How Old.....?

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.45colt
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How Old.....?

Post by .45colt »

Hello to All, On another forum one of the members had 150 pieces of 44-40 balloon head brass for sale. We made a deal and it came yesterday. almost all of it appears unused like new other than being a mellow color. I'm going to shoot black power out of it. Anyone know when balloon head brass was last made? small primer pocket.
The head stamp says" W.R.A.Co...44WCF. Have a Great 4th of July. :D
Pete44ru
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Re: How Old.....?

Post by Pete44ru »

.45colt wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2019 8:38 am
Anyone know when balloon head brass was last made ?

1880.

https://www.oldammo.com/february04.htm


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JimT
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Re: How Old.....?

Post by JimT »

Balloon Head cartridges were produced until sometime after WWII .. I believe into the 1950's. I am not sure when the headstamps were changed at Winchester.
Pete44ru
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Re: How Old.....?

Post by Pete44ru »

.

Were both case types (solid/balloon head) made together after the solid head case was introduced ?

.
.45colt
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Re: How Old.....?

Post by .45colt »

Jim wrote" Balloon Head cartridges were produced until sometime after WWII .. I believe into the 1950's" . It sure seems the case Jim because this brass doesn't look in anyway old like before WW2. maybe Old Six will chime in, I bet He knows somethin. :D .
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JimT
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Re: How Old.....?

Post by JimT »

Pete44ru wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2019 9:33 am .

Were both case types (solid/balloon head) made together after the solid head case was introduced ?

.
I am not sure. When I was a kid in the 50's the balloon head cases were common. I still ran across them up into the late 60's and early 70's. I have several hundred .45 Colt balloon head cases yet. I quit using them when I started messing with higher pressure loads. But they were the reason Ruger and some others had recessed chambers in their .45 Colt sixguns. Elmer Keith wrote about blowing the case heads off balloon head cases.
piller
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Re: How Old.....?

Post by piller »

Some interesting information here.

Can you tell from the outside if they are balloon head?
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JimT
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Re: How Old.....?

Post by JimT »

piller wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2019 3:13 pm Some interesting information here.

Can you tell from the outside if they are balloon head?
There's no groove in the cartridge body just ahead of rim on balloon head cases. Both of these are balloon head.
Long and Short 45 Colt.jpg
Balloon Head Cutaway
CIMG6370.JPG
Cutaway Balloon Head case and modern solid head case ...
CIMG6371.JPG
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3leggedturtle
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Re: How Old.....?

Post by 3leggedturtle »

JimT, your on a roll, thats 5 things I've learned this week from you..... todd/3leg
30/30 Winchester: Not accurate enough fer varmints, barely adequate for small deer; BUT In a 10" to 14" barrelled pistol; is good for moose/elk to 200 yards; ground squirrels to 300 metres

250 Savage... its what the 223 wishes it could be...!
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JimT
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Re: How Old.....?

Post by JimT »

3leggedturtle wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2019 5:28 pm JimT, your on a roll, thats 5 things I've learned this week from you..... todd/3leg
THAT was my entire knowledge base! Now what am I gonna do?
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Sixgun
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Re: How Old.....?

Post by Sixgun »

We all get our information from somewhere....my source is my dear departed buddy John Kort who was a cartridge historian. On the ballon head cases Jim T is pretty much spot on.....1950's

It's the headstamp that tells the era.....W.R.A. Co. was " about " 1886-1930.......W.R.A. was from "about" 1930-1960. It's not unusual to find old brass that's unused......my regular shooting brass for the 30-40 Krag is headstamped from 1909-1911. About a hundred and fifty cases..... It was new when I got it....annealed the neck and it's taken probably 25 loading.

I have downstairs all kinds of new unused factory brass from the forties on....even a box of 43 Spanish (same as 44-77 Sharps) that's dated 1931.----6
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JimT
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Re: How Old.....?

Post by JimT »

Sixgun wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2019 6:02 pm We all get our information from somewhere....my source is my dear departed buddy John Kort who was a cartridge historian. On the ballon head cases Jim T is pretty much spot on.....1950's
I remember the name "John Kort". I believe I communicated with him sometime in the distant past. Nice guy as I remember him.
.45colt
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Re: How Old.....?

Post by .45colt »

Thanks for All of the information . Now that I'm retired I'm finding time to do some shooting. :D .
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