The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Cartridge Collecting The Opening - Vintage .470 Nitro Express Ammo in Tropical TinsGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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One of Us |
I have what appears to be some vintage .470 NE ammo sealed in leaded tropical tins. One tin is totally unmarked except that ".470", "Solid" and "500 G" are hand-written on it in old-fashioned script. The other tin has the tattered remains of a Kynoch label on it. What's left of the label says the ammo inside is .470 Express, 3 1/4 inch, but nothing else is legible. I'm like a kid on Christmas and want to open the tins. Should I? Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | ||
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I'm quite sure that I would open one. | |||
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The tins themselves with none or at best mostly illedgible original labelling, are really of no value in that state. The ammo in the tins could be usable or collectable in their own right sans the tins. Open both and use or sell the ammo. | |||
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I’m going to open the tins. It will be interesting to see how well the ammo has held up over the decades without the deleterious effects of oxygen. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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I've noted that some verdigris spotting develops on older cartridges when kept in the original cardboard divider packets like those used by Kynoch. Half a dozen Kynoch 5 round packets of 404 NE ammo came with my Mauser from Africa years ago. The cartridges were showing early signs of spotting so I removed them all from the packets, cleaned them and stored them in a MTM plastic cartridge box where they have remained in good condition. Still kept the old collector Kynoch packets. | |||
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I thought folks might get a kick out of the opening of these tins, so I took some photos. The unopened tins.  Side and back views. Seals were intact.   I opened the "sardine can" tin first.  The sealing strip was pretty tight and tough to peel off. Better image of the label.  Voila! Twenty rounds!  Uncovered.  The bullets are softs, not magnetic and appear to have gilding metal jackets. In remarkable condition.  These are ready to go.  Now for the box-shaped tin.  This one needed some tools to open. Packets inside!  Twenty more rounds!  Excellent condition.  Manufactured on July 6, 1950.  Nice shape for 75 years old!  Ready to go. The solids are magnetic and therefore steel-jacketed.  One of each, solid and soft.  Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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That is very cool! The Kynoch boxes are amazing. | |||
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Mike, Are you going to shoot these rounds? Ken | |||
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I might give them a try. I’m not a collector. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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How cool would that be to shoot buffalo with those rounds? MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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The ammunition,soft and solid are in great condition albeit they are Berdan primed, easy enough to reload if you have or can get the correct primers. Definitely would anneal the cases after firing and don't be surprised if the odd case splits the neck on first firing,brass hardens with age. The Kynoch packets are like new and would have great collector value I imagine. | |||
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Yes would be a nice bit of nostalgia to use the same original ammunition with cup and core bullets that Taylor, Hunter, Selby et.al. used back in the hay day of safari hunting. Back in the late 70's I used similar on buffalo with my Mauser 404. A mix of early 60's Kynoch soft, Parker Hale solid and some reloads with RWS solids. Shot some good bulls and others for meat but wasn't savvy enough in those days to take any notice of what animals I shot with what ammo, animals just dropped nicely when hit with the 404. A real nice and useful find for Michael. | |||
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Mark and eagle27, you are giving me ideas.  Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Don't blame me if temptation gets the better of you | |||
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Michael if you ever do plan on using your Kynoch ammunition for the real deal in Africa, keep in mind what Harry Selby had to say about the Kynoch soft nose bullets. "In time I abandoned carrying softnose bullets for the .416, for the ones available from Kynoch tended to break up. The only possible use for a soft-nose bullet would be lion, and I found that the .416 rolled lions over with a solid pretty well anyway." —Harry Selby | |||
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Great cartridges! Me, I would keep as collectors. I would worry about the condition of the Cordite after all these years. Especially in a fine double. DRSS | |||
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Thanks for sharing! This was incredible | |||
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Just keep in mind that this old Kynoch is corrosive..flush barrels with boiling water to remove the clorate residue from the primers. | |||
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You just opened a $350 and $500 Tropical Tins for a collector!! Cartridge collectors might pay $175 for the 10 pak, and $75 to $100 for the individual 5 paks. I have fired these older Cordite rounds in my 470NE. Massive fireball, and heavy recoil. Cordite is the old string or spaghetti propellant. Primers are the old Mercury compound primers and VERY corrosive. A stringent bore cleaning process is important to protect your barrels after firing it. 470EDDY | |||
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It seems KYNAMCO, the maker of the modern Kynoch ammunition, has gone into liquidation so your old Kynoch 470 ammo may have just gone up a notch in collectability  | |||
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Where are you getting this information on Kynamco?? Let's not be spreading false rumors.... Kynamco is alive and well, looking for a quality buyer of the Company. They are NOT shipping to the US because of recent former Administrations making it too difficult and expensive to ship to the US!! They are filling thier production with shipments to Europe and Africa. This leaves US double rifle shooters short of good ammo if not serviced by Federal and Hornady in country, or Norma being imported. One should not compare the bullets in the Tropical Tins opened by Michael to those loaded today in Kynoch ammo!! Big difference. I don't shoot that old ammo in my doubles due to the very corrosive nature of the old primers, maybe mercuric, and the Cordite, string propellant. It is also highly collectible, even more valuable in the Tropical Tins of a previous century.... If shooting the old stuff turns your crank and you want to chance hunting with it... well, GOOD LUCK!!.... if it fails....?? 470EDDY | |||
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Reported over on NE forum. Also the info below from The Gazette. Appointment of Liquidators Name of Company: KYNAMCO LIMITED Company Number: 02972275 Nature of Business: Manufacture of weapons and ammunition Registered office: The Old Railway Station, Station Road, Mildenhall, Bury St. Edmunds, IP28 7DT Type of Liquidation: Creditors Date of Appointment: 29 May 2025 Liquidator's name and address: Hayley Watson (IP No. 23450) and Andrew McTear (IP No. 007242) both of McTear Williams & Wood Limited, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich, NR1 1RE By whom Appointed: Members and Creditors Ag CK22994 | |||
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My post referencing what Harry Selby had to say about Kynoch soft nose bullets was in regards the original Kynoch loadings produced prior to 1972 when Kynoch ceased production. The later Kynoch loadings in both soft and solid used Woodleigh bullets, perhaps the best cup and cores ever produced. Sadly it seems this partnership may well be over, hopefully this doesn't effect Woodleigh production. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Cartridge Collecting The Opening - Vintage .470 Nitro Express Ammo in Tropical Tins
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