B N 40 4 ammunition
Hey again, this post is semi-related to my earlier post. I was at an auction and picked up a pallet that contained a bandoleer of very old ammunition and I was wondering if anybody could give me the name of the manufacturer and info on its value (if any).
The ammo is 30-06 and is head stamped B N 40 4 on 5 rd. stripper clips. It came in a bandoleer that has the same markings on the outside, stamped in a quartered circle on the front of the second pouch (there is one missing cardboard block of 10 rounds).
I look forward to hearing about this ammo from you experts out there.
Thanks,
Steve
The ammo is 30-06 and is head stamped B N 40 4 on 5 rd. stripper clips. It came in a bandoleer that has the same markings on the outside, stamped in a quartered circle on the front of the second pouch (there is one missing cardboard block of 10 rounds).
I look forward to hearing about this ammo from you experts out there.
Thanks,
Steve
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Interesting head-stamp, there is some conflict regarding who made it, and the time frame when it was made and used.
1), St. Louis Ordnance Plant, St. Louis Mo.
2), "Millions of rounds of .30-'06 military ammo was produced in 1953 that was headstamped AN,BN or CN followed by 40 and a single digit and possesed a red laquer seal around the primer. Although there is no official description of this ammo (it is labelled 'unknown' in the declassified Small-Caliber Ammunition Identification Guide (U) Volume 1 (DST-1160G-514-81-Vol1) and other government sources) collectors speculate that the ammo was made by the arsenals listed and was for clandestine operations."
Chances are, being the stuff you have is on 5 round stripper clips, it's the early W W II production stuff for the Springfields.
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Welcome to the zoo, running_man.
Good find! I'm jealous!
Rufe has it partially correct.
This is "deniable" ammo made under contract to the CIA by the St. Louis (SL) arsenal. You will see "AN" headstamps (= Twin Cities, TW) and "CN" (= Lake City, LC) as well. The ammo first surfaced in civilian (collector) circles after the Bay of Pigs, leading to speculation it was loaded specifically for that operation. Only in the last ten years or so has the full story emerged, that a huge quantity was manufactured for the CIA inventory in the 1950s. I have a repro of a CIA clandestine weapons catalog - "clean" weapons, equipment, munitions, etc. which were available for covert operations / client organizations throughout the world. Likely this document still exists in updated form, although I'm sure attempts to confirm this theory would run into stone walls real quickly.
The '06 loads were packaged in a variety of standard ways. I'd judge these were early ones, intended for use with Springfields. The headstamp dates are all of the Central European style of quartered designations separated by radial lines, all of fictitious (19)40 mfg dates and a number of 1 - 4 which in a normal headstamp would represent the calendar quarter in which it was produced.
Finding a marked bandoleer is quite unusual as the ammo is usually encountered loose. Let me put it this way - I've never seen or heard of anyone having a bandoleer. I can't give you a definitive value, but to the right guy, I suspect it would be worth $100 at minimum, and likely I'm being conservative. The trick is finding that "right guy." [:)]
"There is nothing lower than the human race - except the french." (Mark Twain) ". . . And liberals / demoMAGGOTS" (me)0 -
Wow, thanks guys
I expected this to be just some old pre-wwii ammunition with little to no value. I don't know where you guys come up with your information but is amazing. I really thank you for all of your help.
Steve0 -
running_man, while I decline to be called an "expert," I've been collecting ammo for about 30 years and specializing in US military small arms loadings most of that time. I have a large reference library on the subject - I didn't need it for this question, but that's where most of my so-called "expertise" is found.
These rounds sold for around $1 to $2 each twenty - thirty years ago; today so much of it has surfaced one can find it fairly easily and the price is more like $0.50 to $1 . . . . What makes your find valuable is the bandoleer - take good care of it.
Oh, and if you decide you wish to sell it, I may know "the right guy" (if he doesn't already have it). He's the one who *wrote* the best reference books I use!
"There is nothing lower than the human race - except the french." (Mark Twain) ". . . And liberals / demoMAGGOTS" (me)0
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