Repacked

[Taneka Tarring]

Nicecan. I have one similar, both in linked and belted. Took a few years to find the correct belts, links and WW2 dated ammo. Complete, correct full( or at least the top row) WW2 ammo cans a rarity today, worth finding a Russell dated belt with dated ammo ( SL still the easiest to find).

Richard, the Ordnance Dept. printed service bulletins twice a year during the war that listed the lots and grades made to that point of the primary small arms ammunition made under contract. They were OFSB 3-5 until 1943, then renames SB 9-AMM 4 going forward. The official title is "Small Arms Ammunition Lots and Grades" and it took me years to build my wartime set. Great reference and worth the effort if you collect WWII small arms ammo since the lot number is often the only way to date a wartime container. Glad I could help.

I've never been able to find a pdf copy online. Even searching the specific bulletin numbers usually fails to turn up anything. For me, my motivation to search revolved around my replica ammo box business, and the desire to have an accurate list of WWII lot numbers for them. I also like to be able to help forum members when wartime lot number questions come up.

Repacked lots of .30 caliber were typically boxed rounds that were taken from the boxes and "repacked" in belts or links, hence the new lot number. Towards the end of the war, some plants took rounds directly from manufacturing and put them in belts or links with a dedicated lot number for the rounds. Repacked or not, all ammunition was required by regs. to have the lot number recorded for tracking purposes in case of problems with that batch. If there is no lot number on the box, it probably didn't have ammo in it.

Your .50 cal box is from Pueblo Ordnance Depot (POD), a dedicated repacking facility, but was probably repacked post war as most of the WWII lot numbers I have are for boxed rounds from the manufacturing plants. Those plants repacked their own rounds and marked the boxes accordingly. The box would have had a repack card inside with the linked belt, showing the original lot numbers. Here's an example.

Thanks so much for the info and pic, Charlie. Very nice card. Are both the lot numbers and repacked lot numbers WW2? I have a box I am evaluating and the repacked lot number on the box is D.M. - L-21573 and was wondering if it was WW2?

The repack card shown in my photo is from 1944. It's interesting to note that the original lot numbers are 5 digit, while the repack number is 6 digit. A new lot number was typically assigned when more than one original lots of ammunition were used together on the same belt. Repacked .30 caliber boxes also contained a repack lot card when assembled for the same reason. Below is a photo of a .30 caliber box and repack card.

Hello. I have a 50cal WW2 can I purchased a couple of years ago at an antiques mall. I'm assuming the ammo can is WW2 production. The lot number on the back says 47. Is this a repacked WW2 can with post war ammo?

I was reading some military fiction and saw a comment that army airborne operations were required to repack all parachutes every ninety days, allowing parachutes that were due to be repacked soon to be cheaply used for training. This got me thinking: do parachutes need to be repacked on a schedule? Is this uniform across all types of parachutes and use cases? (are there differences between military and civilian requirements?) How long is the repack cycle? Why is scheduled repacking needed?

Yes, parachutes need to be repacked regularly. The length of the interval depends on the material of the parachute and is between 60 and 180 days. Every parachute should have a small pocket with a piece of paper which lists the most recent repack date and the name of the packer (who needs to comply with FAR part 65, subpart F).

(1) Within the preceding 180 days, if its canopy, shrouds, and harness are composed exclusively of nylon, rayon, or other similar synthetic fiber or materials that are substantially resistant to damage from mold, mildew, or other fungi and other rotting agents propagated in a moist environment; or

As a skydiver of 13 years, and having been a member of two different national teams and three different national skydiving associations (US, NO, DK), I will add that repack cycles are in most countries/states defined for reserve canopies. Both main and reserve canopies have main control inspection intervals as well, where a repack also occurs, ofcourse. The intervals I've come across differs. Student gear have in most cases more frequent cycles, due to the fact that they land in trees and similar, more often than experienced skydivers. Reserve canopies seems to have cycles that somewhat depends on climate, more specifically humidity. Florida for instance has the most frequent reserve repack cycle I've come across. I think it was three months. In Norway however, it is 12 months. I am not a rigger (an educated skydive-gear god), and I haven't checked this specifically, but my impression is that the opening functionality of a canopy might be compromised if it stays compressed for too long, and that humidity speeds up this process. We like the opening sequence to be as predictable as possible, and even though it would probably work anyway, it is better to be on the safe side. It is generally recommended to keep your main canopy unpacked if you are not going to use it for a while, as long as it is not exposed things that might compromise fabric or lines.

Military gear is sometimes round canopies, instead of the standard square sports-canopy. I have no idea how the round ones needs to be packed, but from what I've seen of the military square-jumpers, I wouldn't be surprised if they have the same repack/control cycles as student canopies, and for the same reasons (trees).

When I started flying hang-gliders, there were a number of incidents (some fatal) where reserve chutes were thrown but did not deploy properly. Competence at chute-packing was the main cause, but some came from chutes where the fabric was simply too stuck together. Clubs started running chute repacking days in local halls or sports centres, sometimes with a zip-wire from the roof which would let you practise throwing your chute under realistic conditions.

For our reserves, we tended to reckon on repacking being a yearly activity, but then many people would go their whole flying career without ever throwing their reserve. More frequent repacking was not justifiable given the odds of needing it. If you're skydiving or doing military airdrops, using the chute is non-negotiable, and reducing risks by more regular repacking is very sensible.

If you go into a glider hangar, you'll find a bunch of club chutes, all of which have been repacked before the beginning of the season, and last 180 days. Sometimes the chute has a pocket for the log, other times it's under one of the flaps.

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