FRANKFORD ARSENAL 1903 AND 1906 .30 CALIBER SPRINGFIELD RIFLE CARTRIDGES – VERY RARE EARLY PRODUCTION FOR THE MODELS 1903, 1903 A3/4, AND 1917 RIFLES - FULL BOXES AND SINGLE CARTRIDGES:  As issued with the famous Model 1903 and 1903-A3/4 Springfield Rifles, and the Model 1917 Rifles, these cartridges span the era beginning with the early production ".30-03" on through the later World War One Frankford Arsenal and Civilian Contract productions, and into the early years of World War Two. 

LABEL CALL OUTS - "MODEL 1906", "M1", AND "M2":  In an effort to clear up some misunderstandings regarding these packets, I offer the following.  The "M-1" included in the label does not refer to the M-1 Garand Rifle, but rather it was the Ordnance Department’s designation of the cartridge in the packet.   

In 1906 the Model 1903 Ball Cartridge was replaced by the .30 Caliber Ball Cartridge “Model 1906”.  That designation continued through World War One and well into the interwar years.  The packets of cartridges produced during that period bore a label using “Model 1906” in the call out.  While the majority of these packets I’ve seen held the twenty cartridges packed in five round clips, there are packets which held the 20 cartridges packed in the multi-cell paperboard dividers.   

Beginning in the years immediately following World War One, the Ordnance Department pursued a lengthy schedule of experiments based on battlefield experience with the cartridge and including emerging technology which addressed all the components of the cartridge – bullet and case design, powder and primer.  As early as the mid-1920’s, the Ordnance Department began making reference to “M1” when referencing a new bullet.

The record is not clear as to when the Ordnance Department changed the official designation of the .30 Caliber Ball Cartridge from “Model 1906” to “M1”.  This was not a capricious change, it was based on real differences and improvements to the cartridge, but the date of the change of the nomenclature, and important to collectors, the change to the label on the packets is, to my knowledge, unknown. 

What is known is that packets bearing the “M1” label contain cartridges headstamped as early as 1934, and as late as 1940.  At one time I had a set of four National Match packets dated 1937, 1938, 1939, and 1940 respectively, and all four included “M1” in the label.

Enter the “.30 Caliber Ball Cartridge M2”.  Without getting down in the weeds as to the technical differences, this change is well described in History of Modern U.S. Military Small Arms Ammunition, Vol. II, by Hackley, Woodin and Scranton:

"In 1940 the standard ball cartridge was the M2, which had been standardized for ground use by the Ordnance Committee on November 9, 1939 (approved January 12, 1940).  At the same time the M1 Ball cartridge was reclassified as Limited Standard, except for use in aircraft machine guns by the U.S. Navy where it was still standard." The last loaded at Frankford was Lot 2161 (accepted 24 October, 1941).  The lot consisted of 601,500 rounds.  The M1 Ball was declared obsolete on 17 August 1944.”

As to which cartridge – the M1 or the M2 – is the proper cartridge to be displayed with a World War Two vintage M-1 Garand Rifle, in 1940 and 1941 there were concerns expressed as to which cartridge would function best in the M-1 Rifle.  Tests were conducted at Ft. Benning, Georgia and it was found the M2 Cartridge performed better, but it was noted the M1 Cartridge produced less smoke and muzzle flash than the M2.  Reports from the tests went on to say that the use of the M2 Cartridge in the M-1 Rifle “greatly improved its performance.”  As a result of these tests, the production of the M1 Cartridge was greatly reduced and eventually it was declared obsolete. 

Each full box and cartridge is listed below, each with its own description and accompanying photographs. 

NOTE:  At the bottom of this page are several offerings of single cartridges and a M-1 Cartridge Crate dated 1941.

No. 1  PRE-WORLD WAR TWO FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER MODEL 1906 RIFLE BALL AMMUNITION – 20 ROUND PACKET - HEADSTAMPED 1938:  This is a very good example of the very scarce “20 CARTRIDGES BALL .30 M1906” packet manufactured in the pre-World War Two years at Frankford Arsenal.  This would be an excellent packet to display with the Model 1903, Model 1903 A3/4, and Model 1917 Rifles, with the added value that these packets pre-date the US involvement in the war and were manufactured at the famous Frankford Arsenal rather than the more commonly found loadings produced at the civilian contractor plants or ordnance plants which were established after the US entered the war.

This packet is in very good condition and is complete with all of the cartridges.  The label is complete and legible with no loss of text or material.  The box is clean, full form and in very good condition with the top seal still intact.  The packet was opened at one end, leaving the end flaps intact, which allows for the 5 round clips to be seen.  The cartridges are headstamped "F A 38", indicating that they were manufactured in 1938.  The only other sign of aging is some minor shelf wear, and that this packet has survived in this condition is remarkable to say the least. 

While I have been fortunate to locate a few boxes of these early loadings, they are becoming relatively scarce and difficult to find, and this Frankford Arsenal packet will make a significant addition to your collection.  (0332) $125

No. 2  PRE-WORLD WAR TWO FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER MODEL 1906 RIFLE BALL AMMUNITION – 20 ROUND PACKET - HEADSTAMPED 1918:  This is a very good example of the very scarce “20 CARTRIDGES BALL .30 M1906” packet manufactured in the pre-World War Two years at Frankford Arsenal.  This would be an excellent packet to display with the Model 1903, Model 1903 A3/4, and Model 1917 Rifles, with the added value that these packets pre-date the US involvement in the war and were manufactured at the famous Frankford Arsenal rather than the more commonly found loadings produced at the civilian contractor plants or ordnance plants which were established after the US entered the war.

This packet shows its age, but is complete with all of the cartridges.  The label is complete and legible with no loss of text or material.  The box is clean with the top seal still intact.  The packet was opened at one end, leaving the end flaps intact, which allows for the 5 round clips to be seen.  The bottom front edge of the packet has split but both the front and bottom panels are still full form and present - the opening the result of storage and handling through the years.  Interestingly, the cartridges in this packet are headstamped "USCC 18", indicating that they were manufactured in 1918 by the United States Cartridge Company under contract to the US Army.  That these World War One contract produced rounds were packed in this packet wrapper indicates the arsenal was still using older ammunition and was repackaging it after the rounds were inspected - a common practice, particularly in light of the financial restraints on the army during the Great Depression years.  This packet is still very displayable with the added value of the war time production cartridges.  (0723) $100

No. 3  PRE-WORLD WAR TWO FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER M-1 RIFLE BALL AMMUNITION – SEALED BOXES OF 20 ROUNDS – VERY SCARCE EARLY LOADINGS:  These are excellent examples of the fairly scarce pre-World War Two Frankford Arsenal produced boxes of “20 CARTRIDGES BALL .30 M1”.  This would be an excellent packet to display with the Model 1903, Model 1903 A3/4, and Model 1917 Rifles, with the added value that these packets pre-date the US involvement in the war and were manufactured at the famous Frankford Arsenal rather than the more commonly found loadings produced at the civilian contractor plants or ordnance plants which were established after the US entered the war.  While I have been fortunate to locate a few boxes of these early loadings, they are becoming relatively scarce and difficult to find, and these Frankford Arsenal boxes will make a significant addition to your collection.

No. 3 a  FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER M-1 RIFLE BALL AMMUNITION – SEALED BOX OF 20 ROUNDS:  While the box is still sealed and the cartridge headstamps are not visible, this box can be dated to the pre-war years by the ammunition lot number on the label.  As this particular box was loaded as part of Lot No. 1430, it certainly pre-dates the war, and predates the 1937 dated loadings listed below.  Its survival today is remarkable to say the least. 

The box is still sealed and complete with all of the cartridges.  The label is complete and legible with no loss of text or material.  The box is clean, full form and in very good condition.  The only wear is visible along the front edge of the bottom panel where the points of three of the bullets have pushed through the card stock, a common point of wear in these boxes.   (0106) $90

No. 3 b  FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER M-1 RIFLE BALL AMMUNITION – SEALED BOX OF 20 ROUNDS:  This box and the two others acquired at the same time all have the same lot number, "2007".  As one box was open, the cartridge headstamps were available to be examined and they are dated 1937 as shown here.  

This particular box is still sealed and complete with all of the cartridges.  The label is complete and legible with no loss of text or material.  The box is clean, full form and in very good condition.  The only wear is visible along the front edge of the bottom panel where the points of three of the bullets have pushed through the card stock, a common point of wear in these boxes.   (0317) $95

No. 3 c  FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER M-1 RIFLE BALL AMMUNITION – BOX OF 20 ROUNDS - HEADSTAMPED 1934:  This packet is in very good condition and is complete with all of the cartridges.  The label is complete and legible with no loss of text or material.  The box is clean, full form and in very good condition with the top seal still intact.  The packet was opened carefully at one end, leaving the end flaps intact, which allows for the four 5 round clips to be seen.  All twenty of the cartridges are present and they are headstamped "F A 34", indicating that they were manufactured in 1934.  The box is clean, full form and bears no sign of rough handling - overall a very presentable packet.  (0721) $90

No. 3 d  FRANKFORD ARSENAL .30 CALIBER M-1 RIFLE BALL AMMUNITION – BOX OF 20 ROUNDS - HEADSTAMPED 1938:  This packet shows its age, but is complete with all of the cartridges.  The label has suffered some border loss on the left hand side, but all of the title and data is still completely legible with no loss of text.  The box top label and seal are still intact.  The packet was opened at one end, leaving the end flaps intact, which allows for the 5 round clips to be seen.  The bottom back edge of the packet has split but both the back and bottom panels are still full form and present - the opening the result of storage and handling through the years.  All twenty of the cartridges are present and they are headstamped "F A 38", indicating that they were manufactured in 1938.  Despite the wear, this packet is still very displayable. (0716) $65

No. 4  FRANKFORD ARSENAL PACKET FOR MODEL 1906 CALIBER .30 “METALLIC POINT” BALL CARTRIDGES – A RARE AND PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN PACKET  FOR THE MODEL 1903 SPRINGFIELD RIFLE:  These previously unknown Frankford Arsenal labeled packets recently surfaced in an old collection which had benefited from the contributions made by a family member who was an employee of Frankford Arsenal.  When the arsenal closed in 1977, these packets were saved from the refuse destined to be discarded and destroyed.   

Unusual in both their form and their labeling, at this point nothing other than the information included in the labeling is known about the cartridges these packets contained or when they were produced.  The packets measure 5” wide, 3 ½” tall and 1 ¼” thick, and are of the same “nested lid” style of box used by the arsenal to repack .45-70 cartridges at the turn of the 20^TH Century and that were used by civilian ammunition manufacturers in the early 1900’s.  The interior of the box is divided into two sections, with each section further subdivided with paperboard spacers to hold ten cartridges in two rows.  It does not appear that the box was large enough for the cartridges to have been mounted in the five-round stripper clips, rather that the cartridges were placed in the box as individual pieces.   

The label call out specifies the packets were “MANUFACTURED BY FRANKFORD ARSENAL”, and that they contain “20 .30 Cal. Metallic [sic] Point Ball Cartridges”.  A separate notation on the same label states the cartridges are intended for use in “Model 1906 for 1903 Rifle and others”, suggesting this loading predated the adoption of the M-1 Rifle.   

Accepting the misspelling of the word “Metallic” as  likely a simple proof reading error, the specification of the cartridges as “metallic point” may provide some insight as to the nature of these cartridges and why they were packed in this unique manner.   

One former Ordnance officer who has extensive experience with the 19^TH and 20^TH Century loadings produced by Frankford Arsenal opined the cartridges may have been produced in the inter-war years – 1918-1940 – when the army was experimenting with non-metal bullets, made of ceramic and other similar compounds such as the frangible bullets later introduced for the M-1 Rifles.  In the course of bullet development the technicians may have determined the full non-metallic bullets lacked the penetration they were seeking, and by adding a “metallic point”, the bullet would perform as they desired.  Admittedly, this is all speculation and the production of this particular cartridge may have been so brief that it left little record and we will never know the details.   

When found, the packets were filled with World War Two era M-2 cartridges, obviously a repurposed use of the packets and not the proper cartridges which matched the label details.  Rather than perpetuate that confusion, the cartridges were removed and the packets will be sold as they are shown in the photographs below.   

These packets were never sealed.  The top label is fully complete and all of the information is present and legible.  The packet is full form, all the seams are intact, and all the interior dividers are present. Overall the packets are in excellent condition.   

I have a very small quantity of these rare packets and when they are gone, that’s it.  These are a very interesting piece of Frankford Arsenal history.   (0209) $65

No. 5  PEDERSON DEVICE .30 CALIBER AUTO PISTOL CARTRIDGE, MODEL OF 1918:  As used with the famous Pederson Magazine Device for the of .30 caliber Model 1903 Springfield Rifle, this single cartridge was manufactured by the Remington Arms Union Metallic Cartridge Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  These cartridges are fairly scarce and this excellent example is headstamped “RA H 13” and it retains the characteristic black paint on the primer which identified these special purpose cartridges.  (0760) $10

No. 6  FRANKFORD ARSENAL MODEL 1903 .30 CALIBER RIFLE BLANK CARTRIDGES IN A BRASS STRIPPER CLIP - DATED 1905 AND 1906:  A four round brass stripper clip of Frankford Arsenal manufactured Blank Cartridges for the Model 1903 Springfield Rifle.  Identified by their longer cases, these paper “bullet” blank cartridges were issued to the soldiers for marksmanship practice sessions, ceremonies and during training sessions to accustom the horses of the Cavalry and Artillery to gun fire.  The four  rounds retain some of the original tin plating, which distinguished them from the regular ball service rounds in brass cases, are loaded with a paper bullet and are headstamped “F A” for Frankford Arsenal and are dated 1905 and 1906.  All four pieces are in very good condition and are seated in a brass stripper clip.  $25

No. 7   US CARTRIDGE COMPANY CONTRACT MODEL 1903 .30 CALIBER RIFLE SPITZER BALL CARTRIDGE – DATED  1918:  Manufactured by the US Cartridge Company under contract to the US Government to support the war effort in 1918, this is a brass cartridge case, loaded with a nickel plated spitzer bullet.  Headstamped "USC Co 18", this scarce cartridge is in excellent condition.  $20

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Due to the influx of single cartridges, it is no longer practical to photograph each loose cartridge.  Instead, the following is a list of the single WWI - early WWII .30 Caliber cartridges I currently have.  Each cartridge is listed with a basic description and price. The prices indicated are per cartridge. 

.30 CALIBER CARTRIDGES 1903-1941

FOR MODELS 1903; 1903A1/2; 1917 RIFLES 

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No. 8  FRANKFORD ARSENAL PACKET OF .30 CALIBER PRIMERS - VERY NICE DISPLAY PIECE:  In very nice condition, this packet of primers was produced at the Frankford Arsenal for issue with the cartridge reloading sets issued at the unit level.  The packet was carefully opened along one side so the two trays containing the primers can be slid out for viewing.  The remainder of the external wrapper is fully intact and the label is fully intact.  A few of the primers are missing - a very small number - but the balance of the primers are present and in excellent condition.  This is a relatively scarce packet, one that does not appear all that often, and would be an excellent piece to display with your reloading set or a Model 1903 Rifle.  (0649)  $150

No. 9  ca. 1941 FRANKFORD ARSENAL CRATE FOR 1500 M-1 BALL AMMUNITION IN CLIPS AND CARTONS – COMPLETE WITH METAL LINER:  A nice solid original Frankford Arsenal ammunition crate for the M-1 Rifle cartridges.  Constructed of thick wide boards, the crate still retains the original OD brown paint with a broad red stripe running up the front and back panels.  The arsenal stenciling is still legible on all four sides, including the type and amount of ammunition, lot number and arsenal identification, as well as the Ordnance bomb insignia on each end panel. 

While this crate is not dated, the lot number on the crate - "1786", the "M-1" designation, and the Frankford Arsenal identification does help to determine that this crate was issued from the arsenal prior to October of 1941.  According to the History of Modern U.S. Military Small Arms Ammunition, Vol. II, by Hackley, Woodin and Scranton:

"In 1940 the standard ball cartridge was the M2, which had been standardized for ground use by the Ordnance Committee on November 9, 1939 (approved January 12, 1940).  At the same time the M1 Ball cartridge was reclassified as Limited Standard, except for use in aircraft machine guns by the U.S. Navy where it was still standard." The last loaded at Frankford was Lot 2161 (accepted 24 October, 1941).  The lot consisted of 601,500 rounds.  The M1 Ball was declared obsolete on 17 August 1944.”

The bottom panel is intact and solid.  The wide board making up the top panel of the front has an age check in the wood, but it is stable and solid and not at risk of separating further.  The top appears to be a replacement and from the look of the wood, may have been added contemporary to the crate’s use, perhaps by a soldier using it as a shipping crate as was often done with cast off ammo crates.  Five of the six anchor bolts for sealing the top are present.  A very nice feature, the metal liner is still present and intact and is in remarkable condition with much of the original finish present and only minor spots of corrosion and a few very small, minor pin holes.   

This is one of those unusual Ordnance Department items that surfaces once in a while and will be an interesting piece to display with your M1 Rifle, with the added value of dating from the early days of World War Two.   SOLD

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