How Old.....?
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Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
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- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4736
- Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:00 am
- Location: North Coast of America-Ohio
How Old.....?
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.
The head stamp says" W.R.A.Co...44WCF. Have a Great 4th of July.
Re: How Old.....?
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.
Re: How Old.....?
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Were both case types (solid/balloon head) made together after the solid head case was introduced ?
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Were both case types (solid/balloon head) made together after the solid head case was introduced ?
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- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4736
- Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:00 am
- Location: North Coast of America-Ohio
Re: How Old.....?
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. .
Re: How Old.....?
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.
Re: How Old.....?
Some interesting information here.
Can you tell from the outside if they are balloon head?
Can you tell from the outside if they are balloon head?
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
Re: How Old.....?
There's no groove in the cartridge body just ahead of rim on balloon head cases. Both of these are balloon head.
Balloon Head Cutaway
Cutaway Balloon Head case and modern solid head case ...
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- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4145
- Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:34 am
- Location: north of Palacios about 1400 miles
Re: How Old.....?
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...!
250 Savage... its what the 223 wishes it could be...!
Re: How Old.....?
THAT was my entire knowledge base! Now what am I gonna do?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
- Sixgun
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Re: How Old.....?
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
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
Re: How Old.....?
I remember the name "John Kort". I believe I communicated with him sometime in the distant past. Nice guy as I remember him.
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- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4736
- Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:00 am
- Location: North Coast of America-Ohio
Re: How Old.....?
Thanks for All of the information . Now that I'm retired I'm finding time to do some shooting. .