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Importance of Ammunition Packaging

BMG50

BMG50

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Just be looking at the German site of packaging for German munitions. I wonder how many of you agree that the packaging for bombs and bullets etc are just as important to collecting as the item it came with, even more rarer and scarcer than the item itself. I have two .50cal wooden boxes that are very hard to find especially with the tin liner, data and ordnance seals, yet 65 years ago or so these boxes were burnt or thrown away in their thousands. The contents, the .50cal cases heads and links and cloth belt are common as chips as with other items. Any one want to add to that.
 
See my post on C238 metal ammunition box.
When I first went down to the scrappie I was only interested in getting some modern boxes to transform into WWII equivalents with some paint. When I opened the boxes that were there I discovered ALL the packaging was still present and that gave me the idea of buying one of each of the best examples I could find. I bought 4 different ones in total and I'll do a write up on each of them. I even found some security tags on one box. I didn't do ammo in my time in the RAOC, its a whole different accounting procedure, and i don't profess to any expertise or authority on the subject.

As a whole I think having an ammunition container accompanying the ammunition just fills out and enhances it more. Prior to joining BOCN I had no idea that people collected it. But with everyone renovating and refurbishing their items to such a high standard, have the associated packaging can only enhance the effect.
 
ammo boxes

:tinysmile_shy_t: hi there
i agree with this they are a part of history .
i live near where one of the uk biggest first world munitions factorys there is still a few buildings left, this place was called the devils porridge because they made cordite it employed 30 thousand people it was vast
one of the locals told me when this place stoped producing cordite and filling shells.
the locals used to chop up and burn grenade boxes .fuse boxes shell crates this went on for years .
i have came across a few used as tool boxes or even plant holders .
but none i its origional state sad .
armystuff
 
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I'm not far from you, the other side of Longtown :) Can you guess where these ammo boxes came from?
 
ammo boxes

:tinysmile_shy_t::tinysmile_shy_t: hi there
good lad you might have told me to save me writing all that stuff .
i am chiken pickin with this keyboard :tinysmile_shy_t:
 
My local Cordite factory only employed 4500 people at its peak! The one your on about was on the Coast programe if im correct,got any links? As for the packaging,i started to pick up the odd bit a while back,its scarcer than most of the contents,try finding a case for naval 2pdr rounds! And its cheap,but unlike ammo it wont ever be a prob to collect.Tony.
 
What a super thread!:top:

I could not agree more with the importance of the packaging of the ammo.

I have a couple more ammo boxes to show you guys as soon as i get my finger out and get them photo`d!
Nice one lads,its good to see we are pulling this together.

best always

waff
 
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Here's a close up of some packaging..if your a .50cal fan. Your don't see many of these wooden boxes with the tin liners.
 

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Warning

HI guys, I know this maybe old rope to some and maybe even a little bit over cautious.

Please be careful even with your packaging. Some packaging may have been treated with PCP which used to be known as Angel Dust once upon-a-time. Also there have been several incidents over the past few years where ammunition items have been found in ex military ammo packaging leading to disasterous results.

Do be careful.

Happy hunting.
 
Didnt know about the PCP, what was it used for? I can vouch for things turning up in the odd box now and again. When I was at 4 Armd Div in Germany I worked in the combat supplies office (hence the monika) One of the roles we performed was collecting data on ammunition incidents within the division. There was one case of a grenade being returned in an "empty" tin. The German civilian that discovered it got a quite a shock apparantly.
 
Pcp

PCP was used as a preservative for wood. It should now only be found on older packaging. The Americans and civil sector used it a lot during the 50s right up to the 80s.

It is denoted on pallets and boxes with a branded 'P'.
Wood boxes, like the outer wooden covering on American 7.62mm, may have a washy green tinge to the otherwise natural wood finish
 
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Years ago, in the Canadian Forces we had a problem with M67 Fragmentation grenade boxes produced with PCP from the United States. We went to great lengths to recover all salvage and return them to a central depot after FFE' ing, where I assume they were turned back to supply hazmat personal.
 
and a guy I know who worked as a labourer on Salisbury plain was rooting through a skip of assorted junk near Netheravon a couple of years back (looking for anything worth keeping!) and found a mortar ammo box still full of its contents. Quite rightly he handed them back.
 
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