L2A2 RG 60: ID?

[444m]

(Nato headstamp, L2A2, RG 60) Copper washed steelcase and bullet, 300 round tins with the following stamp- 300 rounds 7.62mm ball L2A2 RG 03 88 60. Ten 5 round stripper clips in each tin. Thanks

[ August 10, 2001: Message edited by: EMDII ]

[ksuguy]

I'm guessing this is Radway Green that the Brits used in the L2A2.

[Derby FALs]

That's Radway Green. Usually pretty consistent but the last batch I got had a few dead primers. It was some of the linked.

[EMDII]

Originally posted by ksuguy:
<STRONG>I'm guessing this is Radway Green that the Brits used in the L2A2.</STRONG>

L2A2 is the ammunition identity, not the weapon spec.

It is 1960 vintage, and fairly early L2A2. The L2A1 was produced until 1957, the L2A2 thereafter.

Britain had three ammunition contracts for ball ammunition:
- Radway Green (RG headstamp)
- Kynoch (K headstamp)
- Greenwood & Batley (GB headstamp)

RG produced ball ammunition 1953 to present date. Kynoch from 1955 to 1970. G&B in 1958 only.

Since 1976, there has been no load designation (L2A2) on British service ammunition.The later rounds (don't know the break date) use a lead/antimony 90/10 % core.

Initial FN-produced T65E1 (US 7.62x51) was lead-core. The British MS (mild steel) cores 'became boat-tailed (inconsistently so, apparently) upon firing, contributing to inaccuracy...' . The British, and the US, subsequently used some mild steel-core 7.62x51, although the base was sealed w/ a lead plug to preclude the ad-hoc boat-tailing.

[Jeremy]

I'd double check that ammo, I've heard it was Chinese made (hence copperwash steel cases). Maybe some sort of "covert" type ammo like when they made the M1 Carbine ammo with "LC 52" headstamps, only it was Berdan primed and corrosive as heck. Froze up many Carbines a few years ago.

[Andy the Aussie]

Jeremy may be very close on this one...I have a batch of copper washed 7.62 that has that headstamp...BUT....it is certainly not made in the UK...quality is piss poor...packaged like most of the 7.62x39 that was coming out of the PRC in the late 80's and early 90's...(I handled literally MILLIONS of rounds of this stuff)....I am led to believe that PRC did produce some "covert" ammunition that was supplied to a number of organisations.

I may be wrong about the manufacture but it is not Brit made. Still have about 300rds of it...never game to fire it as I am 99.9% that it will be corrosive. :rolleyes:

Hope that helps

Andy

[Brian in MN]

I bought 4 cans of the stuff from Navy Arms several years ago. They were calling it Chinese. It all ran fine. My Eden import Aussie likes it better than real Radway Green because is seems to have a little more power.

The stripper clips are the best I have ever seen.

[Wadman]

They were probably calling it Chinese because it looks like the Norinco copperwashed steel case and bullet. But unless the Chinese were counterfeiting British ammo using RG L2A2 stamps, it ought to be Radway Green arsenal stuff. I've chronographed both makes and both functioned just fine.