Winchester 9mm parabellum box what year?

[Anders]

Can someone help me date this box. Did Western have a plant at East Alton, Illinois during the W.W.II?

 

[Anders]

Okay, found out that Western Cartridge Company established a factory in East-Alton, Illinois in 1908 until 1997, and that they produced 9mm Parabellum in 1943, so it is probably from that time area.

 

[Big Dave]

Hi Anders ,i think the answer to your question is in the M1 designation on the box ,ive included a few pics of some boxes in my collection .The 50 round Winchester box is stamped 8 MAY 1941 ,LOT 28 and the 64 round box ,1942 ,LOT 87 .The 50 round box for .45 s is dated LOT51 ,NOVEMBER1940 ,D9RM41.
Western Cartridge Company bought out Winchester in the mid 1930s and had plants at East Alton ,Illinois ,New Haven ,Connecticut and St Louis .
I dont know when the M1 designation came in ,but iam sure someone will on site ,regards Dave

 

[EOD]

Lew Curtis should have the answer I think.

 

[TonyE]

The 9mm M1 box Anders shows is the US military version approved on 2 April 1942. These were supplied to the Allies under Lend Lease and also to partisans in Europe along with the 9mm version of the M3 "Grease Gun".

Those that Big Dave shows are all for British contract ammunition ordered via the British Purchasing Commission prior to the Lend Lease Act of March 1941 and paid for from British reserves, although the 1942 box may have been paid for by Lend Lease.

I have copies of the 1940 British contracts with Winchester Western for .303, 9mm and .45ACP and have just finished an article on the British ammunition purchases in America prior to L-L which should be published in the IAA Journal in April/ May 2012.

Regards
TonyE