Corrosive M2 Ball Ammo

'88Scrat · April 8, 2017, 11:02 AM

Wasn't really sure where to put this but here seemed closest.

An older gentleman here in town recently passed away and the wife is selling some of his items. He had a couple of M1 Garands that lasted all of 20 minutes, out of curiosity I asked her if he'd kept any ammunition for them and she said she thought so but hadn't thought to sell it as well. Long story short she showed me two 200 round ammo cases of what I think is M2 Ball ammo for the M1 Garand. En blocs included.

Finding ammo for my M1has been tight lately so this sounds good. But I'm not interested in anything corrosive. I grabbed a few at randim and as near as I can they are all headstamped between HXP 76-78

No one else thought to ask so she said it was mine for $75 a case if I wanted.

This sounds like an awsome deal but as the saying goes, "If it sounds to good to be true..."

Is this stuff corrosive? Cause that would suck

tangolima · April 8, 2017, 11:53 AM

It is Greek surplus. Not corrosive. I have some of those myself.

-TL

Nodak1858 · April 8, 2017, 12:00 PM

Good Greek surplus, good brass for reloading if you do that. If you're shooting it out of a Garand check the enblocs. Some from the HXP spam cans had a heavy park to them and have issues with feeding. I take mine and run them through a tumbler to knock down the park so they're smoother. Also some enblocs work better then others, check the stamping on them and google the initials for info on the maker. If you want them just for the ammo, pull them out of the enbloc and sell those.

T. O'Heir · April 8, 2017, 12:09 PM

"...Greek surplus...Not corrosive..." Even better. It's Boxer primed too. You do have to de-crimp the primer pockets, but that's a one time nuisance thing.
The only downside is the current HXP the CMP is selling has steel jackets. Yours likely does too. A magnet will tell you. Only matters on some ranges where they think a spark from a steel jacket hitting a rock will/can start a grass fire. Has to be really dry for that.

tango1niner · April 8, 2017, 02:50 PM

Steel cores I have seen, steel jackets I have not. They can't be good for the longevity of any rifle they are shot from.

F. Guffey · April 8, 2017, 04:19 PM

Steel jackets: It is possible the bullets are cupronickel bullets, cupronickel bullets can be picked up with a magnet. I call the cupronickel bullets 'streakers' because of the streak they leave when they pass through the barrel.

F. Guffey

**4V50 Gary** · April 8, 2017, 05:04 PM

Corrosive primers can be addressed with lots of hot water.

'88Scrat · April 8, 2017, 08:50 PM

I bought 'em up, some are as far back as 65 on the headstamp. They are magnetic.

'88Scrat · April 8, 2017, 08:51 PM

Steel jacket?!

That seems...
Like a bad idea somehow

ShootistPRS · April 8, 2017, 09:45 PM

What is magnetic, the bullets or the case?

'88Scrat · April 8, 2017, 10:52 PM

Bullets, my first assumption would be steel core but I don't know that

Nodak1858 · April 9, 2017, 10:38 AM

Not steel core, but gilding metal type, the steel in the jacket attracts the magnet. There are years of non-magnetic HXP, I think the mid 60s is when it was.

April 8, 2017, 11:02 AM	#1
'88Scrat Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2011 Location: Kansas Posts: 547	Corrosive M2 Ball Ammo Wasn't really sure where to put this but here seemed closest. An older gentleman here in town recently passed away and the wife is selling some of his items. He had a couple of M1 Garands that lasted all of 20 minutes, out of curiosity I asked her if he'd kept any ammunition for them and she said she thought so but hadn't thought to sell it as well. Long story short she showed me two 200 round ammo cases of what I think is M2 Ball ammo for the M1 Garand. En blocs included. Finding ammo for my M1has been tight lately so this sounds good. But I'm not interested in anything corrosive. I grabbed a few at randim and as near as I can they are all headstamped between HXP 76-78 No one else thought to ask so she said it was mine for $75 a case if I wanted. This sounds like an awsome deal but as the saying goes, "If it sounds to good to be true..." Is this stuff corrosive? Cause that would suck __________________ BOOM

April 8, 2017, 12:00 PM	#3
Nodak1858 Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2009 Location: N. Dakota Posts: 435	Good Greek surplus, good brass for reloading if you do that. If you're shooting it out of a Garand check the enblocs. Some from the HXP spam cans had a heavy park to them and have issues with feeding. I take mine and run them through a tumbler to knock down the park so they're smoother. Also some enblocs work better then others, check the stamping on them and google the initials for info on the maker. If you want them just for the ammo, pull them out of the enbloc and sell those. __________________ We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

April 8, 2017, 12:09 PM	#4
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...Greek surplus...Not corrosive..." Even better. It's Boxer primed too. You do have to de-crimp the primer pockets, but that's a one time nuisance thing. The only downside is the current HXP the CMP is selling has steel jackets. Yours likely does too. A magnet will tell you. Only matters on some ranges where they think a spark from a steel jacket hitting a rock will/can start a grass fire. Has to be really dry for that. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

April 8, 2017, 05:04 PM	#7
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,829	Corrosive primers can be addressed with lots of hot water. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

April 8, 2017, 08:50 PM	#8
'88Scrat Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2011 Location: Kansas Posts: 547	I bought 'em up, some are as far back as 65 on the headstamp. They are magnetic. __________________ BOOM

April 8, 2017, 11:53 AM	#2
tangolima Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2013 Posts: 3,806	It is Greek surplus. Not corrosive. I have some of those myself. -TL

April 8, 2017, 02:50 PM	#5
tango1niner Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2009 Location: NY Posts: 317	Steel cores I have seen, steel jackets I have not. They can't be good for the longevity of any rifle they are shot from.

April 8, 2017, 04:19 PM	#6
F. Guffey Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2008 Posts: 7,249	Steel jackets: It is possible the bullets are cupronickel bullets, cupronickel bullets can be picked up with a magnet. I call the cupronickel bullets 'streakers' because of the streak they leave when they pass through the barrel. F. Guffey

April 8, 2017, 08:51 PM	#9
'88Scrat Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2011 Location: Kansas Posts: 547	Steel jacket?! That seems... Like a bad idea somehow __________________ BOOM

April 8, 2017, 09:45 PM	#10
ShootistPRS Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2017 Posts: 1,583	What is magnetic, the bullets or the case?

April 8, 2017, 10:52 PM	#11
'88Scrat Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2011 Location: Kansas Posts: 547	Bullets, my first assumption would be steel core but I don't know that __________________ BOOM

April 9, 2017, 10:38 AM	#12
Nodak1858 Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2009 Location: N. Dakota Posts: 435	Not steel core, but gilding metal type, the steel in the jacket attracts the magnet. There are years of non-magnetic HXP, I think the mid 60s is when it was. __________________ We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

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