.38 Special "brass"??

Hawkeye2 · Post by **Hawkeye2** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:40 pm

I was just given 20 boxes of once fired .38 special cases but I don't really know what they are. The cases are non-magnetic, copper colored and have no headstamp. They are all packed neatly in yellow WW boxes that are marked on the end with the caliber and unprimed cases GQ7145C. I don't know if these are the boxes they originally came in. I just deprimed about a gallon of dirty .38 cases and am cleaning them up and am now looking at these. I didn't know if I should go on and deprime, clean and size & prime these or trash them. Anyone know what I have here?

Edit: The primer has a red sealer applied around it and they deprime with little effort so the pocket isn't swaged as in military brass. I don't believe these have ever been reloaded and they haven't been cleaned as they still have a little smoke/soot around their mouth.

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:56 pm

.

My $0.02:

It could be that the cases have been chemically (over) cleaned with something that de-zincified the brass, leaving only copper.

If it is a surface effect only, they will reload ok.

You said that they're not magnetic, so I would polish one of them and see if the copper buffed off, to reveal sound brass.

If it did, load and shoot.
If not, discard.

IDK about there being no headstamp - maybe part of a lunchpail bunch of some ammo factory's brass ?

.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 6:51 pm

Air America issued aluminum framed S&W's to thier aircrews, could be the ammo they used.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:49 pm

Well... 1st - are they balloon-head cases?

Hawkeye2 · Post by **Hawkeye2** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:15 pm

They are solid head cases. These aren't antique. Copper color inside too. That could be a copper wash like I have seen on Russian steel cases. If they were aluminum why would anyone bother with a copper wash?

Buck Elliott · Post by **Buck Elliott** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 4:12 am

Stud-driver cases..??

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 6:16 am

I'd try them with some light loads and see how they do. If all is well I'd shoot 'em till they split.

Charles · Post by **Charles** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 12:17 pm

Inconsistent data here:

1. If the cases are unfired, how come there is soot around the necks?

2. If the cases are primed, how come the boxes say unpimed?

My best guess is they are former USGI "sterile" ammo and/or cases. The red stuff is sealant to waterproof the primer. The boxes may not be original, original but just packed in what was available because labeling didn't matter, or deliberately misleading in the case of sterile ammo.

Weight a couple and compare the weight to other brass 38 Special cases. That will tell you if they are brass or copper washed aluminum. Aluminum cases will be noticeable lighter.

If you don't want them, I will give you a pittance plus shipping for them, just for the fun of solving the mystery.

Ray Newman · Post by **Ray Newman** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 2:25 pm

I wonder if they are some old 38 S&W cases?

Measure them and compare the measurements to both the 38 S&W and the 38 Spec'l.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 2:50 pm

Buck Elliott wrote:Stud-driver cases..??

This.

Hawkeye2 · Post by **Hawkeye2** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 3:15 pm

.38 special stud driver cases??

My original post says once fired. The boxes are what my friend (deceased) received them in from another shooter. I expect if they were military the primer would be crimped in place as well as being sealed, they aren't. Over a lifetime I have heard far too many easily debunked gun show stories (tanker Garands, Black Widow Lugers, sterile Polish Mausers ad nausem)

to swallow much of that, won't discount it though. I haven't weighed any yet but will when I get a chance to dig out my scales. I did pick up 5 and compared them with 5 brass shells with no detectable difference if I could even feel the difference.

Charles thanks for the offer but I really don't know what I could do with a pittance or even two, care to offer Zlotys?

I will let everyone know if I solve the mystery.

No they are not .38 S&W, they are .38 special, big difference.

They cleaned up well without removing any of the copper color and next I'll have to see if a standard primer fits, probably should have done that first. If nothing else I may be able to drill them out to use with wax loads.

I wonder if they aren't cheap Chinese or Russian.

Buck Elliott · Post by **Buck Elliott** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 5:40 pm

Hawkeye2 wrote:.38 special stud driver cases??

Yes, there are such things..

Or possibly for a captive bolt gun used in slaughter houses..?

oldgerboy · Post by **oldgerboy** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 7:41 pm

What is the head stamp on them? OOPs ... just reread ... "no head stamp"

Hawkeye2 · Post by **Hawkeye2** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 10:45 pm

.38 stud driver cases, I'm sure there's plenty of material to work with here if you have a sense of humor.

I was able to learn a little more of their history today. I got a few more boxes of these cases and learned that they had been given to a friend in the WW boxes by a person who at the time was employed by H&K. He in turn passed them along to the friend whose estate I got them from. The H&K employee had also given him a lot of .45 ACP once fired cases but these all had head stamps and were assorted brands of regular US made ammo.

Buck Elliott · Post by **Buck Elliott** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 11:52 pm

Hawkeye2 wrote:.38 stud driver cases, I'm sure there's plenty of material to work with here if you have a sense of humor.

Don't let ignorance get the better of you... you are the one who posed the question in the first place...

Hawkeye2 · Post by **Hawkeye2** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 12:24 am

Buck Elliott wrote:
Hawkeye2 wrote:.38 stud driver cases, I'm sure there's plenty of material to work with here if you have a sense of humor.
Don't let ignorance get the better of you... you are the one who posed the question in the first place...

Buck, the line was meant as subtle humor in itself. I'm not sure I appreciate the reference to ignorance on my part.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:17 am

Hawkeye2 wrote:
Buck Elliott wrote:
Hawkeye2 wrote:.38 stud driver cases, I'm sure there's plenty of material to work with here if you have a sense of humor.
Don't let ignorance get the better of you... you are the one who posed the question in the first place...

Buck, the line was meant as subtle humor in itself. I'm not sure I appreciate the reference to ignorance on my part.

"Ignorance" ain't anything except a lack of knowledge... fully curable if one listens... it's stupidity that's nigh onto permanent. I would guess that we're saying, don't cross the line between the two... this is a "family" forum for many of us. Which I take to mean, that I'd prefer to be the one to tell my wife and kid jokes I'd beat the snot outta some other fellar for tellin' 'em.

Hawkeye2 · Post by **Hawkeye2** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:12 pm

I had intended my remark to enlighten some to the potential for some humor there and allow them to use their imagination. Apparently even that was over the line and I do offer an apology to each and all for that. I stand corrected and humbly say I am sorry. This is a fantastic forum, a great group who are always willing to go out of their way to help anyone on almost any subject and I do not wish to upset that. It is actually the first place I go with my morning coffee in hand and am always sure I will find something if interest even if it is not of the topic of leverguns.

Buck, I read your statement and felt I was being called ignorant because of my lack of knowledge of stud drivers in larger calibers and I was quite upset by that. I do admit I am unfamiliar with them and I do suppose that equates to ignorance. I have read and reread your post and I still see it that way though I could be misinterpreting it. From what I have seen of you over the years you are a pretty much tell it as it is guy and I'm not asking for an apology nor do I even expect one, If I read it wrong just tell me and I would be the one guilty of stepping on your boots.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:36 pm

Hawkeye2,
Don't beat yourself up too bad.
I have shot a lot of fasteners into different materials and have never seen anything larger than rimfire.
Even when I was a kid in Germany, the local butcher used a cylindrical device that propelled a spike into the cranium of the slaughter animal.
It was propelled by a rimfire.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 6:04 pm

With the enlarged flash hole, I wonder if some reenactment/movie prop group didn't have them made up for BP blanks.

Hawkeye2 · Post by **Hawkeye2** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 6:58 pm

Please disregard this thread. I had started to resurect it and then changed my mind. I thought it had disappeared when I deleted my post but I see it came back. Here is the new discussion: Post subject: Copper .38 Special cases

.38 Special "brass"??

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