Couple of odd 38 Specials and a very special 38 Special!

[mattw]

So, found these in a box of brass and had to clean them up.

I assume the WRA are fairly old, in all my years of loading I have not seen this head stamp. I have also not see the copper washed Peters before. The 38 auto/super that I have added, is very odd. It appears that it is a homemade 38 Super, but the cannular is in the wrong place for any Federal 38's I checked and then there is the head and the extractor groove... Can't imagine anyone making this shell. Yes, the 38 Super is head stamped 38 Special.
222260222258222259

[380AUTO]

Very interesting. I have a bunch of old 30-40 Krag WRA (Winchester repeating arms) brass from the 30’s. Like you I can’t imagine someone going through the trouble of making super brass from specials.

[GARD72977]

That 38 super looks like a factory case that was stamped wrong.

[mattw]

Do they stamp before the even form the basic cartridge?

[Outpost75]

Do they stamp before the even form the basic cartridge?

Generally yes.

I once had a WW2 era cloth belt of 250 rounds of cal. .30 linked ammunition in which the Ball M1 cartridges were headstamped WRA Co. .30 Govt'06, and the tracers in the same belt were headstamped WRA Co. .270 Win., all having the WW1 style aircraft ring crimp around the primers. Probable 1942 production of work-in-process sporting cases converted to military use. Regrettably I didn't save any of the rounds, or brass, which all went overboard, but firing them in a water-cooled Browning was satisfying at the time!

[higgins]

I had one of those WRA spl tool cases years ago, probably lost in the move. I assumed it was a blank for some kind of heavy-duty nail driver, rivet puncher, etc. Anyone know for sure?