What is this ammo?

[twoclones]

A friend, who is a gunsmith, gave me a couple hundred rounds of this .38 special ammo. He doesn't remember where he got it or what it is. The black part of the case 'appears' to be plastic.

What is this stuff?

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[Bon Sauvage]

It looks to be USAC plastic cased cartridges. I'm used to seeing white plastic cases. I wonder if someone colored these.

 

[twoclones]

You're right. It does say USAC on the head stamp... Google Images shows some white but no black ones. I don't see any indication these have been colored and I cannot scratch the black off. Weird stuff. Maybe I should sell them one at a time to collectors

 

[twoclones]

Apparently they came in red, white, blue and black. Seeing as how I have a bulk box of a couple hundred, I'm guessing mine are reloads... I don't really like shooting other people's reloads

 

[rrojohnso]

Plastic cases... I never would have thought.... Learned something new, thanks for sharing!

 

[deadshot2]

I don't really like shooting other people's reloads

You could always pull the bullets and load them with a powder load of your choosing if you know their reloads.

Don't know many who choose to reload plastic cases other than shotgunners.

 

[BK13]

I dunno, man. I can't help but think case capacity would be greatly reduced over brass. I could see a huge pressure spike unless the capacity issue is addressed.

 

[Page.k]

I don't think they are reloads due to needing to crimp the tips. Second the tips looking the ones in the photo. Third if the tips are not lose, primers are the same and the rounds all look the same by odds they are not reloads. You can test one by taking it apart seeing if you can re-crimp the tip back on.

 

[twoclones]

I don't think they are reloads due to needing to crimp the tips. Second the tips looking the ones in the photo. Third if the tips are not lose, primers are the same and the rounds all look the same by odds they are not reloads. You can test one by taking it apart seeing if you can re-crimp the tip back on.

I don't think they need to be crimped since the bullet clicks into the plastic case. Their reloading "press" is a simple, one handed thing {photo below} which appears to be designed to do nothing more than to press the bullet straight into the case. Tips {bullets} would look the same since they were available only from the original manufacturer.

 

[Page.k]

I stand corrected....


I have a test gun for them.....

 

[Hook686]

Do these have any powder in them ? If just a primer and bullet in a plastic case that would be something else.

I certainly would not try shooting them without pulling each and every bullet to make sure there was no powder in them. From a old forum posting:

It was tried in the 80s with Nylon cases (they still had a metal rim and primer pocket though). They were only available in .38 Spl, and used a special heeled bullet. Cases were resized by boiling. Free samples of 6 rounds were handed out in gun shops (at least in Austin/San Antonio).

They didn't sell... and were dropped within a year.

http://www.familyfriendsfirearms.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-74144.html

 

[AMProducts]

These do in fact have a powder charge, they are not a primer only setup like the speer plastic training bullets (training for target shooting, DO NOT SHOOT AT PEOPLE). these were full on .38spl ammo, that used a plated heel based bullet, which is why you would need the special bullets for them. They were neat, I still have one of those 6-round sample boxes around here some where in my collection with some .223 PCA. There's a new company out there that's supposed to be selling polymer cased ammunition who I talked to at SHOT this year <broken link removed> before them there was NATEC who made a line of .223 ammo, I shot some and saved a box, it was neat stuff, the PCP looks especially interesting.

 

[deadshot2]

These do in fact have a powder charge, they are not a primer only setup like the speer plastic training bullets (training for target shooting, DO NOT SHOOT AT PEOPLE). these were full on .38spl ammo, that used a plated heel based bullet, which is why you would need the special bullets for them. They were neat, I still have one of those 6-round sample boxes around here some where in my collection with some .223 PCA. There's a new company out there that's supposed to be selling polymer cased ammunition who I talked to at SHOT this year <broken link removed> before them there was NATEC who made a line of .223 ammo, I shot some and saved a box, it was neat stuff, the PCP looks especially interesting.

If you think this stuff looks neat, hold on to your shorts. "Caseless" ammo is back on the table and is being evaluated by the military, AGAIN.

Just think what that will do to the reloading hobby.

As for the polymer cased ammo, I don't see much of a future for it in the military. When TSHTF, and a grunt starts shooting until the barrel glows, can you picture a polymer case melting in the chamber when he stops firing? Once it cools that's it for that weapon until the plastic is reamed out.

I can remember having to clear M-2's after "a can or two" to keep them from cooking off rounds. At least a metal case doesn't melt in a super hot chamber.