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Thread: what is it??

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    what is it??

    Was picking up my brass after shooting Sunday and found an odd ctg. case that I never saw before and do not see in any reloading manuals I have.
    It appears to be made from a .223 case as it has a LC 69 headstamp.
    But the head dia. is .355
    Overall length is 1.297
    Head to shoulder is 1.00 with a fairly sharp shoulder.
    Length of the neck is .187.
    Neck diameter is obviously for a .223 boolet. Any ideas as to what it is?
    Pete

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    22 hornet? Survival rifles supplied to air crews in the Air Force were chambered in 22 Hornet and the ammo was more than likely made there.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    Reformed 223 to 221 Fireball ? 22 Hornet is trimmed and has a shoulder like the old style glass milk bottles.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    22 hornet is 1.4", with a long tapered neck. Certainly not any ones idea of a sharp shoulder. Could be a short k-hornet. Not sure of the dimension to the shoulder. Hornet is a rimmed case also, no mention of a rim.

    Photos?

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Im sorry, the pic I was looking at was a standard Hornet round being compared to an Ackley Improved Hornet, but the OP did describe it as looking like it was formed from a 223 case which has no rim. Meter is right, pic might help.

  6. #6
    Boolit Bub
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    Thought about the Fireball but the difference in case diameter is what is really hard to figure. Is not the Fireball case head the same diameter of the .223? This case is smaller diameter but has the headstamp of a 5.56X45. No rim.
    I'll see about posting a picture.
    Pete

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy

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    Maybe a .22 TCM?

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    22 TCM case is less than 1.4 inches long

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master

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    223 has ben reformed to 222 rem 221 fireball and several wildcats. The 355 case head is the kicker here. I believe 5.56 has a 378 case head diameter. that's .023 an awful lot to size down on the solid portion of the case head. The hornet has close to that body size but is a rimmed case

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Maybe a look thru cartridges of the world would shed some light here

  11. #11
    Boolit Bub
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    OK guys, I figured out what that case is. It's a Johnson Spitfire. A .30 Carbine case reformed to take a .223 boolit. The one I found that has the Lake City headstamp was obviously a GI case reworked to be a Spitfire.
    A search on the Johnson Spitfire has much info.
    Pete

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    GONRA sez - shortfal - GREAT ANALYSIS!

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy kootne's Avatar
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    Maybe 25 years ago, I made .25-20 SS from those GI .223 cases. There was sizing them down to the head (used a homemade die), turning heads with a lathe leaving the full dia. at the rim to make a rimmed case from a rimless, FL sizing in a 25-20SS die and fire forming.
    Anyway, several old .22 wildcat varmint cartridges were based on the 25-20 SS. 2R Lovell being one I think. Maybe you have one of those.

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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