Mystery round............

[Bob - The Beagle Master]

I found an old cartridge case with no headstamp. It looks like a .45-70 round but the dimensions are wrong. A .45-70 has a case neck of .487" but this round has a case neck of .480". The case length of a .45-70 is 2.105" but the mystery case is 1.848". I don't know if it might be a line-throwing blank or a foraging cartridge they used in the .45-70. The foraging round had a hollow wooden bullet filled with shot. Trouble is that I can't find any case lengths listed for either of them.

Anyone got any ideas because I'll admit I'm stumped?????????

[raymeketa]

It's hard to ID something like a cartridge without having dimensions or a photo. But based on what you've posted, I'd say it's a 45-70 Blank. Some of them were 1.85" long. Does it have an external primer?

Ray

[Bob - The Beagle Master]

Yes it has an external primer which looks to be the size of a standard large rifle primer. The case seems to be a "balloon head" which makes any measurement almost impossible. The rim thickness is the same as a standard .45-70 and the neck diameter is .487".

[da gimp]

Bob, at one time railroads used a .45-70 type blank to use on rail repairs/splicing, much like a RamShot or Hilti set gun is used........ but heck Bob, it's been nearly 30 years since I've seen one, can't remembe the case length, if I recollect it was WW made.........