Need help identifying 19th C cartridges

[IditarodJoe]

Some years ago, an older gentleman gave me a handful of black powder cartridges. He didn't know anything about them but thought I might find them interesting. I set them aside and had forgotten about them until recently and I could use come help identifying them.

Note: The case heads are not bent . . . that's just distortion from my spiffy little Canon Elph 170IS camera.


The cartridge on the left has a U.S.C.Co. 45-70 headstamp, so that one I've sort of figured out, although I am curious about its time frame.

Second from the left also appears to be .45 caliber. It has an OAL of about three inches and the case measures 2.3 inches. The primer appears to have been struck.

The remaining three cartridges are all copper cased rimfires.

The bullet of the center cartridge measures 0.54 in. on the first ring. OAL is 1.58 inches and the case length is 0.90 inches

The two on the right appear to be the same cartridge. Bullets measure 0.50-0.51 inches at the case mouth. OAL is 1.24-1.27 inches and the case length is 0.87+/- inches

I doubt that any of these has any value, but I'm curious to know what they are. Does anybody know?

[mhb]

You are correct...

about the .45-70 - it probably dates from the late 1880's to the early 1900's. The second cartridge appears to be a .43 Spanish. The third round looks like a .56-56 Spencer rimfire, while the last 2 are likely .50 Army pistol rounds with inside-primed centerfire copper cases, and were probably produced at Frankford Arsenal in the early 1870's.
Hope this helps.

mhb - Mike

[IditarodJoe]

Wow! Thanks mhb! Always a lot more fun knowing what they are.

[RCS]

a few more blackpowder US cartridges

Always fun to pick-up some early cartridges

first photo shows 44 Henry, 45 Govt, 45-70 and 50-70 all inside primed except the 44 Henry

The big buffalo era cartridges are all marked except for the modern 45-120P1010046_0042_042.jpgP1010052_0048_048.jpg

[IditarodJoe]

Really interesting, RCS. Thank you! Excuse my ignorance, but what is the white material on the cartridges in the second photo?

[clintonhater]

Really interesting, RCS. Thank you! Excuse my ignorance, but what is the white material on the cartridges in the second photo?

Paper patches! Which some BP shooters (me, for instance) still load.

[jon_norstog]

That second from the left - definitely .43 Spanish, probably UMC blue label, as a lot of that stuff was sold by Navy Arms back in the day. Maybe 60% of them would fire OK.

jn

[RCS]

another excellent lead bullet

The Hoch nose pour mould that is lathe bored will also produce an excellent bullet that you do not have to
size. You are suppose to shoot them in the order they were cast. The bullets shown in the photos are for
the 32-40 Winchester and are 216 grs. They are used with a breech seater in my Hi Wall WincherterP1010055_0045.jpgP1010057_0047.jpg