Interesting idea for a cartridge...

[DuaneH]

This is a system I haven't seen before. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say it was a proprietary single shot rook rifle cartridge. From a time when they were still figuring out what a metallic cartridge should look like. The case measures .330" OD and is 1.25" long. Has a round nose bullet (not a round ball) of about .30 cal. There are no markings anywhere on them. Can anyone here shed some light on what these may be?

247133

[Nobade]

Never seen one like that, but the rifle would have to be similar to a Gallagher or a Smith and use a percussion cap. Tilting breechblock loaded from the front or break open design.

[cwtebay]

I believe those are teat fire cartridges. The ones I have seen are 32 caliber. They were made for a revolver I think, and likely others. Cool transition design!

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[Winger Ed.]

There are some Ellis & White patent .28 calibre 'cupfire' revolver cartridges that sort of look like yours.
They're going for around $15 each to collectors.

[Bent Ramrod]

Looks like one of those Moore “teat fire” cartridges.

They were an evasion of the Smith and Wesson patent that allowed rimmed cartridges to be inserted in the rear of bored-through cylinders.

You’d push those cartridges into the cylinder of the Moore revolver from the front. The priming was in the little teat in the rear, which was crushed by the hammer. I can’t remember if you had to pull the empties out the front again by that flange or whether a second snap of the hammer would drive them out; there was a design like that, IIRC.

[DuaneH]

Thanks to cwtebay and Bent Ramrod. Googling "Moore teat-fire cartridge" brings up pictures of cartridges identical to these. It does seem like unloading would be a problem. The teat would likely end up "riveted" over the opening in the rear of the cylinder.

[Nobade]

Why that's right! I'd forgotten about those. Learned something new today, thanks!

[Peregrine]

Never heard of these before, thanks for sharing.