REM-UMC 18 .45 ACP Cartridge

[Greg V]

I was just wondering if anyone can tell me if this is an original 1918 .45 round, or if it's a reload.

Thanks, Greg V

[raymeketa]

Greg

That appears to be a standard WW I Remington contract 45 except for two things. The primer appears to be brass rather than copper and the bullet is one from pre-war UMC contracts. It may be that Remington used older primers and bullets as a wartime extingency. I'm not an expert on the cartridge to say if it's a legitimate variation. I would not do anything with it until you can find out for sure. You might try asking the question on the IAA Forum. There is at least one expert over there who could tell you.

http://www.iaaforum.org/forum3/

Ray

[Greg V]

Thanks Ray. I figured I would hang on to it either way and put it with my other old ammo. I have a bunch of WW2 and later ammo, but nothing earlier. I actually found it mixed in with some loose stuff that I was shooting up.

The picture wasn't all that good, I just couldn't get the right light, but the primer does actually look like copper.

Greg V

[raymeketa]

Greg

The bullet is definitely pre-war. The cannelure is the giveaway. All of the REM-UMC 1918 cartridges that I have look just like yours except for the bullet.

ray

[RoninPhoenix]

Greg

The bullet is definitely pre-war. The cannelure is the giveaway. All of the REM-UMC 1918 cartridges that I have look just like yours except for the bullet.

ray

actually i have a box of remington-umc 45acp ammo. The bullets are different in they dont show a cannulure. The primers look like copper and have been sealed. Headstamp is rem-umc 18. the box is marked 230 gr. bullet 602 feet velocity. Made in bridgeport conn.

[docbob]

FWIW, it looks like a reload to me. Believe the bullet should be seated deeper to be an arsenal loading.

Doc

[raymeketa]

Doc - The pre-1911 bullets had the cannelure exposed, just as is shown in Greg V's photo. It was not a crimping cannelure, it was there to ID the new 1909 case and cartridge.

In re-reading my posts I see that I referred to the cannelured bullet as "pre-war" when I should have said "pre-1911". All of the different experimental cartridges leading up to the adoption of the M1911 were pre-war, obviously.

Ray

[Tuna]

If you look at the case you will see that the case has never been fired before so it is not a reload. The grove on the case to prevent the bullet from sliding deeper into the case is quite deep itself and would have expanded out ward if the case had been fired. There is a hint of sealent on the top and left of the primer where it joins the case and looks like it might be red.