What cartridge is this?

F

Fuzzymaster

New member
Unfortunately I don't have a pic yet. My nephew has this cartridge that I will try to describe.
Appx 2" in length, neck case, rim fire with a U head stamp. I would guess it be at least 30 ga and probably slightly larger. Loaded with a lead round nose bullet.
I will try and get a picture of it this week.
 
A wild guess, maybe you mean a .30 caliber long rimfire? If memory is correct .30 dia., app. 1.75 inches long, lead bullet blackpowder loaded from the late 1800's. My W.A.G. without pics. and good measurements.
 
The letter "u" on a rimfire case usually means it was made by the Union Metallic Cartridge Co, or by Remington, after they took over UMC.

I do not think there were ever any .,50-70 cartridges that were rimfire. There were early cases that used an inside primer, but they were centerfire. Those cases LOOK like rimfires, (unfired) because there is no primer visible in the center of the case.

Please, MEASURE the round, with calipers or a micrometer. Give us the measurements of the case in all the details you can, rim diameter, case head diameter, shoulder & neck diameter, overall length, etc.

If at all possible when you get a pic, put a ruler or something for scale.

There are several rounds it could be. Without accurate measurements all we can do is guess. We have extensive references but need measurements to use them.
 
U, as .44 AMP notes, was a headstamp used by either Union Metallic Cartridge company or Remington-UMC.

A single U with nothing else on the headstamp was used ONLY on rimfire ammunition.

"neck case"

Assuming that means a bottle necked case, which eliminates .30 caliber rounds. I know of no .30 caliber bottlenecked rounds that were rimfire from that era.


"I would guess it be at least 30 ga."

30 gauge, as others note, is approximately .52 caliber. That and the length of the round narrows it down, but it's still difficult as we're having to make a lot of assumptions.



"There were early cases that used an inside primer, but they were centerfire. Those cases LOOK like rimfires, (unfired) because there is no primer visible in the center of the case."

The only issue with that is that internally primed centerfire cases did not have centered headstamps -- it could interfere with the priming. Late internally primed military cartridges had headstamps, but only around the rim, nothing in the center.




My best guess, based on the very limited information we have? I think chances are good that it's a .56-50 Spencer cartridge.
 
If the OP meant caliber instead of gauge it could be 38 extra long rimfire. Not
much else out there that's 2" OAL.

There is 58-60-500 rimfire from the 1865 first Allin conversion---or possibly the
OP has a inside primed 45-70 or 50-70 and thinks it's rimfire because no centerfire
primer is visible?
 
Just a quick correction there were 50-70 rimfire cartridges manufactured. I had some at
one time. They were not inside primed but true rimfire copper cased. No head stamp on the case. Very rare to find today. Catridges of the World lists 50-70 rimfire diminsions.
 
"Just a quick correction there were 50-70 rimfire cartridges manufactured."

Yep, you're right, there was. I was wrong.

Apparently made only for a year or two, the transition between the rimfire .58 Allin and the centerfire .50-70.

There are mentions that the .50-70 was derived from the .50-60 Joslyn.
 
Gaucho Gringo That’s what it appears to be.It happens a lot even though a person(myself) doesn’t post a response doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in knowing.It seems to happen a lot in the firearms and reloading sections someone has a problems post a question and you never see them again
 
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