Big, old cartridge case help

upstatedigger · May 6, 2021

Dug in a field. This kind of mystified me because I’ve never dug anything like it. Rimfire, overall case length about 1.17 inches, kind of smushed but that’s the longest straight section. Diameter at base is .64 inches, and marked “U”, which I’m pretty sure is Union Metallic Cartridge company. I’m wondering if anyone can tell me what specific round this is. Any thoughts are appreciated!

Bayoutalker · May 6, 2021

A 50 Remington Navy comes close.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/.50_Remington_Navy

Cliff

EmuDetector · May 6, 2021

Looks like cliff got it. I poured through all of the other the big bore rimfires I know of and the case measurements all fell short.

upstatedigger · May 6, 2021

Thanks gentlemen... I appreciate it. I’m not sure how close the tolerances were back then, but this definitely measures bigger than that. Maybe still a 50 , but the case dimensions bigger. Thanks for the input and I ll keep looking. Was looking at Spencer 56/50 that looks close.

Bayoutalker · May 7, 2021

upstatedigger said:
Thanks gentlemen... I appreciate it. I’m not sure how close the tolerances were back then, but this definitely measures bigger than that. Maybe still a 50 , but the case dimensions bigger. Thanks for the input and I ll keep looking. Was looking at Spencer 56/50 that looks close.

The case length I found on the Spencer was under 1".

Cliff

upstatedigger · May 7, 2021

Bayoutalker said:
The case length I found on the Spencer was under 1".

Cliff

I see what you mean and I may be wrong about those Spencers. I thought when I first looked I saw a variant that had a longer case length, but can’t seem to find it again.

Tpmetal · May 7, 2021

did you measure the widest part of the base? if so we need the tube measurement not the base of the rimfire.

upstatedigger · May 7, 2021

Tpmetal said:
did you measure the widest part of the base? if so we need the tube measurement not the base of the rimfire.

The rim is .64. I just measured the base, it is somewhat deformed. Smallest is about .53, widest is about .62. So ... maybe about .57 average before being deformed. Hope that’s helpful!

Voriax · May 9, 2021

Actually 56-50 Spencer is a pretty close match I believe

Voriax

Bayoutalker · May 9, 2021

Voriax said:
Actually 56-50 Spencer is a pretty close match I believe

Voriax

The Spencer case length is too short by quite a bit.

Cliff

Voriax · May 9, 2021

Bayoutalker said:
The Spencer case length is too short by quite a bit.

Cliff

From Curtiss Steinhauer's cartridge database, in inches:

rim diameter: 0.638

base diameter: 0.557

neck diameter: 0.517

case length: 1.15

Fairly close i think, unless the database is wrong

Voriax

Bayoutalker · May 9, 2021

Voriax said:
From Curtiss Steinhauer's cartridge database, in inches:

rim diameter: 0.638

base diameter: 0.557

neck diameter: 0.517

case length: 1.15

Fairly close i think, unless the database is wrong

Voriax

You are correct. I can't find what I saw before but it was .857" I think.

Cliff

upstatedigger · May 9, 2021

This may be the Spencer I saw and wasn’t able to find again. When I looked again all I found were the shorter variants, but was relatively certain the first time I looked I found a Spencer that was close. Maybe I ll never know, but that’s the closest I’ve seen.

Bayoutalker · May 9, 2021

Bayoutalker said:
You are correct. I can't find what I saw before but it was .857" I think.

Cliff

I found it. What I saw was the 56-56 Spencer.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/.56-56_Spencer

Cliff

Big, old cartridge case help

upstatedigger

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