45 ACP cases

[Gripmaker]

Amoungst my souvenirs, I just found a number of steel-NOT ALUMINUM- 45 ACP cases marked E  C  43. Do any of you know anything about them? I understand the "43" as year of manufacture but who is E  C and why were they steel instead of brass?

LTC Montgomery Little
GAF Senior Chaplain

[River City John]

I'm gonna guess for the same reason they issued steel pennies?

No idea who the 'EC" headstamp is for.



RCJ

[Niederlander]

E C stood for Evansville Ordnance or Evansville-Chrysler Ordnance.  They made a lot of .45 ACP ammo during World War 2, and yes, the steel was to save brass.  Supposedly, the steel cases were coated with something that made them grip the chamber walls when fired just like brass cases.

[Gripmaker]

WOW! You guys are not only fast but plausibly informative.  I believe every word of it! Thanks, now what do I dowith them? They even seem to have original primers intact but no special coating unless it is invisible.

[Guns Garrett]

I remember my Dad had several coffee cans full of these back in the '60's.  He bought a 1911 (NOT an A1) and several hundred rounds from the NRA back when you could still order thru the mail w/o FFL.   I used to play with them as a kid... (the ammo, not the pistol).  "American Rifleman" had ads inside the back cover.  Seems to me the cases looked like "galvanized" metal - perhaps zinc?  1943 "steel" pennies were zinc-coated, as well.
Dad sold the Colt to my cousin for a couple hundred dollars...who promptly traded it away for a Colt Python...