Anyone bored? Lets play an ammo ID game :)

[Wierzbowski]

I'm going way out and calling it a .307 Winchester.

I can't tell if the cartridge in question is rimmed or not. I suppose we'll find out in a bit.

 

[LuftPost]

Ok, to reiterate everything about it, its 3-13, headstamp is: LC 63 MATCH, it is not rimmed.
Here's the blowup of it again:
Using this for the caliper (Starrett 798) measurements:

G1: 7.89 (.3105"), H2: 8.55 (.3365"), H1: 8.69 (.3430"), P2: 11.00 (.4320"), P1: 11.85 (.4655"), E1: 10.28 (.4045"), R1: 11.88 (.4675"), L6: 71.42 (2.8095"), L3: 53.16 (2.0975"), L2: 46.70 (1.8575"), L1: 44.65 (1.7500"), E: 3.30 (.1280")

Looking forward to hearing what you guys think!

 

[unklekippy]

I am leaning toward .338 Federal. The headstamp makes no sense, however.

 

[LuftPost]

I am leaning toward .338 Federal. The headstamp makes no sense, however.

No.. can't be. I thought the .338 Federal was the .308 Win necked up? And the .308 Win is the cartridge directly to its left.
EDIT- Its also .3105 (G1, not H2)

 

[unklekippy]

I give. A .303 of some sort? SOMEONE IDENTIFY IT!!

 

[LuftPost]

I give. A .303 of some sort? SOMEONE IDENTIFY IT!!

I know!! But both the .303 British and Savage are rimmed! Argghhh

 

[Wierzbowski]

So the bullet diameter is .311, which puts it in the same arena as the .303 British and the Soviet bloc bullet diameters. The case is more than 2mm longer than it should be for a .338 Federal (the new name for .338-08), and the headstamp is Lake City 1963 Match, which makes it either a 7.62x51 or a 30-06 originally.

Either your measurement is wrong and the bullet is actually .338" and the case was formed in a die by Fred the Shadetree Reloader from a 7.62x51 round and not trimmed afterword or it was formed from a .30-06 and not trimmed enough afterword and it's a .338-08 or .338-06, or it's a badly-trimmed 7.62x51 that someone managed to jam a .311 bullet into.

Is it just the photo, or is there a bright band across the case a little more than halfway up the cartridge? What is that about? Is it a thin spot in the case indicating imminent separation?

 

[LuftPost]

So the bullet diameter is .311, which puts it in the same arena as the .303 British and the Soviet bloc bullet diameters. The case is more than 2mm longer than it should be for a .338 Federal (the new name for .338-08), and the headstamp is Lake City 1963 Match, which makes it either a 7.62x51 or a 30-06 originally.

Either your measurement is wrong and the bullet is actually .338" and the case was formed in a die by Fred the Shadetree Reloader from a 7.62x51 round and not trimmed afterword or it was formed from a .30-06 and not trimmed enough afterword and it's a .338-08 or .338-06, or it's a badly-trimmed 7.62x51 that someone managed to jam a .311 bullet into.

Is it just the photo, or is there a bright band across the case a little more than halfway up the cartridge? What is that about? Is it a thin spot in the case indicating imminent separation?

I checked the measurement again, its right, and the mm and in measurements were all taken separately. Its very possible that this is a reload tho, as I don't know what to look for indicating it. G1 is the bullet, H2 is the case
The band in the case are actually scratches going around the circumference of the case. Here's another picture zoomed in:

 

[Wierzbowski]

Where did you get the round? I wonder if someone was messing around trying to make a .303-08 or a 7.7-08 wildcat. Or, maybe someone was just trying to use some bullets they found to reload .308 and figured .311 was close enough. Do you have any more like this or is this the only example?

Do you have any pics of the head of the case?

 

[LuftPost]

Where did you get the round? I wonder if someone was messing around trying to make a .303-08 or a 7.7-08 wildcat. Or, maybe someone was just trying to use some bullets they found to reload .308 and figured .311 was close enough. Do you have any more like this or is this the only example?

Do you have any pics of the head of the case?

I got it in Portland, found it at my uncle's place. He's an antiquities guy, does the whole estate sales thing, and I'm assuming that's where he picked it up. I'm sure if I go back and look around I can find more. Here's the headstamp:

 

[LuftPost]

When you says pics of the head of the case, tell me what you want to look at exactly and I'll snap a pic

 

[unklekippy]

It had to start life as an '06. The shoulder is too high to be a .308.

 

[unklekippy]

I guarantee that started out as a LC Match 30-'06. Whatever happened afte the first time it was fired is probably anyone's guess.

 

[LuftPost]

I wonder if this was someones practical joke from long ago and I got inadvertently sucked into it? I'm stumped..
I mean, it's even got age, or patina to it. I dunno

 

[Wierzbowski]

The head of the case is the shot that you have. There is no annulus on the primer, which makes me think that it's a reload. The primer definitely doesn't look original, in any event. Here's an original:



The case looks like it was turned at some point as well. Those scratches start more than halfway up and go to the top.

Kip, you're probably right about it starting as an '06. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced it'd be harder to increase the bullet diameter while lengthening the case by over two millimeters if it had started as a 7.62x51.

 

[LuftPost]

The head of the case it the shot that you have. There is no annulus on the primer, which makes me think that it's a reload. The primer definitely doesn't look original, in any event. Here's an original:

View attachment 37997

The case looks like it was turned at some point as well. Those scratches start more than halfway up and go to the top.

Kip, you're probably right about it starting as an '06. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced it'd be harder to increase the bullet diameter while lengthening the case by over two millimeters if it had started as a 7.62x51.

Well, hmmm, hahahaha well that ended with a bang! I still wonder what sort of cartridge this is supposed to be tho

 

[Wierzbowski]

I'm not sure what it is, but it's interesting. I'd hold on to it to see if someone might know in the future. To me, it looks like the product of someone's backyard experimentation.

Thank you very much for the game, though. It's been a lot of fun!

 

[RifleEnthusiast]

Well am a newbie here, could only identify the 22LR, the 50 BMG, the 223 and the 308

 

[LuftPost]

I'm not sure what it is, but it's interesting. I'd hold on to it to see if someone might know in the future. To me, it looks like the product of someone's backyard experimentation.

Thank you very much for the game, though. It's been a lot of fun!

Of course, thanks for playing! Its been a bunch of fun. And when I head back to Portland, I'm pretty sure theres a box of these rounds there, I'll see if I can find it again.
Anyways, its time to see what Friday night has in store for me Have a great weekend guys!

 

[Wierzbowski]

You have a good weekend too. If you find a box or otherwise figure out what that round is, please let us know. Thanks!