M95 milsurp ammo, waffenamt

[HK_USP_45]

I came across some today. Ammo in stripper clips in original box. Waffenamt on clips and box. Anyone have an estimate on value?

Attachment 55147

Information

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[DocAV]

NOT a Waffen Amt Marking... Heeres Waffen Amt ( Army Weapons Bureau) Inspection Marks consist of the Wehrmacht Eagle, the Letters "WaA" and a Number, denoting the Inspector ( or Commanding Inspector) assigned to a Particular Factory making Weaponry and Large calibre Ammunition ( above 13mm). WaA Numbers travelled with the assigned officer from Plant to Plant, as required by the expansion of the war.

The Eagle and Swastika on the Former Austrian Plant of Hirtenberger PatronenFabrik in Annexed Austria was a sign of "Reich property" ( actually Nazi Party property) as the Company -- originally owned by a businessman named "Mandel" ( Jewish)-- was expropriated by a company connected to ReichsMarshall Goering and the NSDAP.

The Eagle is to be found in various forms on all 8x56R ammo made on all months from March 1938 (Anschluss) till early 1939, when the Factory adopted the "P" Code of P635 for German Ammo Factories (P=="patronenfabrik" Nummer 635). In 1941, the Factory went over to the Three Letter German code system used till 1945. The greatest Production quantity was VIII-38 (August 1938): All the production from 1938 and 39 was on behalf of Bulgaria, which had also acquired all the M95/30 Rifles from the German Gov't of "OstMark" ( Austria within the German III Reich); The P635 and three letter code ammo was for German (Mostly Luftwaffe Ground Defence and AA unit ) use.

Your Packet will contain (If sealed) what is marked on the Label...Most Packets, are "unsealed" (Repacks) done by Bulgaria, and the Ammo head-stamp rarely relates to the Label details. The clips made in the Post-Anschluss period to 1939 will carry the Eagle-Swastika Marking, the early ones are "stick design" whilst the later ones are made with more artistic die stamping. Also mixed in will be pre-1938 chargers, and even the odd Bulgarian or Hungarian clip. Ample info can be found on the IAA Website and on Gunboards.


Value: if a sealed Packet ( label intact) it is collectible, and price will depend on the Collectibility of Month date, etc. If the Packet is a (Bulgarian) Repack, effectively it is "Shooting ammo" unless there are individual cartridges of early years (Austrian 1931-35 are uncommon, as are the Hungarian early dates).

Value as shooters is about $10-$15 a Packet of 10...they are getting uncommon now ( Not like twenty years ago, when a (Repack) crate of 1080 cartridges cost a couple of Hundred Dollars.). The clips are also getting scarce.

Doc AV
Down Under ( have an extensive 8x56R collection from these Repacks ( Austrian 1931-39; Hungarian 1935-44, and Bulgarian 1936-44)...the Bulgarian ammo was from Un-opened Zinc Spam cans , with-out clips (MG use ammo) whilst the Austrian and Hungarian was from 10 round (two clip) packets, the majority repacks.)

BTW, the Cases are Berdan Primed, and Corrosive, but the Powder and Brass are excellent. Primers have been known to go bad.

Berdan brass can be reloaded using Tula .217" (Rifle) Berdan primers --Grafs and DAGAMMO.com. Boxer cases are available from Prvi (Grafs). Bullets can be cast (Lee .329 Mould) or sized down (Lee .329 Bullet die) from .338 Jacketed bullets.

Doc AV

[RCS]

Believe there is also a lower velocity or training cartridge. Shown on the far right in the photos with the step in the bullet profileAttachment 55231Attachment 55232