Cartridges.

Also titled: Mike gets to stretch out his macro photography skills a little. It's been a while.

We'll pick on this guy first.


Headstamp of F A 9 11 indicates production at Frankford Arsenal, PA in September 1911. This one is just turning 97 years old.


This guy is next;


F A 10 14 says Frankford again, October 1914. Ninety-four years old next month; When this cartridge was made the army had only been using the 1911 for three years.


This one is last; It's not in as good a shape as the others since the case is steel.


ECS43 is Evansville Chrysler/Sunbeam Refrigerator plant Indiana, 1943. Refrigerators? Yes, during WWII the Sunbeam plant tooled up to make ammo from 1942-1944. They went from knowing absolutely nothing to making, if my source is right, 90-95% of all the ammunition shipped overseas during the latter half of WWII, upwards of three billion cartridges.

This is one of those. And they were apparently best quality stuff.

I won't try any, given the conditions they were kept in, but all indication say that most of these old cartridges should still fire.