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Thread: My Oldest Cartridge

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    Ed in North Texas's Avatar
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    My Oldest Cartridge

    The oldest cartridge I have goes with my .50-70 NYSM RB*. A Frankford Arsenal produced Benet inside primed .50-70. Best I can tell, Frankford switched production of the Benet cartridges to .45-70 in 1873. With no headstamp (IIRC Frankford started headstamping in 1877), it isn't possible to determine the exact year of production. More than one source puts production from 1866 to 1872. These cartridges have a cast lead 450 grain inside lubed grease groove boolit (400 grain/55 grains BP for carbine loads).

    * The Benet primer explains why the RB has a firing pin which looks like it is trying to get through the primer cup of modern cases. When I first fired it I worried about the depth of the pin indentation, and replaced the FP. The replacement was an exact replacement and it still is a hugely deep indentation, but hasn't pierced a primer yet (likely because of the low pressure of BP loads). When I get a Roundtuit I'll shorten the FP replacement (not the original).
    Ed

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  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    That is really neat. Could you please post a pic or two of it so we could see what it looks like?

    My oldest at the moment is a Winchester box of .44 Colt cartridges. I have it in my display along with a old Colt .44 that was converted to cartridges in late 1869 to early 1870's. There are two vintage ammo boxes in the display, one full and the other is empty. The ammo box was likely produced in the 1870's sometime. Note that it shows it being rifle ammo, but they never really made rifles for that cartridge. The rifle designation for the ammo was to get around the early large city pistol ammunition bans that were in effect. It was Ok to buy rifle ammo, but not pistol ammo in some cities way back then.



    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by Earlwb; 09-28-2017 at 11:31 PM. Reason: typo correction

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    Ed in North Texas's Avatar
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    Sorry it has taken me forever to get back to this. The crimp on the cartridge body keeps the Benet primer in place against the case head. As noted, Frankford wasn't headstamping cartridges at this time, so no markings on the head. Grease groove lead bullet with what may be a wax treatment (original??). I'll try to get better pix next time.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Ed

    CW3 USA (Ret)
    VFW Life
    American Legion
    DAV Life
    NRA Benefactor
    TX State Rifle Assn Life
    SAF Life
    NY State Rifle and Pistol Assn Senior Member because I don't have to fight that fight in TX
    JPFO Member
    GOA Member

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check