RM Vivas & Son
Purveyors of Fine Small Arms
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ARTICLE TITLE: Identifying US Military Corrosive Ammunition

AUTHOR/SOURCE: RM Vivas (some years ago)

SYNOPSIS: This list shows at what lot number/date a particular type of US military ammunition switched from corrosive primers to non-corrosive primers.

KEYWORDS: US United States Military lot number ammunition corrosive non-corrosive primers

DATE ADDED/EDITED: 1/11/4

Good day and welcome to Munitions 101. Please check your program card now and make sure your in the right class (pause as 3 embarrassed individuals leave the room, searching for Primer Crimp Removal - Lab) 
    
Ok, seriously though. A big question is whether or not the military surplus ammo you have is corrosive. As a general rule of thumb anything  American headstamped after 1957 is non-corrosive (this doesn’t do you much good though if your sitting on 5 cans of M2 from 1956, hold on, we’ll cover that in the table shown below). There are, of course, some exceptions. 
   
This message/file addresses US manufactured small arms (up to .50BMG for you Barrett Buffs) ammunition.  
   
Below are the lot numbers and dates at which a given arsenal stopped using corrosive primers (usually the fabled FA#70) and switched to Styphnate primers (non-corrosive to those of you who skipped Nomenclature 201 for lunch).  
   
LISTEN UP!!! This table only works if your ammo is still in the original packing, either cans or cardboard boxes or bandoleers (make sure headstamp matches printing on the cloth). If all you have is loose ammo, look up the headstamp (LC=Lake City, etc.) and see what year they started making Non-corrosive. Your headstamp MUST be dated the following year or later to be %100 sure. By the way, ALL American made .30 carbine is non-corrosive. Exercise caution though as some Chinese stuff has recently turned up with an LC 52 headstamp and is loaded with corrosive Berdan. Appearantly, captured Korean War inventory was used as a master, the chinese stuff is usually marked LC 52 and has a severe crimp on the samples we’ve seen. All American 7.62x51mm (.308) is non-corrosive as is all American 5.56x45mm (.223) and .50BMG spotter-tracer cartridges. 
  
The information is presented as follows: 
   
2 or 3 letter arsenal code 
Caliber 
Military Designation/Colloqial - Lot Number/Acceptance Date 
 N/A - Indicates information not available. Usually means that particular style of round was not produced at that arsenal. Also means we’re not perfect and don’t know everything. 
     
FA 
.30 caliber (‘06) 
M2/Ball - 4149/10-51(see Note #1)   
M2/AP - 887/10-51   
M14A1/API - 62/11-53   
M25/Tracer - 44/10-51 
M1909/Blank - 985/7-54 
  
.45 caliber (ACP) 
M1911/Ball - 1542/7-54 
M26/Tracer - 41/3-53 
  
.50 caliber (BMG aka ‘Ma Deuce’) 
M2/Ball - N/A 
M33/Ball - S-2/12-51 
M8/API - 117/7-55 
M20/APIT - 112/7-51 
M23/INC - N/A 
M2/AP - N/A 
M17/Tracer - 11/4-51 
Blank - N/A 
   
RA 
.30 caliber (‘06) 
M2/Ball - 33853/11-51 
M2/AP - N/A 
M14A1/API - N/A 
M25/Tracer - 5000/4-51 
M1909/Blank - N/A 
  
.45 caliber (ACP) 
M1911/Ball - 5544/9-52 
M26/Tracer - N/A 
  
.50 caliber (BMG aka ‘Ma Deuce’) 
M2/Ball - 5962/10-49 
M33/Ball - 5000/6-51 (see note #2) 
M8/API - N/A 
M20/APIT - N/A 
M23/INC - N/A 
M2/AP - N/A 
M17/Tracer - 5000/3-52 
Blank - N/A 
 
WCC 
.30 caliber (‘06) 
M2/Ball - 6428/6-51 
M2/AP - N/A 
M14A1/API - N/A 
M25/Tracer - 6000/2-51 
M1909/Blank - N/A 
 
.45 caliber (ACP) 
M1911/Ball - 6375/11-52 
M26/Tracer - N/A 
 
.50 caliber (BMG aka ‘Ma Deuce’) 
M2/Ball - N/A 
M33/Ball - N/A 
M8/API - N/A 
M20/APIT - N/A 
M23/INC - N/A 
M2/AP - N/A 
M17/Tracer - N/A 
Blank - N/A 
 
SL 
.30 caliber (‘06) 
M2/Ball - 9420/5-52 
M2/AP - 9467/7-52 
M14A1/API - N/A 
M25/Tracer - 7025/9-52 
M1909/Blank - N/A 
 
.45 caliber (ACP) 
M1911/Ball - N/A 
M26/Tracer - N/A 
 
.50 caliber (BMG aka ‘Ma Deuce’) 
M2/Ball - N/A 
M33/Ball - 7000/9-52 
M8/API - 8070/4-53 
M20/APIT - 7015/5-53 
M23/INC - N/A 
M2/AP - N/A 
M17/Tracer - 7000/1-53 
Blank - N/A 
 
LC 
.30 caliber (‘06) 
M2/Ball - 13700/6-51 
M2/AP - 13158/4-52 
M14A1/API - 12000/5-52 
M25/Tracer - 12004/5-52 
M1909/Blank - 12000/4-52 
 
.45 caliber (ACP) 
M1911/Ball - N/A 
M26/Tracer - N/A 
 
.50 caliber (BMG aka ‘Ma Deuce’) 
M2/Ball - N/A 
M33/Ball - 12000/5-51 
M8/API - 12683/2-52 
M20/APIT - 12090/12-52 
M23/INC - N/A 
M2/AP - N/A 
M17/Tracer - 12103/1-53 
Blank - N/A 
 
TW 
.30 caliber (‘06) 
M2/Ball - 19362/12-50 
M2/AP - 19776/2-52 
M14A1/API - 18000/12-52 
M25/Tracer - 18013/12-51 
M1909/Blank - 18712/9-51 
 
.45 caliber (ACP) 
M1911/Ball - 18000/8-53 
M26/Tracer - 18000/10-53 
 
.50 caliber (BMG aka ‘Ma Deuce’) 
M2/Ball - N/A 
M33/Ball - 18000/10-51 
M8/API - 19391/10-51 
M20/APIT - 18088/1-52 
M23/INC - 18070/9-54 
M2/AP - N/A 
M17/Tracer - 18017/9-51 
Blank - 18040/4-53 
 
WRA 
.30 caliber (‘06) 
M2/Ball - 23201/8-51 
M2/AP - 22007/6-54 
M14A1/API - 22000/2-53 
M25/Tracer - N/A 
M1909/Blank - 22000/9-53 
 
.45 caliber (ACP) 
M1911/Ball - 22198/11-51 (see note #3) 
M26/Tracer - N/A 
 
.50 caliber (BMG aka ‘Ma Deuce’) 
M2/Ball - N/A 
M33/Ball - 22000/11-51 
M8/API - N/A 
M20/APIT - N/A 
M23/INC - N/A 
M2/AP - N/A 
M17/Tracer - 22409/11-50 
Blank - N/A 
 
VC 
.30 caliber (‘06) 
M2/Ball - 42000/4-45 
M2/AP - N/A 
M14A1/API - N/A 
M25/Tracer - N/A 
M1909/Blank - N/A 
 
.45 caliber (ACP) 
M1911/Ball - N/A 
M26/Tracer - N/A 
 
.50 caliber (BMG aka ‘Ma Deuce’) 
M2/Ball - N/A 
M33/Ball - N/A 
M8/API - N/A 
M20/APIT - N/A 
M23/INC - N/A 
M2/AP - N/A 
M17/Tracer - N/A 
Blank - N/A 
 
DAQ 
.30 caliber (‘06) 
M2/Ball - 44000/8-45 
M2/AP - N/A 
M14A1/API - N/A 
M25/Tracer - N/A 
M1909/Blank - N/A 
 
.45 caliber (ACP) 
M1911/Ball - N/A 
M26/Tracer - N/A 
 
.50 caliber (BMG aka ‘Ma Deuce’) 
M2/Ball - N/A 
M33/Ball - N/A 
M8/API - N/A 
M20/APIT - N/A 
M23/INC - N/A 
M2/AP - N/A 
M17/Tracer - N/A 
Blank - N/A 
 
FCC 
.30 caliber (‘06) 
M2/Ball - N/A 
M2/AP - N/A 
M14A1/API - N/A 
M25/Tracer - N/A 
M1909/Blank - N/A 
 
.45 caliber (ACP) 
M1911/Ball - N/A 
M26/Tracer - 1801/11-53 
 
.50 caliber (BMG aka ‘Ma Deuce’) 
M2/Ball - N/A 
M33/Ball - N/A 
M8/API - N/A 
M20/APIT - N/A 
M23/INC - N/A 
M2/AP - N/A 
M17/Tracer - N/A 
Blank - N/A 
 
Ball - Full metal jacket 
AP - Armor Piercing 
API - Armor piercing incendinary 
Tracer - Tracer (no kidding) 
Blank - No projectile 
APIT - Armor piercing incendinary tracer 
INC - Incendinary 
NUC  - Nuclear
Note #1 : Odd lots assembled with P-4 or Styphnate primers since 1947  
Note #2 : Lots 5967-5999 starting in 7-50 contain Styphnate  
Note #3 : Steel cased lots S-22000-22007 also w/styphnate 
 
Reference:Department of Army Technical Manual TM 9-1305-200, p.27, table III
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