Different Winchester Headstamps ?
- Thread starter Grey_Lion
- Start date
Winchester went out of business in 1929, I believe Winchester used WRA as the head stamp. Western/Olin purchased Winchester cartridge; so? The last cartridge manufactured by Winchester had to be about the time Winchester got out of the hardware business in 1929. After that there was WW or Winchester Western, Winchester etc., all of that mixed in with WCC or Western Cartridge Company.
F. Guffey
Mike Irwin
Staff
WMA is apparently stands for Winchester Military Ammo and is used exclusively by their Oxford, Mississippi, plant.
Which is somewhat odd, given that .40 S&W isn't a military cartridge. My guess is that they load it at the plant between military contracts and simply use the headstamp to designate manufacture location.
But, most companies have a variety of headstamp styles, and have had for many years.
No clue whether there's a rhyme/reason for it or not.
Which is somewhat odd, given that .40 S&W isn't a military cartridge. My guess is that they load it at the plant between military contracts and simply use the headstamp to designate manufacture location.
But, most companies have a variety of headstamp styles, and have had for many years.
No clue whether there's a rhyme/reason for it or not.
During the months were it gets either too hot or too cold to be outdoors and I get completely bored being retired I will go thru and sort brand head stamps, 5 or 6 Winchester, 3 or 4 Federal and the 3 or 4 Remington. Not that I truly believe it's going to make a difference but it is something to do that is gun related.
After not finding a solid Winchester contact email, I did discover that they maintain a facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/WinchesterOfficial/posts/
I dropped the question there - see if we can get something closer to a definitive answer.
Update - found 2 online contact forms and posted in both - Hopefully we'll get an answer from them as neither one was a "complaint"
https://www.facebook.com/pg/WinchesterOfficial/posts/
I dropped the question there - see if we can get something closer to a definitive answer.
Update - found 2 online contact forms and posted in both - Hopefully we'll get an answer from them as neither one was a "complaint"
Last edited:
The ones labeled WMA-## are the military style headstamp with the number being the last two digits of the year it was manufactured. May have been government agency ammo.
The upper right case is stamped NT for Non-Toxic, meaning it used a lead-free primer (DDNT sensitizer rather than the standard lead styphnate sensitizer) and a bullet whose lead core was completely enclosed. These are mainly for indoor ranges concerned with lead contamination.
The ones that spell out Winchester vs. just saying WIN are variations I've seen for as long as I can remember. I've got .357 brass from the 70's and 80's that are some of each. It may be, as Mike suggested, that these stamps just identify different source facilities.
The upper right case is stamped NT for Non-Toxic, meaning it used a lead-free primer (DDNT sensitizer rather than the standard lead styphnate sensitizer) and a bullet whose lead core was completely enclosed. These are mainly for indoor ranges concerned with lead contamination.
The ones that spell out Winchester vs. just saying WIN are variations I've seen for as long as I can remember. I've got .357 brass from the 70's and 80's that are some of each. It may be, as Mike suggested, that these stamps just identify different source facilities.
I have a few BMG 40 30/06 cases. I did not insist they were Browning Automatic Machinegun and I did not insist they had a pattern on the case head that could have been used to off set the length of the case from the shoulder to the case head; BUT! That explanation would have been an easier sale that than the truth.
F. Guffey