WW2 US surplus 30.06 ammo is it safe to shoot in a high number Rock Island 1903?

[usabaker]

That's quite a mass of old stuff...

Yeah, it is got it cheap plan to take it apart and salvage what I can of the brass and heads.

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[browningautorifle]

Done that very thing lots. Ours up here is usually .303 ammo though. I've stripped far mor .303 than anything else combined.

[usabaker]

I've stripped far more .303 than anything else combined

I've got about 300 rounds of .303 British Ball Surplus as well. I've not tested it yet to see if its corrosive, but looks like newer stuff. Because of Californias new ammo laws, I went crazy and bought a crap load of surplus. 303, 30-06, 7mm Mauser, 8 mm Mauser, 7.62x54R, and 762x51. Only to find out later the I will have no issues buying ammo on-line because I have my C&R FFL and COE.

[browningautorifle]

I've not tested it yet to see if its corrosive

Show us some headstamps then...but the stuff I strip is usually older and doubtful of positive ignition. Corrosive primers also...I NEVER shoot them. I saw a Norinco copy M14 that rusted in one afternoon on the range after firing current corrosive Chinese.

[usabaker]

Show us some headstamps then.

Just a sample out of one box.

[browningautorifle]

Radway Green, Kynoch and Defense Industries...all common and will probably go bang. The big primers are corrosive I think. The DI small primers are OK and boxer. Good brass too...use and reload.

[CINDERS]

Got a MK8Z from K5 = Kynoch factory at Kidderminster Worcestershire, GB= Greenwood & Bately, DI = Defense Industries Verdun, Canada MKVII Z = Ball Nitro-cellulose, P.O.F = Pakistan Ordnance Factory (Absolute crap ammo) Radway Green 8Z. Pretty sure the R /|\ L Royal Laboratory one thats H/S W I (1?) is armour piercing, a nice early 1935 RL nice bunch there anyway others at the top bit dark still a fair few 8Z'eds in there.

[Bruce McAskill]

The Gevelot 49 is French and considered not to poor quality ammo. Too many case failures from high pressure variations and it's corrosive too.
Most shooters regard it as junk. Pull down for the bullets and dump the rest.