ID this large cal rimfire cartridge

Went back to the area of the old mill site I had hunted 2 days earlier. You'd think there ought to be an old coin or two to be found, and there probably is, but they are very well hidden amongst the ruins of the old mill and the trash that has been dumped there. And then there is all the litter that has been tossed over the site for many, many years.

Well, enough crying. I spent another 4 hours playing in poison oak, ivy, and tangles of downed limbs. Not much to show for it, but I did get out of the nice cool house and do some detecting. You never know what might turn up. Maybe next time...

Did find an odd rimfire cartridge as pictured below. Case length: 1.50" Rim Dia: .625" Case Dia: .550" The neck is out of round but my best guess is the bullet diameter is .45" or .46"
As you will see in the picture, it has a "U" headstamp that may be for Union Metallic Cartridge Co, but there were other manufacturers who also used a "U" headstamp. It appears the rifle employed dual firing pins (unless it took two strikes to detonate the cartridge). Maybe somebody can tell me what kind of cartridge casing I have.

Thanks. Oh, I saw the same little spotted fawn again. He jumped up from under some downed tree limbs and had a heck of a time getting out from under them. He bumped his head into them a couple of times before making any headway in running off. Still didn't see mama, but he's a fat little sucker so she must be ok.






Wayne

Pleasant Garden, NC
AT Max, Nokta Impact, MX Sport, Nokta FORS Relic, GPX 4800, Infinium, Racer, Deus, F75SE, Nautilus DMC II (order of acquisition, last to first)

Does an archeologist argue with a plow? A bureaucrat with a bulldozer?

.44 Henry maybe or .44 long colt with U headstamp



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/2016 11:59PM by Welgund.

It's necked down,,I didn't know there were any necked down rimfires... Neat find

------------"Cz's still bad to the bone".------------
Living on a big ass Astroid.
The woman that got my rib,I want it back.

Spencer 50-46

10.4mm swiss vetterli rimfire cartridge

.41 caliber bullet..

They fit the model 1869 Vertterli Swiss rifle...

Bannerman imported them into the U.S as part of his war surplus supply house in New York..and sold them for decades ..

I have some old Antique Gun auction catalogs from the 1940s with the Swiss guns in it..I think you could buy one for like 8 or 10 dollars then.

Of course you could also get a 1770s kentucky rifle for about 25.00..LOL.

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2016 01:58AM by Keith Southern.

Keith Southern Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 10.4mm swiss vetterli rimfire cartridge
>
> .41 caliber bullet..
>
> They fit the model 1869 Vertterli Swiss rifle...

Thanks, Keith, it sounds like you are certain in your identification. So these were available in the US in what time period? 30s-50s?
Does that rifle have a firing pin with two protrusions on it, dual firing pins, or was this cartridge struck twice?

Pleasant Garden, NC
AT Max, Nokta Impact, MX Sport, Nokta FORS Relic, GPX 4800, Infinium, Racer, Deus, F75SE, Nautilus DMC II (order of acquisition, last to first)

Does an archeologist argue with a plow? A bureaucrat with a bulldozer?

56 Spencer necked down to .46 cal. One of the earliest wildcats. .56-.46 Spencer.
Check it out at www.ammo-one.com.

Dean



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2016 04:47AM by bado1.

Here's the Vertterli..The case is 1.55" long and used a double firing pins ..

Unfired


Fired


Here's a spencer 56-46..a Spencer case is 1.075 "long..



Also here's some info on the Vertterli..



From looking at your cartridge this is what I lean towards it being..

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Great job with the ID, Keith. Thanks for all the time you put into your replies. Much appreciated!

Wayne

Pleasant Garden, NC
AT Max, Nokta Impact, MX Sport, Nokta FORS Relic, GPX 4800, Infinium, Racer, Deus, F75SE, Nautilus DMC II (order of acquisition, last to first)

Does an archeologist argue with a plow? A bureaucrat with a bulldozer?

Great info, Keith! Thanks!!
Now I'm gonna go measure the two necked down "56-46 Spencer" cases to see if that's what they really are. Mine only have the single pin strike. Great stuff. Thanks!!

Dean

P.S.- FWIW, Mine are the Spencer cases. I just measured them. Thanks for posting this topic, Wayne. I "learnt" something.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2016 04:15PM by bado1.