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shortfal
07-10-2018, 12:33 AM
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
sigep1764
07-10-2018, 12:45 AM
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.
DocSavage
07-10-2018, 07:29 AM
Reformed 223 to 221 Fireball ? 22 Hornet is trimmed and has a shoulder like the old style glass milk bottles.
15meter
07-10-2018, 09:43 AM
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?
sigep1764
07-10-2018, 07:48 PM
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.
shortfal
07-10-2018, 10:14 PM
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
gunwonk
07-11-2018, 12:34 AM
Maybe a .22 TCM?
DocSavage
07-11-2018, 02:46 PM
22 TCM case is less than 1.4 inches long
country gent
07-11-2018, 03:24 PM
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
country gent
07-11-2018, 03:25 PM
Maybe a look thru cartridges of the world would shed some light here
shortfal
07-11-2018, 09:39 PM
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
GONRA
07-20-2018, 05:37 PM
GONRA sez - shortfal - GREAT ANALYSIS!
kootne
07-20-2018, 07:07 PM
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.