WW2 Ammo-Making Equipment & LIS Giveaway

4/8/2012

This week we look at WW2 Ammo-Making Equipment on Author Memories.

This is Part 2 of the WW2 memorabilia sent back to Canada by Nelson Clement Draper while serving in Europe during that war. The note on the back of the picture says, "Nelson Draper (L) and Nellis Sinclair (R) pretending to actually work filling the manure spreader.

Part 1 was the post before this one.

WW2 Ammo-Making Equipment
by Anita Mae Draper

Last week we showed the kit effects from Uncle Nelson's box of WW2 memorabilia. This time, we look at all the ammunition making equipment. Again, I stress that no one in hubby Nelson's family remembers where Uncle collected this equipment or who it belonged to but we'd like to know at least the country of the soldier(s) who carried it.

The Small Bullet Mold

The mold in the open position.

The mold interior is about 90mm from tip to cap end.

Same position, different view.

In the closed position and flipped over.

Bullet Mold ?

This mold is about 2" longer than the smaller one above.

The hole is open to the other side, but the little screw beneath it means something when through here.

Not sure if anything is missing from here. It's so old, we can't budge it open.

Manufactured by THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO, PAT MARCH 17 91

Shotgun Fillers?

The inside diameter is 80mm.

The inside diameter is 100mm.

Folded as you would fill the shells.

Folded in the travel position. The left one is probably brass, the right cast iron?

As you can see from the photos, there are 4 different sizes here - 2 for bullets and 2 for shotgun shells - but those are only guesses. The only one with marking is the mold with the Winchester label that we haven't been able to open

Does anyone know what soldiers would have used these? Were they even used in the WW2 theater? Any information is appreciated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY!

Leave a comment with a valid email address by midnight,
April 15th to be entered in a draw for a new copy
of Valerie Hansen's Love Inspired Suspense,
No Alibi.

Thank you to Valerie Hansen for this giveaway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you have an item or antique passed down from your relatives and want more information about it, why not consider posting at Author Memories. No guarantee you'll receive an answer, but it will be a terrific educational experience and probably some nostalgia thrown in.
Anita Mae.

33 Comments

Carolyn Boyles link

4/8/2012 08:53:47 pm

I will ask my husband about the bullet molds. He's been studying weaponry since he was a child and he may know. The book sounds very interesting. Sign me up for the contest.

Carolyn
authorboyles at swbell.net

Anita Mae

4/9/2012 02:54:15 am

That sounds wonderful, Carolyn. Thank you for asking him, as well as stopping by. Your name is first in the hat. :)

misskallie2000

4/9/2012 03:41:03 am

My uncle J.C. will be 101 in Aug and he was with the Marines on Iwo Jima when the flag was raised. His name continues on with his son, Jr., then grandson, the III and great grandson, the IV.
I would love to read Valerie's book and she is a new author for me. I love romantic suspense.

Anita Mae

4/9/2012 04:13:42 am

Hey, misskallie, it's so nice seeing you again.

Thank you for telling us about your Uncle J.C. We owe such a debt of gratitude to him and others who served in these wars so that we might have freedom. Please extend my thank you as well as early birthday wishes when you see him next.

I like that you mentioned 3 members of your family being J.C. after your uncle. That's what happend with hubby, too. Although Nelson and his uncle share the same complete name, we named our first son with the same initials of N.C. Draper. And yes, these posts about Uncle Nelson are my little way of honoring him although I wish I knew so much more to pass on.

Thank you, misskallie. I really appreciate you sharing with us today. PS - Has Uncle J.C. passed on any stories he thinks we should know about? I'd like to post them here if he has.

Anita Mae.

Janice

4/11/2012 12:36:59 pm

I have no idea about the weapon making tools, but they are interesting to look at and think about. I have never seen anything like these. Thanks for sharing.

The book looks quite intriguing, too. Please enter me to hopefully win it! Blessings, Janice jsmithg(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Anita mae

4/12/2012 03:24:24 am

Hey Janice, thank you for looking. And yes, here's hoping you win it, too, but alas, I can't promise because I use random.org. Love your enthusiasm, though. :)

Ann Lee Miller link

4/11/2012 12:45:15 pm

Wow, this certainly is a post completely out of my sphere of knowledge! Hmm....

Anita mae

4/12/2012 03:26:52 am

Ann, I thought I'd switch it up a bit after all those posts on my Finnish heritage. Just to see if you're all awake, of course.

But hang in there, author Jennifer AlLee has another terrific post coming up next week. :)

Merry

4/11/2012 06:32:41 pm

I've seen some of these in museums. Not much help here! Today we buy everything already made and forget there was a time men made their own ammunition. Please include me in this week's drawing.
Worthy2bpraised at gmail dot com

Anita Mae

4/12/2012 03:31:55 am

You're right about the store-bought stuff. Which makes me wonder how someone would carry all this stuff because it's all heavy. Or did they issue a mold for whatever weapon you carried? Or was there one 'armourer' with per crew? Or was it all left at camp?

Here I put the post up for answers and I'm asking more questions instead. *shakes her head*

Yes, Merry, you're entered. Thanks for dropping by. :)

Mary Duff

4/11/2012 10:55:39 pm

Hi Anita my Dad and husband was talking about weaponry one awhile back isn't that funny. I would love it if you enter me in drawing. Thanks.

Mary Duff
6 Erskine St., Apt. 101
Presque Isle, ME
04769-3158

Anita Mae

4/12/2012 03:36:15 am

Certainly, Mary. I've got you entered.

But you don't need to give me your postal address yet - if you sign in with a valid email address, that's good enough for me. As long as I can contact you.

I can't edit your comment for you, but I'm not sure if you want to leave your address there. If you want to delete and re-do, I'll redo my comment, too. Just let me know.

Linda link

4/11/2012 11:17:27 pm

The pictures of the weaponry tools has been interesting. I know nothing of them, unfortunately. But I am interested in No Alibi. Please enter me!
desertrose5173 at gmail dot com

Anita Mae

4/12/2012 03:38:44 am

Linda, thanks for sharing. I appreciate comments of any kind on my posts. And yes, you're entered in the drawing. Have a good day.

4/11/2012 11:20:09 pm

I must admit that I know absolutely nothing about making weapons. I would love to get entered in the giveaway.

Blessings
Jo

Anita mae

4/12/2012 03:40:16 am

You don't? Really? That's kind of reassuring, you know.

Yup, got your name in my hat. :)

NancyeDavis

4/12/2012 02:45:21 am

Much like the others, I don't know anything about weapon making, but I found this post very interesting. If you are ever in Louisville, KY, we have a really cool museum called "The Frazier Arms Museum". Very neat! They have some wonderful displays as well as classes and informative sessions where you can learn more in a hands-on way. This book sounds great! Thanks for the giveaway.

nancyecdavis At bellsouth DOT net

Anita Mae

4/12/2012 03:54:09 am

You're welcome Nancy, and thank you for the fascinating link! Oh, yes, I'll definitely visit even if I have to go out of my way. Anything with knights, swords, and early weaponry is exciting to see - from a research standpoint, of course. It has nothing to do with a sword-carrying knight rescuing a damsel in distress. Not in the slightest. :D

karenk

4/12/2012 07:55:35 am

thanks for the chance to read this novel ;)

Anita Mae

4/12/2012 09:43:21 am

You are very welcome, karen.

Amanda link

4/12/2012 10:53:36 pm

Wow! That equipment looks a lot different than hubby's reloading stuff! What a fun post - thank you for sharing it with us! And, thank you for the giveaway :)

amanda38401 at gmail dot com

Anita mae

4/13/2012 05:37:10 am

You're welcome, Amanda.

Your husband has reloading equipment? Do you think you could show him the post? Maybe he'll give me a lead that I can follow up on. :)

Susie

4/13/2012 02:20:10 am

Thanks for sharing such cool stuff on your blog, Anita Mae, and for hosting this giveaway! I love the Love Inspired Suspense series and Valerie's books. Thanks Valerie for coming out with another neat book to read! Hope to win it!

Anita Mae

4/13/2012 05:39:21 am

Hey, Susie. Someone else with good taste. :)

Ada Brownell link

4/14/2012 08:15:04 am

I'd like to win the free book you advertised on the loop Saturday..

Anita Mae

4/15/2012 01:17:36 am

Then you've come to the right place, Ada, because your name has been entered. :)

Jim Davis

4/14/2012 10:21:26 pm

The top pictures are of a bullet mold for sporting purposes such as hunting or target shooting. It appears to be a Lee brand. These molds were first sold early in the last century and are still sold.

The Winchester die is for reforming used brass cartridge cases to reduce the diameter slightly at the opening of the case. When the case has been resized, a new primer would be added and a charge of gunpowder would be added, then a new bullet pressed into the opening.

The next items are "roll crimping" tools. They are used to roll the edge of the opening of a shotshell inward to hold in a thin cardboard disk atop a new charge of birdshot or buckshot.

Anita mae

4/15/2012 01:35:12 am

Hello, Mr. Davis. I appreciate you taking time to check over these photos and share your knowledge.

So if the Winchester die uses gunpowder, that would explain why Uncle Nelson had a brass flask in the box as well, right? Last week's post showed several other items from his WW2 memorabilia box including a compass, brass flask, and some sort of cartridge/kit belt.

You've confirmed my suppositions that the bottom 2 photos are of equipment used for shotgun shells. I find it odd that they would be included with war memorabilia. Perhaps because as a soldier, I carried a semi-automatic rifle and don't believe a shotgun is as effective. But that's my personal opinion.

For the Lee bullet mold, you say they are still being sold. Does that mean they are actually still making them? Could they have made them for wartime purposes?

Do you have any speculations as to why this ammo-making equipment could have been in a box with a Nazi helmet? Or do you think it's just coincidence and perhaps Uncle Nelson bought some souvenirs along the way?

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Of course, I now have the photo of Jim Davis, the actor stuck in my head, but that's another story. And why does Garfield suddently come to mind. LOL

Jim Davis

4/19/2012 03:31:20 am

Sorry to be so long in getting back to you. I accidentally unsubscribed!

“So if the Winchester die uses gunpowder, that would explain why Uncle Nelson had a brass flask in the box as well, right? Last week's post showed several other items from his WW2 memorabilia box including a compass, brass flask, and some sort of cartridge/kit belt.”

I’m sure these items were lumped with the WWII things just because they all are connected in one way or other to the use of weapons.

“You've confirmed my suppositions that the bottom 2 photos are of equipment used for shotgun shells. I find it odd that they would be included with war memorabilia. Perhaps because as a soldier, I carried a semi-automatic rifle and don't believe a shotgun is as effective. But that's my personal opinion.”

No WWII combat personnel reloaded ammunition used in battle. It was hugely more efficient to supply all ammunition ready to use and discard without thought all the empty fired cartridge cases. Again these things are not related to the war.

“For the Lee bullet mold, you say they are still being sold. Does that mean they are actually still making them? Could they have made them for wartime purposes?”

First, I should have suggested Lyman as the maker of the mold. Lee came along later. Both companies are still making and selling molds, the last I heard. They would definitely not have made moulds for wartime use. Bullet molds are for making solid lead bullets, which were banned by the Geneva Convention.

“Do you have any speculations as to why this ammo-making equipment could have been in a box with a Nazi helmet? Or do you think it's just coincidence and perhaps Uncle Nelson bought some souvenirs along the way?”
I think Uncle Nelson either was a hunter or perhaps bought these things as collectibles or inherited them from someone. I have some similar things I inherited from my father-in-law, who got them from his father and grandfather. The Nazi helmet is the item that doesn't fit the category.

Jim

Anita mae

4/19/2012 10:12:52 pm

Thank you so much for coming back and explaining, Jim. I appreciate the time you've taken to formulate your answer.

I mentioned this to my hubby and he said it's interesting. Disappointing, but interesting.

Have a good day, sir.

Anita.

Anita Mae

4/16/2012 08:06:08 am

Drum roll... With the help of random.org I've picked a winner for Valerie Hansen's NO ALIBI and that winner is...

Mary Duff!

Congratulations, Mary. Glad to see you wanted to win this one. :)
I'll be sending you an email shortly.

Thank you everyone for dropping by with a comment.

If you have a moment, check this week's Author Memories guest where we welcome back Jennifer AlLee who is giving away a copy of her newest release, The Mother Road.

If you've ever wondered what the hoopla is about Route 66, then this is the book for you. And if you haven't wondered, you will after reading this book. :D

Christopher W. Allen

9/24/2012 07:16:30 am

Love old collectables like belt buckles, ammo molds, black smithing etc. If you have any more give aways for these let me know Id love to get one thank you

Anita Mae

9/26/2012 02:53:02 pm

Thanks for dropping by, Christopher. Yes, I'll let you know if I'm having a giveaway of this sort.