Interesting estate ammo find

[AJGUNNER]

I was helping to clean out some estate stuff from a recently passed 94yo hunting and fishing relative. I ran across an interesting box of 38 ammo. Just figured I might share this and see if any of you older gents remember this stuff and might have played with it. As best as I can figure this came from a long gone (late 70's or early 80's) local drug store called Payless Drug. I remember this store fondly because I purchased my first Ruger hunting rifle there in 1979 or 1980. I went with a Model 77 in 7mm because I could cover both deer and elk, plus pretty much anything else in the single caliber. It also met my meager teenage budget being on sale for $199.99.

All comments welcome---would like to know if any of you might still have some of this, or ever played with reloading it. Also if anyone happens to have 1 of these re-loading devices collecting dust, I would love to have it just to set on my shelf of stuff over the bench. Even better if you happen to have some of the empty plastic cases and odd ball bullets. I would love to play with it, but don't want to break up this pristine old box of ammo.

I found a bunch of info on them here.
https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/deconstructed-cartridge-usac-38-special-composite-case/44913





Yes the cases are plastic of some sort.
I started into reloading in the early 80's (cost of ammo to feed my first 44 Redhawk) pretty much forced me to jump in and learn. In all those years I have run through piles of brass and never once come across any of these cases.

 

[Paul B]

IIRC, those things went over like a pregnant high jumper carrying lead triplets.
Paul B.

 

[blume357]

I was going to make the comment that " late 70's early 80's" does not seem that old to some of us... but that for sure is some strange ammo... right out of the 70's I'm sure.
I like the reloading tool if you want to pass it on I might get into reloading... sure looks simpler than what you reloading guys use today.

 

[Jeepnik]

I recall seeing either this or something very much like it at Western Auto. No powder, just primer. Designed for short range indoor shooting. Think along the lines of the old parlor guns. Actually not a bad idea as it would allow practice in garage or basement. Easy to "reload". But today, some idiot on Tik Tok would have a video of being shot with it.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I recall seeing either this or something very much like it at Western Auto. No powder, just primer. Designed for short range indoor shooting. Think along the lines of the old parlor guns. Actually not a bad idea as it would allow practice in garage or basement. Easy to "reload". But today, some idiot on Tik Tok would have a video of being shot with it.

Yeah, I have some of those, but I forget what they're called. Red plastic case, primer inserted by placing it on a flat surface and pressing the case down over it, deprimed with whatever long pointy thing you have handy. I used a small Phillips screwdriver. Bullets are black plastic heeled wadcutters, seated by hand. USE NO GUNPOWDER! (Always wondered what a tiny pinch of Unique would do.)

 

[TestEngineer]

My older brother had some of what you described for his .357. They are not the same thing as the OP has. The ones you have are intended to fire using only primers, for indoor practice. My brother liked to add just a couple grains of powder to get more zip from them.

I came across some of those years later that I bought for my .44. Never have used them, but given the scarcity of primers today - it may be a while before I try them. Either they were made by Speer, or I put them in an empty box of bullets from Speer. I don't remember which.

 

[contender]

I remember that ammo and the loader. As mentioned, it didn’t sell well because people seemed to want “real” ammo.
I had some long ago but can’t remember what I did with it.

 

[protoolman]

Yep I have one of the empty rounds in my ammo collection somewhere. The plastic cases were so thick the special bullets were all a smaller diameter heeled design.

 

[AJGUNNER]

This is the stuff you guys are talking about.
It has been years since I played with this stuff. Never tried it with any powder.
Just a primer and push the plastic bullet into the plastic case.
At garage or standard driveway length these would go right through regular cardboard. I would hang a cheap moving quilt behind the cardboard so I could retrieve the "used" bullets for reuse. Coming out of the barrel of a 9.5" Redhawk I would have to hold over a bit on stray dogs in the yard. Not sure if it was the sound or the sting, but if you have never seen a dog moving out in a hurry while in the middle of doing his business---looks kind of like a scared cat on linoleum flooring.

The stuff in the first post is plastic cased, but the bullets are lead and there is power in the cases.

 

[Dan in MI]

I had a couple of those from bulk purchase I made back in the 80's. Strange rounds.

The primer only ammo that I used was CCI I believe. We were using those to deter raccoons and they just ran off and laughed. Being the experimenters my friend and I are we added ONE FLAKE of Bullseye. They scooted a littler faster, but it took two flakes to keep them away for good.

edit -- the Speer rounds ^^^^^

 

[protoolman]

This is a picture of the primer powered only plastic cases and bullets made by Speer for shooting indoors. I shot one in the garage once. The velocity was so high it dented the insulation on the garage door and ricocheted off a few walls and toolboxes etc.

 

[AJGUNNER]

This is a picture of the primer powered only plastic cases and bullets made by Speer for shooting indoors. I shot one in the garage once. The velocity was so high it dented the insulation on the garage door and ricocheted off a few walls and toolboxes etc.View attachment 52536

I was in a rental house with paper backed insulation. We fired into the insulation then gave it a shake to get them to come out at the bottom for reuse. If you his some hard like a 2x4 stud, if would actually mushroom the head and they were then no longer reusable.

 

[protoolman]

This one is an AMTECH which were reloadable with regular bullets because the mouth was a lot thinner. Otherwise I think they were

similar to the white case USACs the OP posted. Don't remember if they came with the squeeze loader.

 

[Tenbore]

I have a box of those somewhere. And yes, I think they came from PayLess. Used to get a lot of reloading supplies there back in the day.

 

[Bad Barlow]

I have a box of those somewhere. And yes, I think they came from PayLess. Used to get a lot of reloading supplies there back in the day.

That is not a " primer only" cartridge! It's much more powerful,with a real charge of smokeless behind the heeled ,snap in bullet. Reloadable. Not accurate, prone to keyholing.

 

[blume357]

thanks guys, another bit of knowledge added to my already over taxed brain that I probably did not need but really do like knowing.

 

[GasGuzzler]

That's really cool ... and stupid at the same time.

 

[Fox Mike]

Ah yes, one more piece of trivia to be added to all I already have, Thanks ....I think.

 

[black1970]

Still have some that I never shot.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

This is the stuff you guys are talking about.

Yes, thanks!

 

[Major E.A. Sterner]

I worked in a gun shop in the late 80’s and we were sent a press kit from the manufacturer along with a couple trial boxes of this ammo. They had a plated lead round nose and full wadcutter bullet available. As others has stated, the accuracy was dismal and they soon faded away. I think I still have a couple around somewhere.

 

[Randy Gomez]

I remember seeing the boxes and the adds in the pages of American Riflemen, Guns & Ammo and Shooting Times but I never bought any, thinking of it more of a novelty. Since I already reloaded about 8 different handgun calibers and several rifle, I saw no need.

 

[spud711]

Here's some of my ammo collection. I'm putting together an ad for our classified section.

 

[Randyzzz]

Poly cases ammo… this thread reminded me that I have a box of .223 Natec PCA. I haven't fired any, thought I'd keep the box complete. There were less than stellar reviews online from what I found.

A buddy and I were going through an abandoned storage unit when we found this and a box of .223 blue poly bullets. Yep- the bullets and case were blue poly. He kept the blue ones, I kept these. Gotta love weird stuff.

Edit- I did a little snooping- the blue stuff he got is plastic training ammo. .308 cal, accurate to 300 yards. Looks like it was a German product.

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

I remember my dad having a few blocks of paraffin about a half inch thick and he would take empty de-primed .38 Special cases and push them into/through it, making/seating a wax bullet, then he would prime the case and have indoor practice rounds to shoot in the basement. But I don't think they performed very well because that phase only seemed to last a few days. Of course, it might have been mom who put an end to it once she heard a few caps going off as she sat quietly doing crossword puzzles in the living room above.

 

[jmca]

I have some plastic 308 rounds from my days as an Armorer. Don't remember why we got them? I seem to think some E-6 thought we could test fire M-60's with them?
For our Federal Carry permits we had to complete an approved "shoot / don't shoot" course. (we oftened transported through a major city and to appease the city, we were required Federal Permits) We used primer fired plastic bullets in the 1911. I remember, the Bullet manufacturer recommended enlargement of the flash hole to prevent primers from backing out.

 

[Randyzzz]

I remember my dad having a few blocks of paraffin about a half inch thick and he would take empty de-primed .38 Special cases and push them into/through it, making/seating a wax bullet, then he would prime the case and have indoor practice rounds to shoot in the basement. But I don't think they performed very well because that phase only seemed to last a few days. Of course, it might have been mom who put an end to it once she heard a few caps going off as she sat quietly doing crossword puzzles in the living room above.

We used to do that with wax and soap. For indoors we used .22 cases- pull the bullet with a pliers, push the case into a candle or a bar of soap, and have a blast! Accuracy was basically minute of pop can at 10 feet- but we had fun!

Of course, this was back in the days when the 50rd boxes of .22 went on sale for .29! My best friend was the head of the security dept. and I was the camera dept manager at a FedMart. We had a lot of good times back then.

 

[Tenbore]

That is not a " primer only" cartridge! It's much more powerful,with a real charge of smokeless behind the heeled ,snap in bullet. Reloadable. Not accurate, prone to keyholing.

Yes, I am fully aware of that. I was referring to the USAC ammo. I also have several boxes of the CCI plastic target ammo.

 

[kmoore]

I remember that ammo and seen in advertised. I wasn't interested at the least. Making cast bullets, having a bucket load of brass, primers on sale for 5.95 per 1000, powder around 15-18 bucks. Loading real .38 spl and getting real results on paper targets was better.
My roommate in early 80s came home with the CCI plastic bullets and cases in .38 spl. We loaded some up, set up a target made from a truck mud flap in the living room. We fired away, plastic bullets bouncing off everything flying everywhere. Almost like being in a real gun fight. Can't remember what we broke in the room. We quit after firing a cylinder each. Laughing at not getting hit or breaking a window by the flying bullets. That ended the use of them by both of us.

 

[moparclan]

Bought a box of this type many years ago and a local shop but never fired any. Just a novelty item to go with some of my other special ammo.