Found something that could be ammunition, can someone ID?

[Max]

Hello everyone

While moving some furniture, I found a few small objects that could be ammunition, or spent rounds.
My father says it could be ammunition from the Bundeswehr (german military), from around the 1960s or 70s, but he's not sure.
What's suspicious is that the objects do look like bullets, but lack visible primers or seperate shells.
And they can't be that old that they were made before modern ammunition (shell+bullet) was introduced.
They seem to be made out of copper, judging from the colour, and some other material at the tips (at least two of the objects).
Also, one of them (far right in the pictures) is sooty at the bottom, indicating that it could be a fired round.
Though it doesn't look like it hit anything at all.
Can someone help ID the objects?

Sorry that the ruler is in cm instead of inches.

Thanks in advance,

Max

 

[SilvrSRT10]

Yes, they are bullets. Not the entire round. Just the projectile. The piece that is sent down the barrel by the gunpowder. They are completely safe. They won't go off. They are as safe as a lead weight you'd use for fishing.

They are jacketed lead bullets. They have a thin copper jacket around the lead center. Again, they are NOT dangerous unless you fling them at someone with a sling shot. This is what they would look like if they were ready to be loaded into a gun and shot.

 

[Max]

Thanks for the fast reply.
Wonder what calibers they may be, so I could get an idea of where they come from.
Also, strangely, one of them (pistol round?) seems to be spent.
But still, thanks for the reply

 

[Jo6pak]

Hello everyone

Max

From left to right.

All appear to be copper jacketed lead core bullets.
The first 2 on the left are rifle bullets. They look to be around 7-8mm, which means they could be for many different cartridges since that is a popular range of caliber.
1. The first is a round nose and appears to have a soft point, suitable for hunting.
2. this one is a spitzer type with a pointed nose and soft point also. The bevels at the base is what is called a "boat-tail type" which reduces drag and aids in long range efficiency.

Since both these rounds appear to have soft points, they are probably not from military ammunition.

The next three are pistol or revolver bullets.
3. This type is called a "semi-wadcutter" which is popular with target shooters.

4. Semi jacketed bullet. Does this one have a solid tip or is it a hollow point?

5. The last one is a full metal jacket bullet that is made no to expand when it strikes the target. This would be the style of a military bullet, although many target shooters use this type as well because they are inexpensive.

If you have a caliper, measure the diameter of each one. That would help us get a good idea of what caliber each on may be.

 

[Max]

Thank you Jo6pak

The fourth from the left is not a hollowpoint, it's just a flat top.
I measured the diameters at the widest points, but I could only measure mm, no imperial units.
The way they're lined up on the photo (left to right) they measure:
1st: 6mm
2nd: 6 to 6.5mm
3rd: 9mm (I'd guess Luger (9x19mm), as it's the most common caliber, from my knowledge)
4th: 7mm
6th: 9mm

Lengh is as follows:
1st: 30mm
2nd: 34-35mm
3rd: 16mm
4th: 14mm
5th: 14-15mm, hard to measure the round tip

I don't know how tough/hard the metal is, so they might have lost a mm while rolling around a drawer for a few decades.

On a very small chance, although very unlikely, the ammo could be a "souvenier" from my ancestors, from WWII.
Although that would make IDing even harder.

Again, thanks for the great support.

Max

 

[oppo]

As far as the one that seems to be spent, it is simply the difference in the type of jacket. With soft points, the lead is basically poured into the jacket like pouring a drink into a cup so the jacket is open on top and solid on the bottom. With a fmj, the same process is used but since the nose, front, of the bullet is solid, the bottom of the jacket is open which exposes the lead core. It has nothing to do with being spent. Hopefully that makes sense.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

The bullet on the far right has not been fired that's just how it was constructed, if it had been fired it would have rifling marks on the copper jacket.

 

[SilvrSRT10]

The bullet on the far right has not been fired that's just how it was constructed, if it had been fired it would have rifling marks on the copper jacket.

Excellent point.

 

[kwo51]

How did they get in you house?

 

[Max]

@kwo51
That's what I want to find out.
My parents are the most anti-gun people in the world, yet still we find ammunition in an old drawer.
Then again, the cupboard it was in is really old, from my grandparents' first shared flat.
So it could be that the ammo is from them or their parents even, and just been unnoticed for decades.

Max

 

[SilvrSRT10]

Technically what you have there are bullets, not ammunition. Ammunition would include the bullet, shell, powder and primer all assembled.

 

[kwo51]

The truth may be stranger than fiction ! In Washington DC a communist held part of the US, you could be put in jail for having those in your position.

 

[Max]

@SilverSRT10:
That's an important point.
I am allowed to own bullets, because I don't own shells, powder etc.
If I would own all the parts needed to turn the bullets into rounds, I'd face a few years of jail for breaking gun-control laws.
Still would be nice to know how they got into the house of the most anti-gun people in the world.

Max