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STEEL
Fifty caliber cans are near the
bottom of the page, or click HERE.

The steel ammo box is everywhere in our culture. Even among those with no interest whatsoever in military equipment, it's not uncommon to see an ammo box on a workbench or in a garage, filled with hardware or spare parts. The US with a flaming ordnance bomb is commonly found on the end of the WW2 style boxes. The lid has a rubber seal, black or red, which is usually hardened from age or missing altogether.

Right: Crated M1 ammo boxes.

CANCO

CROWN

REEVES

Unknown Maker
No manufacturer's markings. Embossing on can is CAL. 30, AMMN BOX NR33 instead of the usual CAL. 30 M1, AMMUNITION BOX. Possibly foreign made, or US made for the foreign market. Any info on this, please contact me.
Inside of a typical WW2 box with Repacking slip. Embossed bullet on bottom of can shows direction of ammunition.
UNITED
This style of steel box was designed to attach to the 1917A1 tripod.
Embossed bullet on top of can shows direction of ammunition.
Modern ammo box. Photo at right is a helicopter door gunner in Viet Nam.

Ammo box for use in tanks.
This style of box was designed to attach to the belt holding pawl bracket of .30 caliber Brownings in situations where the mount had no ammo box bracket. Though a WW2 GI design, I have been told that this particular box was either manufactured by the Israeli military, or is a reproduction made by IMA.
BRITISH .308 CALIBER BOX
The British .308 box is similar to the USGI box, but is thinner, as shown in the photo at right. The olive drab box is US.
Source: Uncle Sam's Surplus
POST WW2 .30 CAL. AMMO BOXES