[LVSteve]

At the range today and another guy was trying to set up his M1 Garand with one of those adjustable gas valves. The only ammo he had was delinked Lake City which he had been told was "too hot" for his M1 in standard form, hence the valve. Just for comparison I gave him three rounds of M2 ball to try. He gave me three of the delinked rounds in return that I tried in my 03A3.

Interesting, to say the least. The first round went with a mighty bang and lots of recoil. The second was about the same as a normal M2 round, and the third also went with noticeably more wallop. So, I guess not only is this stuff to hot for the M1, but it can also be a bit inconsistent. Yeah, I know three rounds is not a good statistical sample, but try telling my shoulder.

 

[medalguy]

M2 ball ammo is the same whether it was linked or in en bloc clips. It is fully interchangable with either weapon as well as aircraft guns. What he had was probably deteriorated ammo since it was inconsistent. There is no reason in the world to be wary of linked ammo. CMP as a matter of fact sold tons of delinked .30-06 a year or so ago. It is fine to shoot in a rifle. By the way, using military ammo does not require an adjustable valve at all. It is the commercial ammo that is too hot and requires the adjustable valve.

 

[Ordtech]

Medalguy is right: M2 Ball is M2 Ball is M2 Ball just as M80 Ball is M80 Ball is M80 Ball. Otherwise it would be something else. Our military is not so dumb as to issue a high pressure round with the same designation as the standard rifle round.
The Lake City 30-06 ODCM was selling before they totally ran out of LC was delinked M2 Ball. It was in the description and I could see the scratch marks on what I got.

 

[LVSteve]

Yes, I see from my researches that you guys are 100% correct. Mea Culpa and I swear on my Mickey Mouse weekly not to jump the gun again.

So, now I need to check with the guy at the range to see if he is CERTAIN that this ammo came direct from CMP. If not, he could have a bunch of Bubba's reloads (Just put powder in until they are full, Scooter) that could have almost anything in them. Could poor storage be responsible for the mighty bang I got from two rounds but no from the other. No kidding, several other folk on the line looked along and commented. When I was shooting my own M2 surplus I had no such events.

 

[Ordtech]

Could poor storage be responsible for the mighty bang I got from two rounds but no from the other.

As powder ages or breaks down it gets weaker. Poor storage (high heat/heat cycles) causes the powder to break down. So the answer is no. I think you're right in assuming he had something other than ODCMP ammo. He must have had either reloads or commercial stuff mixed in.
Enjoy your M1. ODCMP has HXP (Greek) in stock at 50 cents a round - $120 for 240 rd can or $96 for 192 rd in 8 round en-bloc clips. The bullets do attract a magnet (NOT armor piercing or steel core, the jackets are gilding metal over steel). HXP Pyrkal was issued at Camp Perry. Safe in your rifle, not allowed on some ranges. Check the rules where you shoot.
You can also get American Eagle with the "M1 Safe!" logo or Hornady M1 specific rounds commercially.

 

[LVSteve]

As powder ages or breaks down it gets weaker. Poor storage (high heat/heat cycles) causes the powder to break down. So the answer is no. I think you're right in assuming he had something other than ODCMP ammo. He must have had either reloads or commercial stuff mixed in.
Enjoy your M1. ODCMP has HXP (Greek) in stock at 50 cents a round - $120 for 240 rd can or $96 for 192 rd in 8 round en-bloc clips. The bullets do attract a magnet (NOT armor piercing or steel core, the jackets are gilding metal over steel). HXP Pyrkal was issued at Camp Perry. Safe in your rifle, not allowed on some ranges. Check the rules where you shoot.
You can also get American Eagle with the "M1 Safe!" logo or Hornady M1 specific rounds commercially.

Well, I dug out the three cases for the offending rounds and they are LC69 with red sealant around the primer. I have no clue as to the significance or otherwise of the red sealant. None of the M2 ammo I have opened from my stash has it.

BTW, it was the other guy who had the M1. I have an 03A3.

 

[Oldstuffer]

'Nam-era with moisture-proofing sealer.

I dunno if anything was sealered in prior conflicts.

 

[ammolab]

All USGI M2 30-06 has a paint type primer sealant....the color in US production means nothing.

 

[Ordtech]

Some primer sealant looks purple and I've seen some that were black. There's no significance to it other than maybe what contract for sealant at what time or maybe different lots of the sealant changed color differently as it aged. The bullets were sealed with an asphalt tar substance.
Strange situation. I don't know what to make of it other than break down any rounds you have left and reload them with known powder.

 

[Ray Meketa]

Virtually all US military ammunition has some sort of primer seal. It has been so since the beginning of the last century. As a general rule, the color itself does not mean anything but there are many examples where the color indicates certain loads. Serious collectors know what the colors are and what they mean.

Foreign military ammunition is another thing altogether. Primer colors mean a lot of things and many use a color bullet seal to further identify cartridges.

Ray

 

[coppertales]

I still have a couple 30 cal cans of M2 I got from the CMP about 10 years ago and it shoots just fine. The CMP is now receiving around 100,000,000 rounds of Greek 3006 ammo which shoots better in my Garands than the LC does. They are still working on the sorting and shipping is a bit slow......chris3