Ammo Alert Armscor for $19.99

[browningautorifle]

I'd think you would see some rifling marks engraved even if slightly...

[W5USMC]

Good point Jim, and I did with the 450.

[USGI]

Maybe Armscor is either not privy to this case length information or they don't care?

Here's a picture I took in 2005 comparing an Armscor .30 Carbine cartridge on the left with an LC round on the right. There were a least a couple like this in a box of 50 - I only discovered this when a round didn't fire and I found the bolt hadn't closed completely. The picture is small but you should be able to see the difference in case length - OAL looks pretty close, though. I haven't bought any more of it since, but I have reloaded with their bullets and they work just fine if you seat the bullets slightly deeper. Here's an old thread from the CMP Forum that I saved from about 10 years ago. I'd like to have a box of the Armscor that Charlie found on sale - just to see what the quality is like. After 20 years or so, you would think they would have the problems worked out. One trend I've seen on lower priced ammo lately is excess crimp on rounds that head space on the case. I've seen this on both 9mm and 45 ACP. - Bob

http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread....arbines&page=2

[browningautorifle]

Cartridge at left looks like the snake that swallowed an egg.

[butlersrangers]

Last week I bought one 50 round box of ARMSCOR .30 carbine ammo at Rural King for $19.99.

I had not seen new .30 carbine ammo in a store for years! My local gun shop now has new unprimed .30 carbine brass, but it costs $24.00, for 50 empty cartridge cases.

I was happy and looking forward to a Range session with my National Postal Meter carbine, (post WW2 rebuild, with Marlin barrel, SA M2 birch stock, imported years ago by Blue Sky).

Happiness changed, when I saw this thread, on Tuesday.

When I inspected the ARMSCOR rounds, I could see that the bullet ogive was different than other .30 carbine projectiles, that I have.

When I let my carbine bolt chamber rounds from a magazine, the ARMSCOR bullets made contact with the chamber Leade.
Some bullets were moved slightly rearward into the cartridge-case.

As an experiment, I ran 25 rounds of the ARMSCOR ammo into a .30 carbine Bullet-Seating Die to adjust the rounds to a 1.620-inch overall length.

This solution seems to have worked successfully with my equipment.
I had a pleasant Range Session, today, at 50 yards with no malfunctions and good accuracy.

[jond41403]

Makes you wonder why armscor can't accomplish that at their plant!

[USGI]

On BVAC .30 Carbine ammo I've inspected, made in Montana and likely by the same people as U.S.A Armscor and using the same "brass colored" bullets, the OAL was about 1.645" to 1.655". The cases were full of 15.0 grains (to the bullet line) of very fine ball powder, but not "flattened" like H-110.

To avoid a compressed charge, it wouldn't be a good idea to re-seat bullets to the SAAMI minimum without checking on what's inside. I'm probably "preaching to the choir" here, but just wanted to make sure everyone realizes how important that is. The last ones I reloaded with those bullets were set to about 1.645" and worked fine. Are the cases on those new Armscor loads somewhere around 1.284"-1.288" in length? Thanks! - Bob

[browningautorifle]

To avoid a compressed charge, it wouldn't be a good idea to re-seat bullets to the SAAMI minimum without checking on what's inside.

Agreed, it could build a bomb. I've seen it happen. Less airspace creates problems.

[butlersrangers]

USGI - The 'unfired' Armscor cases measure from 1.284 to 1.288 inches in length.

The 'fired' cases are measuring 1.278 to 1.282 inches.

The powder charge is 13.7 grains.

The bullet diameter is .308 and length is .655". (Same as Hornady)

Fired primers show no flattening or pressure signs.

[USGI]

That 'fired' length on the cases is before resizing, right? I'm curious what they measure after being sized - and also how close that powder charge comes to the bullet if you put it back into an 'unfired' case? It sounds like you've got a good handle on the situation, though! - Bob