Primer marking

[vega]

Hi guys,

Have anyone here seen this kind of mark before on a primer? It's either marked on the breech face or factory marked by the primer manufacturer.

I was at the local firing range yesterday and I was collecting brasses for my 9mm (I know I'm cheap) and I don't really care if its my brass or not as long as I fill up my case. I shot 400 rds so I picked up the same quantity.

vega

 

[CaptainRazor]

Yep, My LEO buddy has some issued Speer Gold Dots in .40 with an "A" stamped right on the primer surface.

I asked him about it, he said it has nothing to do with his ammo being issued, he had bought some Gold Dots at the gun store with the same mark.

I don't know what it's all about, but maybe someone can tell us?

 

[1911ONR]

Just purchased bunch of CCI small pistol primers. They all have a little 'A' stamped on them. Don't know why.

 

[Thirties]

"Just purchased bunch of CCI small pistol primers. They all have a little 'A' stamped on them. Don't know why."


The "A" signifies they were made for export to Albania [joking]

 

[Ruger4570]

If I recall correctly, Norma had marked their primers with a small NP. I suppose it was simply to designate that they were Norma brand. I don't know the reason for the A on CCI's. Thirties: It may mean Australia

 

[Thirties]

The "A" on the primer, if it's a 7.62X39 cartridge, could be a special mark for ammo being exported to Angola.

 

[Ruger4570]

Worse yet.... Afganastan

 

[Mike Irwin]

I have quite a few cartridges in my collection that have the primers marked "W" for Winchester.

All are older, I'd say either just before or just after WW I.

 

[bergie]

I was in the local gunshop today just talking with the owner. He has in stock right now a bunch of commercial reloads, bulk packed in ammo cans that he picked up down in Tulsa. I started looking at some in an open can, and probably about half had the "A" marking on the primer, the other half didn't. I asked the owner if he had any idea what the "A" was, and he said he really didn't know. He thought that possibly it was because the reloader also does training ammo for law enforcement agencies and the primers were stamped by the primer manufacturer for the purpose of keeping track of which were sold where, for excise tax purposes (ammo for governmental agencies being exempt). Over run on the training reloads, just put them in with the regular stock. Just a wild guess on his part as to a possibility and seems to make sense, but the posts of buying loaded ammo in the store with the mark contradicts it.
More likely it is just some kind of identifying code (born on date?) the manufacturer has started using. But then maybe it is a test run for seeing if they can fit serial #'s on them like the proposal in Cali. :barf:
bergie

 

[vega]

But then maybe it is a test run for seeing if they can fit serial #'s on them like the proposal in Cali.

That occured to me too when I saw it. I've heard about AB357 which will put serial markings on ammos here in Cali and will start on 2007.

vega

 

[BillCA]

Anyone thought of e-mailing Speer? Since their factory Gold Dots have the marked primers, maybe they can shed some light on this.

 

[Ruger4570]

You didn't actually VOTE for these fools in California did you??? Serial #'s on ammo, I bet that will stamp out violent crime too. You better hope no one steals your ammo then uses it in a crime, you will have a lot of explaining it sounds like. I suppose you will have to record every round you buy and then list them as expended when you finish shooting. Will there be a depository for empties so you can turn them in legally and have it recorded for your protection? I suppose you will have to register every round with some governmental agency also. Possibly they will issue you a unique serial number so when you go to a store you simply ask for a box of 44 Magnums with the serial # xxxxxxx. That way the shells can be tracked right to you and no one else can buy a shell with that # on it.
I wonder why it always falls on the innocent and law abiding to pay for the crimes of criminals with their freedoms.

 

[BillCA]

AB357 is not really workable. Today's news indicates that ammo manufactuers are reluctant to put a lazer, capable of engraving a number on a projectile, into the production lines where there may be propellant dust in the air. (One heck of a KaBoom!) Ammo makes also say that if it passes, they may have to forgo sales in California -- defacto gun prohibition.

AB357 has only passed out of committee and still faces votes in the legislature.

Apparently no one has thought this through in the Capitol. What happens when someone switches the contents of two boxes? Some BG gets ammo that's registered to you because clerks will record the numbers on the box. This will require all ammo to be shrink-wrapped when sold and all ammo to be behind the counter. *sigh*

And there's no mention of reloading either. Do bullets for reloading need to be serialized and recorded too? What about people casting their own?