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Salt Lake '52

riley p
Hello Forum Members:
I was recently given a crate of SL 52 M2 ball. Is it corrosive??

I'll sell it if it is and shoot it if it's not.

Thanks
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Comments

5 comments

Date Votes
  • nmyers
    All M2 ball made > WW2 is noncorrosive, including that made at the St Louis Ordnance Plant.

    Neal
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  • jonk
    With respect, I have to disagree with Neal. I got this info at http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/topic/31903
    and am reposting it here. There's much more to read but I am reproducing only the part about SL ammo.

    While the decision to go entirely to non-corrosive primers was made in August of 1949, and was scheduled to be totally implemented by the beginning of 1950, the actual changeover took longer than expected. Listed below are the lot numbers and dates of the FIRST NON-CORROSIVE military ammunition made in the United States or Canada. If the lot numbers are NOT known, the only safe way to discern the corrosive or non-corrosive nature of the primers is to consider the following year date stamp as non-corrosive. For example, if the first non-corrosive lot number of Frankfort is 4149 produced in October 1951, anything manufactured by FA stamped 52 can be considered to be safe to use. I will list the ABSOLUTELY safe headstamps at the end of this document.

    Type: .30-'06 Ball
    Lot Number: 9420
    Date: May 1952
    First SAFE Headstamp: SL 53

    Type: .30-'06 AP
    Lot Number: 9467
    Date: July 1952
    First SAFE Headstamp: SL 53

    Therefore, unless you know the lot number and know that it was made AFTER may of 1952, it COULD indeed be corrosive.
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  • riley p
    Wow; Thanks. I was almost certain that this stuff was non corrosive but thought, what the heck I'll ask you guys someone will know for sure and that will sure beat the heck out of running it through my Garand and crying later. So, if I understand correctly, if my M2 Ball is lot numbered after (higher) than 9420 it is definately non-corrosive??
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  • jonk
    I would think that to be a safe assumption. In my experience in addition to Lot numbers some sealed cans had dates of manufacture as well.
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  • nmyers
    Jonk, thanks for straightening me out; sometimes what we think we know isn't so.

    Neal
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