Bought a box of m196 tracers expecting to get red tip opened the box and found this. I have my suspicions as to what it is but wanted a more knowledgeable opinion.
http://s284.photobucket.com/user/jg89s10/media-full//IMG_20150501_103159_zpsd9f477d7.jpg.html
Pull a projectile and weigh it. If its true black tip its worth a pretty penny. More than likely its a readilly available round that someone painted black. It should be 52 grains if its tungsten core ap IIRC.
Came straight out of a sealed lake City box paid 6 bucks a box was labeled lake City m196 tracer head stamp is LC81 bought from my local smiths shop he said I had won the lottery and wanted to buy it back for 25 bucks.
If it is m995 you stole it. It is very rare and you could probably sell them for 25 buck a round it it is m995. I would definitely pull one projectile and weigh it, before you just shoot them. Its probably is not m995, but if it is go buy a mega millions ticket. The odds of getting a box of m995 are probably similar to hitting the mega millions.
LC81 predates the black tip doesn’t it? Any lot info on the box?
Your right markm not developed until 1992.
Op go sell it to the dealer for 50 bucks.
The box reads Lot LC 11-4, the head stamp I reported was from different ammo sorry the head stamp on pictured round is LC71 still too old but any opinions on what it might be would be great, guy I got it from is a personal friend and the box was sealed he’s as lost as I am
If you test fire any of it, make sure you get at least a 300 yard shot with a spotter to see if it traces.
The paint could have also aged badly, or reacted to something over the years. The M196 tracers I’ve seen had very dark red tips. That said, it does look an awful lot like M995.
I did some more research and found that in 71 the tracers issued to law enforcement and national guard were black tip for some reason