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FRANKFORD
ARSENAL 1903 AND 1906 .30 CALIBER SPRINGFIELD RIFLE CARTRIDGES – VERY RARE
EARLY PRODUCTION FOR THE MODELS 1903, 1903 A3/4, AND
1917 RIFLES - FULL
BOXES AND SINGLE CARTRIDGES: As issued
with the famous Model 1903 and 1903-A3/4 Springfield Rifles,
and the Model 1917 Rifles, these
cartridges span the era beginning with the early
production ".30-03" on through the later World War One
Frankford Arsenal and Civilian Contract productions, and
into the early years of World War Two.
LABEL CALL
OUTS - "MODEL 1906",
"M1", AND "M2":
In an effort to clear up some misunderstandings
regarding these packets, I offer the following. The
"M-1" included in the label does not refer to the M-1
Garand Rifle, but rather it was the Ordnance
Department’s designation of the cartridge in the
packet.
In
1906 the Model 1903 Ball Cartridge was replaced by the
.30 Caliber Ball Cartridge “Model 1906”. That
designation continued through World War One and well
into the interwar years. The packets of cartridges
produced during that period bore a label using “Model
1906” in the call out. While the majority of these
packets I’ve seen held the twenty cartridges packed in
five round clips, there are packets which held the 20
cartridges packed in the multi-cell paperboard
dividers.
Beginning in the years immediately following World War
One, the Ordnance Department pursued a lengthy schedule
of experiments based on battlefield experience with the
cartridge and including emerging technology which
addressed all the components of the cartridge – bullet
and case design, powder and primer. As early as the
mid-1920’s, the Ordnance Department began making
reference to “M1” when referencing a new bullet.
The
record is not clear as to when the Ordnance Department
changed the official designation of the .30 Caliber Ball
Cartridge from “Model 1906” to “M1”. This was not a
capricious change, it was based on real differences and
improvements to the cartridge, but the date of the
change of the nomenclature, and important to collectors,
the change to the label on the packets is, to my
knowledge, unknown.
What
is known is that packets bearing the “M1” label contain
cartridges headstamped as early as 1934, and as late as
1940. At one time I had a set of four National Match
packets dated 1937, 1938, 1939, and 1940 respectively,
and all four included “M1” in the label.
Enter
the “.30 Caliber Ball Cartridge M2”. Without getting
down in the weeds as to the technical differences, this
change is well described in
History of
Modern U.S. Military Small Arms Ammunition,
Vol. II, by Hackley, Woodin and Scranton:
"In 1940 the standard ball
cartridge was the M2, which had been standardized for
ground use by the Ordnance Committee on November 9, 1939
(approved January 12, 1940). At the same time the M1
Ball cartridge was reclassified as Limited Standard,
except for use in aircraft machine guns by the U.S. Navy
where it was still standard." The last loaded at
Frankford was Lot 2161 (accepted 24 October, 1941). The
lot consisted of 601,500 rounds. The M1 Ball was
declared obsolete on 17 August 1944.”
As to
which cartridge – the M1 or the M2 – is the proper
cartridge to be displayed with a World War Two vintage
M-1 Garand Rifle, in 1940 and 1941 there were concerns
expressed as to which cartridge would function best in
the M-1 Rifle. Tests were conducted at Ft. Benning,
Georgia and it was found the M2 Cartridge performed
better, but it was noted the M1 Cartridge produced less
smoke and muzzle flash than the M2. Reports from the
tests went on to say that the use of the M2 Cartridge in
the M-1 Rifle “greatly improved its performance.” As a
result of these tests, the production of the M1
Cartridge was greatly reduced and eventually it was
declared obsolete.
Each full box and cartridge is
listed below, each with its own description and
accompanying photographs.
NOTE:
At the bottom of this page are several offerings of
single cartridges and a M-1 Cartridge Crate dated 1941. |
No. 1 PRE-WORLD WAR TWO
FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER MODEL 1906 RIFLE BALL AMMUNITION
– 20 ROUND PACKET - HEADSTAMPED 1938:
This is a very good example of the very scarce
“20 CARTRIDGES BALL .30 M1906” packet manufactured in
the pre-World War Two years at Frankford Arsenal. This would be
an excellent packet to
display with the Model 1903, Model 1903 A3/4, and Model
1917 Rifles, with
the added value
that these packets pre-date the US
involvement in the war
and were manufactured at the famous Frankford
Arsenal rather than the
more commonly found loadings produced at the civilian
contractor plants or ordnance plants which were
established after the US entered the war.
This packet is in very good condition and is complete
with all of the cartridges. The label is complete
and legible with no loss of text or material. The
box is clean, full form and in very good condition with
the top seal still intact. The packet was opened
at one end, leaving the end flaps intact, which allows
for the 5 round clips to be seen. The cartridges
are headstamped "F A 38", indicating that they were
manufactured in 1938. The only other sign of aging
is some minor shelf wear, and that
this packet has survived in this condition is remarkable
to say the least.
While I have been fortunate to
locate a few boxes of these
early loadings, they are becoming
relatively scarce and difficult to find, and this
Frankford Arsenal packet will make a significant addition
to your collection.
(0332) $125
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No. 2 PRE-WORLD WAR TWO
FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER MODEL 1906 RIFLE BALL AMMUNITION
– 20 ROUND PACKET - HEADSTAMPED 1918:
This is a very good example of the very scarce
“20 CARTRIDGES BALL .30 M1906” packet manufactured in
the pre-World War Two years at Frankford Arsenal. This would be
an excellent packet to
display with the Model 1903, Model 1903 A3/4, and Model
1917 Rifles, with
the added value
that these packets pre-date the US
involvement in the war
and were manufactured at the famous Frankford
Arsenal rather than the
more commonly found loadings produced at the civilian
contractor plants or ordnance plants which were
established after the US entered the war.
This packet shows its age, but is complete with all of
the cartridges. The label is complete and legible
with no loss of text or material. The box is clean
with the top seal still intact. The packet was
opened at one end, leaving the end flaps intact, which
allows for the 5 round clips to be seen. The
bottom front edge of the packet has split but both the
front and bottom panels are still full form and present
- the opening the result of storage and handling through
the years. Interestingly, the cartridges in this
packet are headstamped "USCC 18", indicating that
they were manufactured in 1918 by the United States
Cartridge Company under contract to the US Army.
That these World War One contract produced rounds were
packed in this packet wrapper indicates the arsenal was
still using older ammunition and was repackaging it
after the rounds were inspected - a common practice,
particularly in light of the financial restraints on the
army during the Great Depression years. This
packet is still very displayable with the added value of
the war time production cartridges.
SOLD
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No. 3 PRE-WORLD WAR TWO
FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER M-1 RIFLE BALL AMMUNITION
– SEALED BOXES OF 20 ROUNDS – VERY SCARCE EARLY LOADINGS:
These are excellent examples of the fairly scarce
pre-World War Two Frankford Arsenal produced boxes of
“20 CARTRIDGES BALL .30 M1”. This would be an
excellent packet to
display with the Model 1903, Model 1903 A3/4, and Model
1917 Rifles, with
the added value
that these packets pre-date the US
involvement in the war
and were manufactured at the famous Frankford
Arsenal rather than the
more commonly found loadings produced at the civilian
contractor plants or ordnance plants which were
established after the US entered the war. While I have been fortunate to
locate a few boxes of these
early loadings, they are becoming
relatively scarce and difficult to find, and these
Frankford Arsenal boxes will make a significant addition
to your collection.
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No.
3 a
FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER M-1 RIFLE BALL
AMMUNITION – SEALED BOX OF 20 ROUNDS: While the box is still
sealed and the cartridge headstamps are not visible,
this box can be dated to the pre-war years by the
ammunition lot number on the label. As this particular box
was loaded as part of Lot No. 1430, it certainly
pre-dates the war, and
predates the 1937 dated loadings
listed below. Its survival today is remarkable
to say the least.
The box is still sealed and complete with all of the
cartridges. The label is complete and legible with
no loss of text or material. The box is clean,
full form and in very good condition. The only
wear is visible along the front edge of the bottom panel
where the points of three of the bullets have pushed
through the card stock, a common point of wear in these
boxes. (0106) $90

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No.
3 b
FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER M-1 RIFLE BALL
AMMUNITION – SEALED BOX OF 20 ROUNDS: This
box and the two others acquired at the same time all
have the same lot
number, "2007". As one box was open, the cartridge
headstamps were available to be examined and they are dated 1937 as
shown here.

This particular box is still sealed
and complete with all of the cartridges. The label is
complete and legible with no loss of text or material.
The box is clean, full form and in very good condition.
The only wear is visible along the front edge of the
bottom panel where the points of three of the bullets
have pushed through the card stock, a common point of
wear in these boxes. (0317) $95

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No.
3
c
FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER M-1 RIFLE BALL
AMMUNITION – BOX OF 20 ROUNDS - HEADSTAMPED 1934:
This packet is in very good condition and is complete
with all of the cartridges. The label is complete
and legible with no loss of text or material. The
box is clean, full form and in very good condition with
the top seal still intact. The packet was opened
carefully at one end, leaving the end flaps intact,
which allows for the four 5 round clips to be seen.
All twenty of the cartridges are present and they are
headstamped "F A 34", indicating that they were
manufactured in 1934. The box is clean, full form
and bears no sign of rough handling - overall a very
presentable packet. (0721) $90

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No.
3
d
FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER M-1 RIFLE BALL
AMMUNITION – BOX OF 20 ROUNDS - HEADSTAMPED 1938:
This packet shows its age, but is complete with all of
the cartridges. The label has suffered some border
loss on the left hand side, but all of the title and
data is still completely legible with no loss of text.
The box top label and seal are still intact. The
packet was opened at one end, leaving the end flaps
intact, which allows for the 5 round clips to be seen.
The bottom back edge of the packet has split but both
the back and bottom panels are still full form and
present - the opening the result of storage and handling
through the years. All twenty of the cartridges
are present and they are headstamped "F A 38",
indicating that they were manufactured in 1938.
Despite the wear, this packet is still very displayable.
(0716)
$65

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No. 4
FRANKFORD ARSENAL
PACKET FOR MODEL 1906 CALIBER .30 “METALLIC POINT” BALL
CARTRIDGES – A RARE AND PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN PACKET FOR
THE MODEL 1903 SPRINGFIELD RIFLE:
These previously unknown Frankford Arsenal labeled
packets recently surfaced in an old collection which had
benefited from the contributions made by a family member
who was an employee of Frankford Arsenal. When the
arsenal closed in 1977, these packets were saved from
the refuse destined to be discarded and destroyed.
Unusual in both their
form and their labeling, at this point nothing other
than the information included in the labeling is known
about the cartridges these packets contained or when
they were produced. The packets measure 5” wide, 3 ½”
tall and 1 ¼” thick, and are of the same “nested lid”
style of box used by the arsenal to repack .45-70
cartridges at the turn of the 20TH Century
and that were used by civilian ammunition manufacturers
in the early 1900’s. The interior of the box is divided
into two sections, with each section further subdivided
with paperboard spacers to hold ten cartridges in two
rows. It does not appear that the box was large enough
for the cartridges to have been mounted in the
five-round stripper clips, rather that the cartridges
were placed in the box as individual pieces.
The label call out specifies the packets were
“MANUFACTURED BY FRANKFORD ARSENAL”, and that they
contain “20 .30 Cal. Metallic [sic] Point Ball
Cartridges”. A separate notation on the same label
states the cartridges are intended for use in “Model
1906 for 1903 Rifle and others”, suggesting this loading
predated the adoption of the M-1 Rifle.
Accepting the misspelling of the word “Metallic” as
likely a simple proof reading error, the specification
of the cartridges as “metallic point” may provide some
insight as to the nature of these cartridges and why
they were packed in this unique manner.
One former Ordnance officer who has extensive experience
with the 19TH and 20TH Century
loadings produced by Frankford Arsenal opined the
cartridges may have been produced in the inter-war years
– 1918-1940 – when the army was experimenting with
non-metal bullets, made of ceramic and other similar
compounds such as the frangible bullets later introduced
for the M-1 Rifles. In the course of bullet development
the technicians may have determined the full
non-metallic bullets lacked the penetration they were
seeking, and by adding a “metallic point”, the bullet
would perform as they desired. Admittedly, this is all
speculation and the production of this particular
cartridge may have been so brief that it left little
record and we will never know the details.
When found, the packets were filled with World War Two
era M-2 cartridges, obviously a repurposed use of the
packets and not the proper cartridges which matched the
label details. Rather than perpetuate that confusion,
the cartridges were removed and the packets will be sold
as they are shown in the photographs below.
These packets were never
sealed. The top label is fully complete and all of the
information is present and legible. The packet is full
form, all the seams are intact, and all the interior
dividers are present. Overall the packets are in
excellent condition.
I have a very small
quantity of these rare packets and when they are gone,
that’s it. These are a very interesting piece of
Frankford Arsenal history. (0209) $65
 
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No. 5
PEDERSON DEVICE .30 CALIBER AUTO
PISTOL CARTRIDGE, MODEL OF 1918:
As used with the famous Pederson Magazine Device for the
of .30 caliber Model 1903 Springfield Rifle, this single
cartridge was manufactured by the Remington Arms Union
Metallic Cartridge Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
These cartridges are fairly scarce and this excellent
example is
headstamped “RA H 13” and it retains the characteristic black paint
on the primer which identified these special purpose
cartridges. (0760) $10

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No. 6 FRANKFORD ARSENAL
MODEL 1903 .30 CALIBER RIFLE BLANK CARTRIDGES IN A
BRASS STRIPPER CLIP - DATED 1905 AND 1906:
A four round brass stripper clip of Frankford Arsenal
manufactured Blank Cartridges for the Model 1903
Springfield Rifle. Identified by their longer cases, these paper
“bullet” blank cartridges were issued to the soldiers
for marksmanship practice sessions, ceremonies and
during training sessions to
accustom the horses of the Cavalry and Artillery to gun fire. The
four rounds retain some of the original tin plating,
which distinguished them from the regular ball service
rounds in brass cases, are loaded with a paper bullet
and are headstamped “F A” for Frankford Arsenal and are
dated 1905 and 1906. All four pieces are in very good
condition and are seated in a brass stripper clip.
$25

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No. 7
US CARTRIDGE COMPANY CONTRACT
MODEL 1903 .30 CALIBER RIFLE SPITZER BALL CARTRIDGE –
DATED 1918:
Manufactured by the US Cartridge Company under contract
to the US Government to support the war effort in 1918,
this is a brass cartridge case, loaded with a nickel
plated spitzer bullet. Headstamped "USC Co 18",
this scarce cartridge is in excellent condition.
SOLD

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Due to the
influx of single cartridges, it is no longer practical
to photograph each loose cartridge. Instead, the
following is a list of the single WWI - early WWII .30
Caliber
cartridges I currently have. Each cartridge is
listed with a basic description and price. The prices
indicated are per cartridge.
.30 CALIBER CARTRIDGES 1903-1941
FOR
MODELS 1903; 1903A1/2; 1917 RIFLES
Lot # |
DESCRIPTION
FA: Frankford
Arsenal; RA: Remington; USC Co: US Cartridge
Co.; WRA: Winchester; |
Number Available |
Price/cartridge |
1 |
hs: FA; dated
05-1905; paper bullet blank cartridge |
1 |
15.00 |
2 |
hs: FA; dated
12-1904; paper bullet blank cartridge |
1 |
15.00 |
3 |
hs: FA; dated
12-1910; ball cartridge |
1 |
25.00 |
4 |
hs: FA; dated
12-1910; guard cartridge |
1 |
15.00 |
5 |
hs: FA; dated
7 -1905; shop function dummy cartridge |
1 |
10.00 |
6 |
hs: RA; dated
1918; ball cartridge |
1 |
20.00 |
7 |
hs: RA; dated
1918; gallery practice cartridge |
1 |
15.00 |
8 |
hs: USC Co.;
dated 1918; ball cartridge |
1 |
20.00 |
9 |
hs: WRA;
dated 1918; blank cartridge |
1 |
10.00 |
10 |
hs: FA; dated
1941; ball cartridge |
1 |
15.00 |
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No. 8 FRANKFORD ARSENAL PACKET OF .30
CALIBER PRIMERS - VERY NICE DISPLAY PIECE:
In very nice condition, this packet of primers was
produced at the Frankford Arsenal for issue with the
cartridge reloading sets issued at the unit level.
The packet was carefully opened along one side so the
two trays containing the primers can be slid out for
viewing. The remainder of the external wrapper is
fully intact and the label is fully intact. A few
of the primers are missing - a very small number - but
the balance of the primers are present and in excellent
condition. This is a relatively scarce packet, one
that does not appear all that often, and would be an
excellent piece to display with your reloading set or a
Model 1903 Rifle. (0649) $150
 
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No. 9
ca. 1941
FRANKFORD ARSENAL CRATE FOR 1500 M-1 BALL AMMUNITION IN
CLIPS AND CARTONS – COMPLETE WITH METAL LINER:
A nice solid original Frankford Arsenal ammunition crate
for the M-1 Rifle cartridges. Constructed of thick wide
boards, the crate still retains the original OD brown
paint with a broad red stripe running up the front and
back panels. The arsenal stenciling is still legible on
all four sides, including the type and amount of
ammunition, lot number and arsenal identification, as
well as the Ordnance bomb insignia on each end panel.
While this crate is not
dated, the lot number on the crate - "1786", the "M-1"
designation, and the Frankford Arsenal identification
does help to determine that this crate was issued from
the arsenal prior to October of 1941. According to
the
History of Modern
U.S.
Military Small Arms Ammunition,
Vol. II, by Hackley, Woodin and Scranton:
"In 1940 the standard ball cartridge was the M2,
which had been standardized for ground use by the
Ordnance Committee on November 9, 1939 (approved January
12, 1940). At the same time the M1 Ball cartridge was
reclassified as Limited Standard, except for use in
aircraft machine guns by the U.S. Navy where it was
still standard." The last loaded at Frankford was Lot
2161 (accepted 24 October, 1941). The lot consisted of
601,500 rounds. The M1 Ball was declared obsolete on 17
August 1944.”
The bottom panel is intact and solid. The wide board
making up the top panel of the front has an age check in
the wood, but it is stable and solid and not at risk of
separating further. The top appears to be a replacement
and from the look of the wood, may have been added
contemporary to the crate’s use, perhaps by a soldier
using it as a shipping crate as was often done with cast
off ammo crates. Five of the six anchor bolts for
sealing the top are present. A very nice feature, the
metal liner is still present and intact and is in
remarkable condition with much of the original finish
present and only minor spots of corrosion and a few very
small, minor pin holes.
This is one of those unusual
Ordnance Department items that surfaces once in a while
and will be an interesting piece to display with your M1
Rifle, with the added value of dating from the early
days of World War Two.
SOLD
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