Weird 30-30 brass

[Fatdaddy]

I'd go with it was reformed to a different caliber, and a conscientious reloader put the groove in there to warn that it was no longer the original headstamped caliber.

I sort of recall that there was a custom reloader who would normally do this when he converted cases.

Seems like a lot of work for such a common caliber

[quack1]

Most likely reformed from a different caliber brass, like others have said, but check the diameter of the flash hole. I made some mouse-fart loads in 30-06 and enlarged the flash hole to keep the cases from shortening and increasing headspace. To keep them from getting mixed with normal cases, I simply chucked them in the lathe and took a light cut to just remove the caliber stamp, leaving a raised ring around the outer edge and around the primer pocket. I can't be the only one to have done that.

[Noah Zark]

It's questions like this one that prove what a tremendous resource we lost when John Kort passed. He could have provided chapter and verse on those cases, with footnotes and references.

It was from John that I learned about those little copper rings that were once used to "lock" and "seal" a primer into the cartridge case head. We were chatting at the old "sight in range" (now "Cowboy Action range") at the Ridgway Rile Club during one of his and friend Jack's week long stays there. I asked John what kind of primers he had loaded those 30WCF cases with, and he explained all about the copper primer rings, and he used them to be authentic. RIP, John. I sure miss you.

Anyhow, if one were to do a search on John Kort's writings under his name, or his screen name "30WCF", you might find the answer regarding the cases in the OP.

Noah

[Doughty]

Most likely reformed from a different caliber brass, like others have said, but check the diameter of the flash hole. I made some mouse-fart loads in 30-06 and enlarged the flash hole to keep the cases from shortening and increasing headspace. To keep them from getting mixed with normal cases, I simply chucked them in the lathe and took a light cut to just remove the caliber stamp, leaving a raised ring around the outer edge and around the primer pocket. I can't be the only one to have done that.

Same here, but with .308 Win.

[Bazoo]

They likely were formed into 32 WS at some point. Removing the headstamp used to be commonly recommended to segregate brass that was formed from a parent case and looked similar. Since 32 WS is almost identical, it is almost impossible to tell them apart at a glance.

I am unaware of 30-30 ever being produced in anything but solid head cases. I'd like to see balloon head cases if they exist.

[K43]

I have a hard time wrapping my head around making 30-30 out of something else. That's along the lines of making 30-06 out of something else. Just doesn't make any sense. And black ops 30-30? For what? Infiltrating Eskimos or cowboy movie sets?
I think we'll never know, but it was fun reading this thread.

[M-Tecs]

It's questions like this one that prove what a tremendous resource we lost when John Kort passed. He could have provided chapter and verse on those cases, with footnotes and references.

It was from John that I learned about those little copper rings that were once used to "lock" and "seal" a primer into the cartridge case head. We were chatting at the old "sight in range" (now "Cowboy Action range") at the Ridgway Rile Club during one of his and friend Jack's week long stays there. I asked John what kind of primers he had loaded those 30WCF cases with, and he explained all about the copper primer rings, and he used them to be authentic. RIP, John. I sure miss you.

Anyhow, if one were to do a search on John Kort's writings under his name, or his screen name "30WCF", you might find the answer regarding the cases in the OP.

Noah

The 30WCF/30-30 was introduced as a smokeless cartridge. Most of the confusion is due to the "Solid Head Button Pocket." Today they are commonly called semi-balloon heads.

https://www.marlinowners.com/threads...id-head.64742/

30wcf
2,120 posts · Joined 2004

#2 · Apr 1, 2011
.dirty-.thirty,

The folded head - is the earliest type having first been used in rim fire cartridges.

The solid head balloon style - Winchester patented the process to produce solid head cases in 1880 so probably soon after that the solid head balloon style cases were being produced. They are also called "Solid Head Button Pocket." Early on UMC identified these cases with a "S H" on the headstamp.
These type cases were used up until the early 1950's or so in cartridges that were originally black powder cartridges.

The solid head cases - were introduced in the 1890's in the U.S. with the advent of the 30 US Army (30-40) and the 1894 Winchester Smokeless cartridges.

Balloon style cases have no extractor groove wheras the standard solid head cases do.

The inside primed cases were military produced in the 1800's with a Benet type primers.

w30wcf