M2 Ammo Box Cal. 50" Year of make

[Bizio]

Dear Collectors.

I could read in the web that the M2 Ammo Boxes Cal. 50" were made from 21st September 1942 till about 1960 but I would be pleased to learn from You the exact year of make of this particular ammo box, if WWII or later.

Thank you in advance.

Here are the pictures

Information

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[RT Ellis]

Modern Steel Equipment Co., Geneva, Ill., had four contracts for ammunition boxes (1 specified "AMMUNITION BOXES" 1 specified "AMMUNITION BOXES CAL50" and 2 specified "AMM BOXES CAL50 M2") that ran from October 1942 to December 1945 for a total of $4.8 million. Obviously they made allot of ammunition boxes, including (probably) your example.

I don't have the resources at hand to research the ordnance plant with intials "TW" and the years of operation, which may yield another clue as to the approximate year your ammunition box was manufactured. Information on the lot number and ammunition type may also provide year of manufacture. If you have any of the cartridges from the box they will of course have the year of manufacture in the headstamp.

[Bizio]

Thank you for your answer, RT Ellis.
Unfortunatly I have no ammo or empty brass coming from that ammo box ...

[DocAV]

TW Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant, Minnesota ( run By Federal Cartridge Co.) produced ammo ( .30, .50, 7,62 N, etc. from 1942 to 1980s?) Site only recently decontaminated ( primer residues, sulphuric acid, etc).
One would have to go by Lot numbers to ascertain date of filling of Box.
The Factory made ammo WW II, Korea, Vietnam. Tried out SCAMP system of cartridge Manufacture in 1970s-80s ( 7,62 Nato).

Doc AV

[relics6165]

DocAV:

Twin Cities Arsenal lot # 19362 was the first lot of non corrosive 3006 ball ammo, and was manufactured in December 1950. Since your ammo is 1000+ lots earlier, I think you can be fairly sure your can dates to the WW2 timeframe. I doubt there was very much TW ammo manufactured after WW2, and before Korea.

You can watch for specific boxes (or cans) of Twin Cities ammo, and it's corresponding headstamp, and narrow your timeframe further.

HTH

[kosmolinekid]

I have a similar can given to me. It is in mint condition no rust and still has the "Grenade Pin" closure on the latch. Stenciled in yellow paint is " 105 CAL. 50 - API M8 LINKED - LOT TW-L- 19389. I believe it is WWII because of the "Flaming Bomb" embossed on it. Then again they could still be using the Molds up into the 60s. I have 2 similar styled .30 Cal cans that were once filled with Blanks . These were Canadian .30 cal blanks on links. These were the cool blanks as the longer crimped Blanks screwed up the feed ramp on the Garand.

[Bizio]

Why can it only accept 100 rounds as the later model M2A1 ammo boxes instead of 105 rounds as first models of M2 ammo boxes ?

[kosmolinekid]

Maybe the reason only 100 rnds in oppose to 105 is probably logistics . Maybe the bean counters found it easier to round off to an even number.

[Bizio]

Maybe the reason only 100 rnds in oppose to 105 is probably logistics . Maybe the bean counters found it easier to round off to an even number.

My thoughts were that this might be meaningful to assign a year of make : it might be made after WWII and it coul'd be a transiction M2 model between the older models for 105 .50" rounds and the later models M2A1 for 100 .50" rounds only ... but maybe I am wrong. Just an idea.

[kosmolinekid]

After looking at your picture and looking at my own Can I think I know why now . On your stenciling I see the legend " API M-8 in Cartons " . I think the key word here is " Cartons " in oppose to " Linked " on mine . Cartons / Boxes will have even amounts of Cartridges . I don't know how .50 cal is boxed 5 or 10 rounds maybe I know it can't be 20 ! Bizo after reading a few of your posts I think your closet and mine must look the same !