Interesting Discovery - The Firearms Forum

Brass Tacks · 08-27-2012, 07:51 PM

20 + years ago I inherited my father in laws Government 1911 plus his stash of ammo. The ammo was put away in a closet and forgotten untill recently. The ammo included a box of NORMA hollow points. NORMA hasn't made pistol ammo for several years. Also several boxes of Olin Mathieson, also known as WRA (Winchester Repeating Arms) and WCC (Winchester Cartridge Company, noted on the box and headstamp. Headstamps indicate date of manufacture are 64, 68, and 69. These are FMJ GI, in military issue boxes.

Last week I took a few of mags of NORMA to an indoor range just to see how the function in my Kimber and Wilson. On the 3rd shot I saw sparks down range where the round skipped off the concrete floor. Sure enough, a magnet detected a steel core. These hollow points are of the old design with a ring of exposed lead surrounding the cavity. The range owner frowns on steel cored projectiles.

Today I loaded my mags with WRA 68 rounds and went to the same range. I'll be damned!! Sparks flying again. Sure enough, the magnet does not lie, steel cores. As soon as I got home I checked all the boxes and found all the 68s are steel but the 64s and 69s are not.

I would have never thought US military ammo would have been steel core in 1968.

This is the Norma. The lead is only the ring around the cavity.

jack404 · 08-27-2012, 07:53 PM

box here sold for $144 at auction to a collector

just the box , no ammo ( good cond)

seems someone thinks the boxes are rare and collectable

great find!!

woolleyworm · 08-27-2012, 08:11 PM

Nice find ! Would you mind posting some pics of the boxes please?

Brass Tacks · 08-27-2012, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woolleyworm

Nice find ! Would you mind posting some pics of the boxes please?

here ya go

aa1911 · 08-27-2012, 09:59 PM

very cool, I would have not guessed that the military had much HP ammo in the inventory then! nice find.

I've got some WWII stuff from my wife's grandfather, 101st airborne vet, need to go look at the dates on 'em again.

Wish I could've brought some home from OIF, we had a connex packed full of post WWII .45 ball ammo that we shot tons of for fun. No HP ammo though in that stash. It all shot perfect (in very old Colts too).

RJay · 08-27-2012, 10:07 PM

It is rather odd, 27 years in the military and I never saw a "issue" hollow point

Brass Tacks · 08-27-2012, 10:11 PM

the HP rounds were not in the brown boxes. Norma ammo is manufactured in Norway. all the brown boxes are FMJ. sorry for the confusion

flashman2002 · 08-27-2012, 10:42 PM

Very cool find! It is impressive to see older items compared to new. I like the simplicity of the box.

08-27-2012, 07:51 PM	#1
Brass Tacks Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NW Arkansas Posts: 557	Interesting Discovery 20 + years ago I inherited my father in laws Government 1911 plus his stash of ammo. The ammo was put away in a closet and forgotten untill recently. The ammo included a box of NORMA hollow points. NORMA hasn't made pistol ammo for several years. Also several boxes of Olin Mathieson, also known as WRA (Winchester Repeating Arms) and WCC (Winchester Cartridge Company, noted on the box and headstamp. Headstamps indicate date of manufacture are 64, 68, and 69. These are FMJ GI, in military issue boxes. Last week I took a few of mags of NORMA to an indoor range just to see how the function in my Kimber and Wilson. On the 3rd shot I saw sparks down range where the round skipped off the concrete floor. Sure enough, a magnet detected a steel core. These hollow points are of the old design with a ring of exposed lead surrounding the cavity. The range owner frowns on steel cored projectiles. Today I loaded my mags with WRA 68 rounds and went to the same range. I'll be damned!! Sparks flying again. Sure enough, the magnet does not lie, steel cores. As soon as I got home I checked all the boxes and found all the 68s are steel but the 64s and 69s are not. I would have never thought US military ammo would have been steel core in 1968. This is the Norma. The lead is only the ring around the cavity. __________________ The Second Amendment, America's Original Homeland Security I don't know how I got over the hill without ever getting to the top. -->

08-27-2012, 07:53 PM	#2
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	Re: Interesting Discovery box here sold for $144 at auction to a collector just the box , no ammo ( good cond) seems someone thinks the boxes are rare and collectable great find!! Last edited by jack404; 08-27-2012 at 07:55 PM..

08-27-2012, 08:11 PM	#3
woolleyworm TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SW Fort Worth Contributor Posts: 4,888	Re: Interesting Discovery Nice find ! Would you mind posting some pics of the boxes please? __________________ . What are you gonna do, talk the alien to death? -- (on Sigourney Weaver's worry about Guns in Aliens) "Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands." "I carry a small gun to compensate for my huge Blue press." .

08-27-2012, 09:59 PM	#5
aa1911 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,122	Re: Interesting Discovery very cool, I would have not guessed that the military had much HP ammo in the inventory then! nice find. I've got some WWII stuff from my wife's grandfather, 101st airborne vet, need to go look at the dates on 'em again. Wish I could've brought some home from OIF, we had a connex packed full of post WWII .45 ball ammo that we shot tons of for fun. No HP ammo though in that stash. It all shot perfect (in very old Colts too). __________________ "Loud noises don't end gunfights.... well placed shots do."

08-27-2012, 10:07 PM	#6
RJay Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,504	Re: Interesting Discovery It is rather odd, 27 years in the military and I never saw a "issue" hollow point __________________ RonJames

08-27-2012, 10:11 PM	#7
Brass Tacks Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NW Arkansas Posts: 557	Re: Interesting Discovery the HP rounds were not in the brown boxes. Norma ammo is manufactured in Norway. all the brown boxes are FMJ. sorry for the confusion __________________ The Second Amendment, America's Original Homeland Security I don't know how I got over the hill without ever getting to the top.

08-27-2012, 10:42 PM	#8
flashman2002 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 125	Re: Interesting Discovery Very cool find! It is impressive to see older items compared to new. I like the simplicity of the box.