TRSTONE - RE: Frangible ammo

Toward the end of WW2, the Army Air Corps requested the development of frangible .30-06 loadings for training future gunners on bombers. As you might expect, hitting targets moving in three dimensions from a platform itself moving in the same manner was not as easily learned as marksmenship on the ground with the M1. Using standard ammunition had proved rather hazardous to the pilots towing the target drones! The frangible ammo would not penetrate the fuselage or canopy of the tow plane.

The eventual design incorporated a Bakelite bullet and is found in four marking variations green ("ball") or red (tracer) over cream / tan or white. The darker lower color is found on development and early production rounds. Enormous amounts of the final "ball" (M22) version were produced and much of this remained in inventory after the war. Mint boxes of this ammunition are still relatively common and bring about $20 at most as a collector item. The earlier types and final tracer version are quite scarce. It was never intended for use in combat, nor was it so used.

The Luftwaffe had a special loading for use where limited practice range size posed a danger to civilians if standard bullets were used, however these were aluminum cored FMJ loadings.

The only other frangilbe military ammo of which I'm aware was in the 6.5 Carcano in the 1930s for practice where standard ammunition was not advisable and specimens of that are also quite scarce today. The ammunition Oswald used was from a run made in the post War era by Western on a CIA contract. I'm not sure who the ultimate recipient was to be, but large quantities were available through surplus dealers to the public. I've had boxes from the same exact lot as Oswald allegedly used and it is standard FMJ military ammo in all respects, although it is Boxer primed with a flat base unlike the Berdan primed ribbed base Italian issue.