maybe I should have offered him a few $$ for them... I could have used the stripper clips any way, & thrown 2 in my cartridge collection __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

March 19, 2015, 12:46 AM	#6
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,870	I'm sorry, I must apologize. Old fumble fingers and bad memory. Not LC 43, but EC 43 on the steel case .45 ammo. (pretty sure it was EC, ) __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

March 25, 2015, 08:38 AM	#8
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	making me wish I had picked them up for collecting purposes... they definitely had LC head stamps __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

March 17, 2015, 07:22 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	U.S. .30 carbine and .45 ACP zinc or zinc-based alloy plated steel cases were pretty common in WWII. Early development of the carbine ammunition was at Evansville and Kings Mills, but steel case production was transferred to Lake City early in 1943 (the same year the mint made steel pennies the same way to save copper). It was never approved for general issue, since the supply of brass proved adequate (and the mint went back to copper in 1944). Steel case carbine ammunition was approved for use in training on 11 October, 1945, after WWII was over. Manufacture and issue for combat of steel case .45 ACP was much more common, though I have not determined how much of the approximately four billion rounds of .45 made during the war were steel cased. Jim

March 18, 2015, 02:57 PM	#5
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Evansville produced over 100 million steel case .45 rounds. I didn't think Lake City made .45 ammo in WWII, though I could very well be wrong on that. Jim

March 25, 2015, 08:21 AM	#7
Ibmikey Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2013 Location: Now relocated to Texas Posts: 2,943	I have collected carbines and accessories for many years (since the first DCM offering) and fired untold thousands of rounds of GI carbine ammo and can not think of a single time where I encountered any steel cased U.S. ammo.