My brother-in-law came by again on Sunday and gave me a box of various ammo.  In it was a full box of 38 S&W, several boxes of 22 long and short, various 16 and 410 ga shells, and a few other odds and ends.  What interested me however, was the 174 rounds of .30 Carbine ammo.

94 of them are ball rounds (47 WRA-45, 33 PC-43, 8 RA-52, 3 LC-43, and 3 WCC-42).  The condition is mostly dark or tarnished... however a few have severe corrosion in which case I would never shoot them.  I'm going to try and clean up some of them to see how they look.

The remaining are reloads.  most with soft-point jacketed bullets but some with lead nosed bullets (jacketed section is pressed into the case and a smaller lead portion is exposed).   The majority of them are in military brass (mostly LC-51 and RA-52).  Now here is the really interesting thing about these reloads: About a third of them still have the crimped and sealed military primers in the case, which means that someone pulled the bullets and replaced them with different bullets (mostly the SPs, but 4 of them have the lead nose bullets). 

Oh yeah... and one of those reloads had the primer installed backwards (anvil facing the rear)!

Ok, now here comes the question:  What should I do with all of these carbine rounds?  I'm not sure I'd shoot the reloads because I just don't trust other peoples reloading practices (especially after finding one with the primer installed backwards).  I'd consider keeping the military ball rounds, but doubt I'd shoot them either (I don't have a M1 Carbine anyway). 

Suggestions?

I also have four original strippers too.

Somebody would really like the .38 S&W for his M1894 revolver if he was not sitting in Kenya.  And somebody would really like the 16 gauge shells too.  Are the 410 shells all brass or paper or plastic?  Somebody has been meaning to buy a 410 shotgun.

As for the carbine ammo.  Pull the bullets on the reloads and dump the powder.  Melt them down if they are lead.  Then punch that one prmer out and then go to your shooting club and sell the kit and kaboodle for 10 cents each, loaded or not.  Never trust anyones reloads.  Heck.  I don't even trust mine.

The carbine ammo that had the pulled bullets **may** have originally been tracers and had the bullet replace so it could be shot on a range.

I have a WWII Inland M1 Carbine and a late 1945 (post war) Inland M1 carbine with a registered disconnector, so I am always looking for carbine ammo. 

Paul...  I'll hang onto the 16 ga shells too for ya.  One condition:  Ya gotta show up at Perry for the Roosevelt again next summer! 

Mike...  I'll hang onto the carbine stuff for you if you want.  I don't have a carbine, and unless the gods smile on me financially in the next few months, I won't have one anytime soon... so I really have no need for it.  I can give it to you at Perry too next summer.

Well, Hows about you just come to good ole Michigan and regale me with stories of your amazing bravado?

Anyway, I'll hang on to the 38 S&W and 16 ga stuff until you can make an appearance!