Ammunition cartons,Clips

Carton, Caliber .30 (Rifle) Ammunition : this type of chipboard Carton is designed to contain 20 cartridges . 75 Cartons are packed to the standard wooden box .

Carton, Caliber .30 (Carbine) Ammunition : this type of chipboard Carton is designed to contain 50 Cartridges , 16 Cartons are packed in the standard metal can, while 3 Cans are packed in a wooden box .

Carton, Caliber .45 Ammunition : this type of Carton is designed to contain 20 cartridges . 100 Cartons are packed per wooden box .

Carton, Caliber .50 Ammunition : this type of Carton contains 10 cartridges only; there are 35 Cartons per wooden box (previously only 30 Cartons) .

Remarks : the number of Cartons (as well as the total number of cartridges per wooden box) varies as per the specific type of caliber .30 ammunition ! (min. total cal .30 cartridges is 1,200 per box, while max. total is 2,000; for cal .45 cartridges min. is 2,000 and max. is 5,760, and for caliber .50 ammunition min. reads 300 while max. is 450) . During WWII, further modifications and/or changes occured thereby influencing packing of subject ammunition . For caliber .45 M1911 ball ammo following variations existed : 50 cartridges per carton, 18 cartons per waxed container, 2 waxed containers per wooden ammo box i.e. total contents 1,800 cartridges – or – 50 cartridges per carton, 12 cartons per metal can, 2 metal cans per wooden ammo box i.e. total contents 1,200 cartridges – or – 50 cartridges per carton, 20 cartons per waxed container, 2 waxed containers per wooden ammo box i.e. total contents 2,000 cartridges …

Please note additional data for cal .30, cal. 45 and cal .50 cartridge cartons :

Cal .30 (rifle) ammo – 20 cartridges are packed per carton, and depending on the type of ammunition, the number of cartons per box varies as follows; 62 x cartons of gallery practice M1919 ammo per box, 75 x cartons of armor-piercing M2 ammo per box, 82 x cartons of guard M1906 ammo per box, 84 x cartons of guard M1 ammo per box, 91 x cartons of dummy M1906 ammo per box, 100 x cartons of blank M1909 ammo per box.

Cal .30 (carbine) ammo – 50 cartridges are packed per carton; i.e. 16 x cartons of ball M1 ammo/ tracer M16/ dummy M1/auxiliary M7 ammo per sealed metal can, and 3 metal cans per wooden box (i.e. 2,400 cartridges) . Other variations were metal cans containing 800 x ball M1 cartridges packed in cartons .

Cal .45 ammo – 50 cartridges are packed per carton; i.e. 24 x cartons of M1911 ball ammo per box, or 36 x cartons of M1911 ball ammo per box, or 40 x cartons of M1911 ball ammo per box . Another version was a metal can containing 600 x ball M1911 cartridges packed in cartons .

Cal .50 ammo – 10 cartridges are packed per carton, except for some types of ammunition; 30 x cartons of high-pressure M1 ammo per box, 35 x cartons of ball M2/armor-piercing M2 ammo per box, 45 x cartons of blank M1 ammo per box. Metal cans containing 60 x armor-piercing M2 cartridges, packed in cartons also existed .

Caliber .30 cartridges for general use in service Rifles are held together in clips . They not only facilitate loading and use of ammunition in general, but also help protect and hold together the cartridges . Clips are packed in Bandoleers, which are further packed in standard wooden packing boxes .

5-Round Ammo Clip : caliber .30 cartridges for use in the M1903 (Springfield) and M1917 (Enfield) service Rifles, or for both Rifle and Machine Gun use, are assembled and held in 5-round clips . The 5-round clip consists of a body and spring, both made of brass . Stop lugs on the exterior sides of the body seat the clip in its slots in the rifle receiver . The top edges of the sides are folded inward and form flanges which fit into the grooves in the cartridge case heads, thus holding the cartridge in place . The spring is provided with narrow tongues which, when the clip is filled, are pressed into the grooves of the outside cartridges, holding them securely in the clip .

8-Round Ammo Clip : caliber .30 cartridges for use in the M1 (Garand) service Rifle are assembled in 8-round clips . The 8-round clip consists only of a steel case . It is indented near the base along the sides to form an inner rib which engages the extractor groove in the cartridges . The sides are sufficiently inclined to clamp the cartridges firmly in place . The cartridges are held in 2 staggered rows of four . Experience in the field shows that it is preferable to have the uppermost cartridge in the right side of the clip . The sides are curved at the ends to hold all cartridges securely in the clip .

Remarks : 5-rd clips are normally carried in the Belt, Cartridge, Cal .30, Mounted, M1923 (capacity 2 x 5-rd clips per pocket i.e. a total of 18 clips or 90 cartridges), in the Belt, Cartridge, Cal .30, Dismounted, M1923 (capacity 2 x 5-rd clips per pocket i.e. a total of 20 clips or 100 cartridges); they can be further carried in a Bandoleer, M1906 (capacity 2 x 5-rd clips per pocket i.e. a total of 12 clips or 60 extra cartridges) . The 8-rd clips can be carried in the same Cartridge Belts and Bandoleers . The capacity however is different; the Mounted Cartridge Belt holds a total capacity of 9 x 8-rd clips or 72 cartridges; the Dismounted version 10 x 8-rd clips or 80 cartridges, while the M1 Bandoleer contains 6 x 8-rd clips or 48 extra cartridges . During WWII no Bandoleers were used for the M1/M1A1 Carbine.
Throughout WWII a number of variations also occured in packing methods and contents . For instance, cal .30 ball ammo 5-rd clips were packed 12 per bandoleer, 25 bandoleers per wooden ammo box i.e. total contents were 1,500 cartridges . Following variations also existed for 8-rd ammo clips; cal .30 ball ammo and AP ammo clips were packed 6 per bandoleer, 28 bandoleers per wooden ammo box i.e. total contents amounted to 1,344 cartridges – or – cal .30 ball ammo clips were packed 6 per bandoleer, 30 bandoleers per wooden ammo box i.e. total contents reached 1,440 cartridges – or still – cal .30 tracer ammo clips were packed 6 per bandoleer, 5 bandoleers per metal can, 2 metal cans per wooden ammo box, i.e. with total contents of 480 cartridges …