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I found a piece of 45-70 brass that I'm having trouble reloading. No headstamp, not even a primer pocket, just a firing pin dent in the base of what looks like a giant .22lr.

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Just kidding guys. I know exactly what it is, and thought it was pretty cool to get it with a bag of (more modern) 45-70 brass. Anyone else here seen one of these?
 
Just kidding guys. I know exactly what it is, and thought it was pretty cool to get it with a bag of (more modern) 45-70 brass. Anyone else here seen one of these?

Well not all of us are as knowledgeable as you! :D I'll take a guess. Rimfire .44 that would run in a 1866 Winchester? A pin fire round? That's all I've got.
 
Very cool. If I remember right those internally primed cases were only made for a few years circa 1870 or so. Only way I know is a buddy found one in Montana in the Missouri River Breaks while we were hunting. After research he found out that they were issued to the military with strict orders to use boot heel to crimp them a certain way after firing so they could not be reloaded by the Indians. The one he found was crimped in just this way. I could just imagine it having been fired out of a falling block at a Buffalo or in a Indian skirmish.
 
Yep, it's an original 45-70, circa 1875. The real early ones were Benet-primed. It's basically a copper rimfire case, but instead of the priming compound inside the rim, it's in a little copper cup inserted down inside and crimped in place.

I thought it was a cool find. Loaded rounds are collectible, but empties aren't worth much, even if it is nearly 150 years old.
 
Well not all of us are as knowledgeable as you! :D I'll take a guess. Rimfire .44 that would run in a 1866 Winchester? A pin fire round? That's all I've got.

Rimfire .44 was a good guess. I have a Civil War era .44 Henry in my collection, and it's similar.
 
Actually come to think of it the directive was to crush cartridge with rifle butt. I always wondered if this was folklore though as how the heck would the Indians figure out how to reload a internally primed cartridge?
 

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