S&W Ammo???

[dovehunter]

I was scrounging up brass at my club range last week and found some .45 ACP cases that were headstamped "S&W". Since when did Smith & Wesson start offering loaded ammo?

[Mr. 16 gauge]

They don't.....anymore. Used to back in the late 70's/early 80's. I bought some 9mm at a gun show back then; it's the only factory ammo that jammed in my P-38....the bullets were 100 grain HPs and were too short for the feed ramp.

The also offered rifle ammo.....I have a S&W .30-06 case somewhere around here in my collection, and I believe the may have offered shotshells as well.

[Jack]

Yep, they did make ammo at one time. I have some 9 and 45 brass with the S & W headstamp. The stuff I have is range scroungings, so I know nothing about their loaded ammo. The brass is good.

[buckhunter]

I remember haveing some Browning ammo. Still have a couple of empty 06 cases. I would suspect that most of the manufactures have sold ammo under their name at some time.

[skeet]

S&W and Fiocchi bought out Alcan in the early 70's..Sold ammo under the S&W-F headstamp for approx 2 months. Their ammo line was pretty extensive for a while. They developed Nyclad ammo and sold shotgun ammo that was some really good stuff. They also sold some of the first sabot 12 ga slug shells..police ammo. I happen to have some few boxes of S&W-F and a few of the regular S&W. They bought out Fiocchi very quickly.. Alcan stuff ...was mosty Fiocchi marketed items. Alcan 220 Max fire primers especially were Fiocchi 616 primers which are still being sold here. Alcan powders were imported mostly from Sweden and Italy(Bashieri & Pellegri known as B&P). After a few years foray in the ammo business they sold out of it as they couldn't compete in the market any better than the ol Super Vel company. Takin on the big boys in the ammo market was almost impossible.. There were others that didn't cut it either..Activ and US Ammo Company were 2 others, USAC lasted about 6-8 months..Activ a few years..Then there was Wanda and a few others. S&W-F headstamped ammo and brass is very rare, Some was brass but most handgun ammo was nickle plated. The 9mm Nyclad ammo was very good stuff. Federal still markets some of the S&W bullet types