Does anyone recognize this? I recall something from a while back but not the particulars. The bullets have a small diameter ribbed shank that snaps into the plastic case. There is a small amount of a fine-grained ball powder in them too. Head Stamp is "USAC" and "38 SPL".

tigger

USAC (United States Ammunition Company) back in the 1980s, I believe. They were full power rounds meant to be easily reloaded by hand. They were also trying to sell the idea to the military. Unfortunately, the cases usually split and/or swelled in the chamber causing extraction problems. They possibly would have succeeded as low power practice loads but outfits like Speer was already selling plastic cased practice ammo. Today's modern polymers would probably make the project feasible today since there are full power plastic cased 223 cartridges in production and they seem to hold up in use.

Not yet ready for prime time but who knows, all future ammunition may be plastic cased.

Not much collector value. Maybe a couple of bucks. Just wait 50 years or so.

Ray

Thanks. A friend dropped three of them off today from cleaning out his garage. I guess I'll put them up with all the other miscellaneous ammo that accumulates around here.

Not a lot of collectors value (yet), but good trading material.

ray

Want one?

tigger

Thanks for the offer. I appreciate it but I have one.

Ray

De nada. I don't collect per se.

I actually shot some of those back in the late '80's. Ended up have bullets stick in the bore on 2 occasions. Threw the remainder of the box in the trash. You could actually pull the bullets out of the case. I remember that the bullets were rebated, like 22 rimfire bullets.

if my memory serves me correctly these came from the Washington/oregon area and originally were destined for military trials , but failed due to the mentioned case problems.

USAC folded and were resurrected lter to try again for military contracts with a range of similar polymer cased, steel headed cartridges in 223 and uo to 50 cal.That exercise failed also and you see occassionally plastic display sets of the three calibres mounted base-down on a stand.

If you are really into esoterica there are at least three variants of the display stand , and often they still have the small pamphlets sitting in the appropriate holder on the display upstand.

Not a lot of useful information on USAC but just some more background to those intrigueing cartridges.

Muzza,
I was stationed at Ft Lewis, WA, 87-90. That is where I ran across those and tried them. Pretty useless round, you could see about half the bullets in flight, like shooting a pellet gun.

Another answer to a question not asked.

I remember talking to the guys at the SHOT Show in the late 80's or early 90's in Houston or Dallas back when I was living in Houston. I've got some samples in a box they gave me somewhere.

Speer used to sell red plastic cases in 38/357 and black plastic wadcutter bullets also. Powered by a pistol primer. Saw them, handled them, never used them.