How Could Anyone Be So Stupid?

[oldfoneguy]

As a self admitted brass scavenger I found these rounds in the dud bucket at my range. I can only guess that some self centered idiot found these in grandpa's basement when cleaning it out. Look at the condition of these rounds. Covered with tarnish and decay. Who would be stupid enough to put rounds in this condition into a rifle and attempt to fire them. I can only hope that if any did go off that they weren't in grandpa's 1903 that is now leaning in the corner of a closet somewhere uncleaned. My hope is that they were fired in a new modern expensive tacti-cool hunting rifle which is now standing in the corner of a closet rotting away from within.

In case you cant read the headstamps one is WRA Co. 30 G. 1906, a Winchester made round that is from the initial change over of the cartridge to a 150gr spitzer. The other 2 are U.S.C. Co. 18, made by United States Cartridge Co. and are WWI surplus dated 1918. U.S.C. Co. was bought out by Winchester after WWI and that headstamp disappeared forever after 1918. USC Co. provided 65% of the US small arms ammo supplied during WWI.

Sorry for the rant but some things just get to me and make me think about the loss of history. These would be special to someone who actually cares, instead of some spoiled teen or 20 something who thought he scored because just found some free rounds to pop off at the range. - Bill

Information

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[browningautorifle]

That's probably exactly what happened, or someone found them a a show and thought they were a great deal. If they work, great...if not...then right where you found them. Grandpa's gun was likely a mint '95 Winchester in .30 cal or a 1903 Springfield, first year of production...with a mint bore.

I have a U.S.C. co cartridge, I found it afield in Ft Lewis WA out on the range in a pile of like brass. It will have lay there since firing at that time frame.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Good eye.
"One mans trash is another's treasure"

[Patrick Chadwick]

The rounds must be assumed to be live, as the failure to ignite could simply be caused by a firing pin that was a trifle short or slowed down by crud, or a chamber with excessive headspace, so that the case was pushed forwards rather than struck firmly. It is therefore gravely irresponsible (and may even be a criminal offence, depending on where you live) to discard such ammo. In another rifle, with a slightly harder strike, or a firing pin that is a gnat's whicker longer, those rounds might fire.

[browningautorifle]

I was shooting close to our discard barrel on our range years ago and saw a live .22 on top of things...with further searching found over 100 and a handful of live .38 Spl also. I took the info to members of the committee with some alarm only to find out they didn't care at all. They didn't share the view that these could go off when the trash was burned...not worried at all.

[oldfoneguy]

The rounds must be assumed to be live, as the failure to ignite could simply be caused by a firing pin that was a trifle short or slowed down by crud, or a chamber with excessive headspace, so that the case was pushed forwards rather than struck firmly. It is therefore gravely irresponsible (and may even be a criminal offence, depending on where you live) to discard such ammo. In another rifle, with a slightly harder strike, or a firing pin that is a gnat's whicker longer, those rounds might fire.

Patrick these rounds were found in the dud bucket. For the language barrier translation that would be the bucket for rounds that failed to fire. These were not in the trash or in the spent round buckets. Once spent rounds make it into the brass bucket they become property of the range officers which they in turn sell to a smelter to reclaim the brass. Failed to fire rounds make it to their very own bucket and become the property of who ever has the guts to take them home to break them down for reloading. Part of the range officers duties are to make sure no unfired rounds make it to the smelter which could be very nasty I'm sure.

Rest assured no local ordinances were violated in this instance. As for the firing pin strikes they were solid and deep. These particular rounds had been poorly stored over the last 99 or so years, exhibited extreme effects of humidity and had very little chance of firing which was my initial point. Why would anyone be so stupid as to try to fire antique rounds in this condition. - Bill

[fjruple]

I recently found 9 3 round m1917 revolver clips with 26 rounds (one missing) of .45ACP cartridges made by the same company, U.S.C. Co dated 1918 in the range turn in bucket. I would not shoot them but I guess a returning soldier probably brought his M1917 Revolver home from WWI and a relative no longer wanted the ammunition and clips.

--fjruple

[BruceHMX]

I can only hope that if any did go off that they weren't in grandpa's 1903 that is now leaning in the corner of a closet somewhere uncleaned.

My Brother and his buddies did that to my mint 1937 K98 all matching when I went off into the Army. Took it out and blew about 25 corrosive rounds through it. Threw it in the closet uncleaned. I came home on leave like 2 years later you can only envision what the bore looked like. I don't trust him with any of my firearms to this day and that was close to 40 years ago.

[CINDERS]

You speak of rounds left at the range years ago at a club I belonged to a chap by the name of Robby Holthouse was mowing the 600yd at Harvey Rifle Club (Closed years ago) when the blade struck the rear of the case right across the primer which set the 7.62 round off.
Now Robby was very hard of hearing but he certainly heard that one the result was a person who never mowed the mounds again and a chunk taken out of the mower's cast body pan which ended its career at the range.

Thing that scares me the most is newbie shooters that one may be coaching or have brought dads old ammo he had in the war to shoot off when they get a click then immediately cycle the bolt to eject the mis-fired cartridge whilst we beat a hasty retreat away from the errant round. Then when all is safe having to explain the procedure again to them with what to do in the event of a mis fire as they always say "Oh forgot to do that, I thought it would be Ok?"
Yep we all know what thought thought it was......

[22SqnRAE]

Thing that scares me the most is newbie shooters that one may be coaching or have brought dads old ammo he had in the war to shoot off when they get a click then immediately cycle the bolt to eject the mis-fired cartridge whilst we beat a hasty retreat away from the errant round.

Any trained rifleman would know the drill:

"Misfire - Wait One"

tick, tick, tick.... (hope lots)