G.I. 7.62X51 steel cased ammo

joeaf1911a1

July 15, 2003 10:42

In my cleaning up process, done each decade or so, came across a
pack of 6 rds of Lake City 1965 steel cased, loaded ammo. No idea
where or when gotten. Were they made for any special reason?
Markings are LC 65 and Nato insigne stamped. Looks like usual
G.I. jacketed bullet. Looks like tinned steel or cad plated.

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  MIKE WISKEY

  July 15, 2003 12:29

  I'VE HAD A LOT OF WW2 .45 STEEL CASED AMMO AND SOME MID 50'S .30/06 G.I. AMMO (I WAS TOLD THEY MADE THIS AS A TEST). I'VE NEVER SEEN ANY 7.62 mm STEEL CASED OR ANY AS LATE AS '65.

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  Iconoclast

  July 15, 2003 12:40

  Joe, this was the most common of the experimental case developments conducted in this caliber. Basically they have the manufacturing procedures "on the shelf" to switch to steel cased ammo if there should be a shortage of brass. I sell mint examples of these for $7 - $9, depending on the auction action. The coating is "Cronak," the details of which I forget at the moment, but can look up if you desire. There were also much less common laquered steel case and some really strange coatings which never made it past prototype stage. Finally, a variety of aluminum case types have been tried over the years - I have at least four different ones in my collection, possibly more.
  
  Mike, 7.62x51 ammo was made well into the 1990s; I have several examples of specialty loadings from recent years.

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  MIKE WISKEY

  July 16, 2003 05:27

  icono, thanks for the info. in the late 60's i got a quantity of steel .30/06 cases and did some reloading tests, the worked as well as brass casings and lasted for 20+ reloadings (neck sized only). and boy could you work up some loads with them.

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  Iconoclast

  July 16, 2003 07:50

  Y, Mike, they conducted experiments with steel cases going back before WW2; put a lot of work into this in 1942-3 in everything from .45 ACP to .50 BMG. During WW2, the only loadings which were successful were the .45 & .30 Carb - you will see steel cased mil surp ammo in both cartridges in great quantity even today. Some was sent overseas and came back, some of it has been sitting in a warehouse in South Overshoe "against the day." After WW2, continuing to roughly 1958, work continued on steel cased '06 ammo and there was actually quite a bit of .30-06 made up in the "Cronak" finish in the 1950s, which is undoubtedly the casings you had. This research was carried over to the 7.62x51 and several of the development designs of 1955 - 1990. The 25x137, 30mm Vulcan, etc. are all steel case as a result of the extensive research into this material, coatings and manufacturing processes.

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