May someone post a photo of an original box? I am still confused if it is American or Canadian. And why in the world can’t I make it capital “D” in the topic name?
Dont have a box, But Think its Candian Made. “D” for Dominion I suspect!
Dont have reference books handy!
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It may be made by DuPont de Nemours, Inc., for Dominion. A box would show.
I’m thinking this is a joint US/Canadian loading. The bullets and cases being manufactured by Dominion and supplied to du Pont who loaded the cartridge. I’ve got this one listed as ‘.30" M1917 Tracer for Aircraft use only’
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HWS Vol. I Revised, pp 288, List of Manufacturers:
Dominion Arsenal, Lindsay, Ont., Canada. .30 ball and AP for U.S. Government under ordnance contract during WWI. Berdan primed. Typical headstamp; D.A.L. 18.
Dominion Arsenal, Que., Canada. .30 ball, AP, and blank under U.S. Army contract during WWI. Typical headstamp; D A C (broad arrow) 18.
Dominion Cartridge Co., Ltd. Brownsburg, Que., Canada. Cal. .30 cartridge cases and other metal components under subcontract from du Pont during WWI. Original contract was for 50 million cases and first production started as early as August, 1917. Typical headstamp; D 18.
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Thanks. So would you call “D 18” an American or Canadian ammo? Or no way to tell?
Vlad it was made by Dominion under a subcontact from DuPont,
So made by / in Canada or as a contract from the US.
Your call.
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Great box!!! Never saw it. Why such an elaborate fired ammo disposal label? This is not a black powder load.
The reason I want to know “Canadian or American” is because I am separating ammo by country, so it is either “Canada” or “USA” box. I wish both Dominion and DuPont did not start with “D”.
The US Government contract was given to DuPont. They didn’t produce themselves but subcontracted to Dominion. So it is Canadian made for the US.
Up to you in which drawer you want to put it (or put it in both)
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Thanks, I only have 1 round.
The elaborate instructions for cleaning fired cases are typical of US. ammunition in this period. The corrosive priming used in these cartridges left a corrosive and hygroscopic ash of potassium chloride in the fired cases that would quickly produce severe corrosion unless water was used to removed that residue, which residue was water soluble. Jack
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Another great box. What exactly is “Cap Works”? Pete, if you tell me how to put capital “D” in the name of my topic, I shall answer your question.
They also made blasting caps. See below the red is a metal tin & the green is a paper container & both are empty.
Regrading the capital D, sorry, but no help. BUT perhaps you could answer & be kind to an (almost) old man.
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The “D” headstamp is totally explained in Chris Punnett’s fine book “.30-06,” published in 1997 by CTG Publishing, Chadds Ford, Pa, in the section on the U.S.A. It is found on pages 186 and 187. The headstamp itself should be considered American, as has been said here, it was a contract by Dupont to Dominion Cartridge Company for components, but initially loaded in the Pompton Lakes Plant, referred to as “The Cap Works,” in New Jersey.
However, that said, there is a Canadian component to the story, as in 1918, due to the ending of WWI, a large portion of orders placed that year were cancelled. Surpolus cases were loaded by Dominion with both soft-point bullets and 180 brain BT FMJ bullets.
This book is a must for any serious cartridge collector.
John Moss
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One large box marked “North America”. Problem solved…
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Hi John
Thanks for the answer you supplied about it’s location, which must mean the box I showed was not from the NJ plant.
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Pete, I don’t think the pink/light red lines through “(Cap Works)” on you label are anything other than a sloppy application of the rubber stamp with the lot lumber, etc., hand applied. Possibly caused by the edge of the stamp.
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That possibility entered my mind too, and you may well be, probably are correct.
I also thought that would be a big stamp for being just a two-digit stamp. But maybe it wasn’t evenly stamped.
Another in the long line of things we may never have a 100% fo-sure answer to.