Thread: Collecting Ammo

Hey All,

I'm looking to start an ammo collection, and I'm after some tips on how to go about it please.

No intention of firing any rounds, I just get a buzz out of collecting, organising and cataloguing. Also, I have a great appreciation of the amount of precision engineering that goes into their creation.

I have no idea of the legal ins-and-outs of buying/selling and posting individual rounds, or even if anyone would be prepared to do so?
Thought I might start in rifle land; I only have an A Cat licence, so I don't know if it's even legal for me to collect pistol rounds?

So-far, I have;
Hornady .243 ballistic tip
PMC .308 WIN soft point
HXP .50 FMJ





Oh, here's a cool link for headstamp ID;
Headstamp Codes - International Ammunition Association


TIA,

Dave

Hey man do you come to palmy?

I got heaps of calibers and a few old big cases

Originally Posted by ocium

Hey All,I'm looking to start an ammo collection, and I'm after some tips on how to go about it please...........I have no idea of the legal ins-and-outs of buying/selling and posting individual rounds,...................I only have an A Cat licence, so I don't know if it's even legal for me to collect pistol rounds?.........

So far, no problem for you Dave. Your A cat covers you for buying ,possessing and selling all types of ammunition EXCEPT that declared "Prohbited" by the current "Law" which changes as often as the wind blows. Although I have not seen the "Law" I believe "Prohibited currently means tracer,steel cored and armour piercing, although I have never seen the definition of "armour, thus I don't know if it means piercing of protective clothing or "hard" militray vehicles such as tanks etc. Just remember that you can't sell/give/trade ammunition to anyone who does not also hold at least an A cat licence nor sell as an "In trade" person..

Join the NZ Cartridge Collectors Club, get your self a copy of 'Cartridges of the World' by Frank Barnes, tell as many of your shooting mates of your interest and you will be well on your way! Once you have established a small collection that you have identified and organized then you are automatically a 'bona fide' cartridge collector and therefore legally entitled to possess 'prohibited ammunition'. Essential items for you include a good set of digital vernier calipers and a multi drawer metal cabinet. Shallow drawers are best, and metal because wood can react with the brass and cause corrosion. Corrugated cardboard makes good drawer liners and prevents the cartridges from rolling about. There are many good books on the subject but 'Cartridges of the World' will keep you going for a few years. Other than general cleaning, do not Brasso your cartridges as that will detract from their value. A wipe with a lightly oiled cloth will provide enough protection from atmospheric corrosion. Store packets in clear Ziploc bags to keep them clean.

Contact for the NZ Cartridge Collectors Club is: Secretary: Henry Shields. His email is hs.shields@xtra.co.nz. He is not far from you, so rock up if you could. The Club has a large meeting with trade/swap tables once a year either in South Island or North Island, and a smaller event each year in both islands. Turn up to one of these and you will be gobsmacked by the cartridges available to a new collector.

As the others have said. And definately the NZCCC. Most try and pick a theme to collect, for example 'British sporting cartridges', 'the .303 British', 'American military', 'WW2', etc, etc.

NZCCC have an auction coming up this month.

If I'm heading down your way anytime, I will throw a variety in a bag. I'll likely be at the Sika Show in Taupo this month if you're about.

Have got some really unusual rounds here that you can have free. Go to Masterton often so can drop off for you to pick up if you wish.

Originally Posted by garyp

Have got some really unusual rounds here that you can have free. Go to Masterton often so can drop off for you to pick up if you wish.

Yes please!

Just be aware that any projectile with anything other than copper or lead in it is prohibited now...along with 22 bird shot....

Do you have anything in particular you want to collect or are you trying to do an overall cartridge collection?

I have friends that collect military cartridges.
Others that collect early commercial cartridges and the ammo boxes.
I have heard of others that just try to collect one particular cartridge and as many military variants and different manufactures and as they can.

Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg

Just be aware that any projectile with anything other than copper or lead in it is prohibited now...along with 22 bird shot....

Such as tin, antimony, clay, wood, etc? Interesting, Can you please provide a link to the "Law" which makes it so?

Thank You.

Arms (Prohibited Ammunition) Order 2019 (LI 2019/137) – New Zealand Legislation

This was the OIC.

Originally Posted by Nugget connaisseur

Do you have anything in particular you want to collect or are you trying to do an overall cartridge collection?

I have friends that collect military cartridges.
Others that collect early commercial cartridges and the ammo boxes.
I have heard of others that just try to collect one particular cartridge and as many military variants and different manufactures and as they can.

Hi,

At this stage I'm just trying to lay my hands on anything cheap to form the foundation of what I hope one day will be a definitive (yes, Flash Gordon, Ming the Merciless crushing) collection; I know that's a hugely idealistic and almost impossible goal, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
I'll will it to my ungrateful grandson who will flog it for a bag of P no doubt (sigh).

Originally Posted by zimmer

Arms (Prohibited Ammunition) Order 2019 (LI 2019/137) – New Zealand Legislation

This was the OIC.

Why are tracers prohibited (and first on the list)? Heaven forbid we can actually see where our rounds are travelling.
I get the dum-dum (mercury fulminate) and AP prohibitions, but tracers - really?

Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg

Just be aware that any projectile with anything other than copper or lead in it is prohibited now...along with 22 bird shot....

There is no restriction on the possession of 'prohibited ammunition' for 'bona fide cartridge collectors', and shot cartridges for rifled firearms are not prohibited. The 'multi-projectile' classification is for multiple projectiles of bore diameter and the law gives 'duplex loads' as an example. The wording is poorly written (and conceived) but the meaning is clarified by the reference to duplex loads, and the specific exemption for shotgun cartridges. When you fire shot cartridges in a rifle it becomes a 'shotgun', albeit of dubious usefulness.