Old rimfire ammo, what is it?

MadDog

MadDog

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So I was digging through a box of old ammo in the garage and I found some old rimfire ammo. I've come to the conclusion using my calipers that 3 of them are 32 rimfire and 3 others are 38 rimfire but I've got a dozen shells of something here that I can't match to any other rimfire charts.

Dimensions are 1.389 overall, 0.437 rim diameter, 0.377 case diameter and 0.860 case length.

Anyone have an idea of what it is? These are unmarked cases.

 
Closest I can find in 8th Edition COTW is 38 Long in the list of obselete American rimfire.

-neck diameter .376, base dimeter .376, bullet diameter .375, rim diameter .435, case length .873, overall 1.380

38 Short is a case length of .768 and overall 1.185

Your case length is right in between??

Could this be a propiertary cartridge put out by a large firearm manufacturer, solely for a percussion to cartridge conversion?
 
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Oh and no I dont know what those are, but interesting thread none the less....
 
Well I'll be damned, here I was feeling pity on ole Cgn99 and for some reason I ran your I.P. address.

Turns out your a returning bannee huh "Cherrybum".

See ya later buddy.
 
I'd have to check cartridges of the world, but that sounds like a 38 long rimfire to me. BTW, there are many of us that are totally interested in this old stuff.
Ivor
 
ivor said:
I'd have to check cartridges of the world, but that sounds like a 38 long rimfire to me. BTW, there are many of us that are totally interested in this old stuff.
Ivor
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^^ THIS ^^
Old rimfire ammo is cool. I can't seem to find anything that matches the numbers you've provided. But 38 long sounds right to me.
The 32 short stuff is easily worth $2/round to anyone who shoots it or collects it. ie: ME (hint-hint)

Shoot straight - chrisco
 
The title of this site might suggest that those that are here care about gun stuff! I do not own a rimfire that I cannot buy ammo for off the shelf, but still find it neat!
 
I notice with interest that this stuff has NO headstamp.

Generally, that indicates fairly early manufacture. If a cartridge caught on, then everyone would make it, each with their own headstamp to show that theirs was better than Buddy's.

Nineteenth Century tolerances often were out a bit from what we would consider "tight". One or 2 thou was not the End of the World, just as long as the stuff FIT.

I would think it is quite early .38 Rimfire Long, possibly Stevens specs.

(And some of us DO care!)
 
Thanks guys, ya I guess when it comes to old bullets like this the sizes weren't exact on all of the old shells, I guess I can call them 38 long rimfire.
 
MadDog said:
So I was digging through a box of old ammo in the garage and I found some old rimfire ammo. I've come to the conclusion using my calipers that 3 of them are 32 rimfire and 3 others are 38 rimfire but I've got a dozen shells of something here that I can't match to any other rimfire charts.

Dimensions are 1.389 overall, 0.437 rim diameter, 0.377 case diameter and 0.860 case length.

Anyone have an idea of what it is? These are unmarked cases.

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Some of that old RF ammo can be worth alot of money so hang onto them.
I cant guess what they are (the ones that are not 38 Rf) but it must be very rare as ive never seen anything like it.
Ive seen lotsa 38 Rf Longs and shorts and 44 RF 41 RF and 32RF and 30 RF. maby you have something else.
I will look in my cartridge charts and see if the bullet dia helps .
I asume the bullet Dia is the same as the case as there heeled bullets ?
That case Dia makes me think there close to 38 Rf tho 38 Rimfire Longs.

Edit :: i see you figgered it out there 38 Rf extra longs.
There is 38 RF Extra longs so thats maby what you got the next step up is 41 Rf and its alot bigger dia bullet and case so 38 Rf extra long is what it must be.
Ive never seen the extra longs before. Just 38 Rf Shorts and 38 Rf longs so i think there still rare .
 
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Dingus, yes it has the same bullet diameter as the case diameter, thanks for pointing that out.

Might buy a 9mm handgun cause I pulled out a beer mug full of 9mm luger bullets out of the same box, gotta get something to shoot them all up with.

Also must be about 50 real old 30-06 shells with military headstamps on them, some dating back to 1906 on the headstamp, I think these are 30-03 bullets????
 
MadDog said:
Also must be about 50 real old 30-06 shells with military headstamps on them, some dating back to 1906 on the headstamp, I think these are 30-03 bullets????
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I believe if they are stamped 1906 or later then that would be ".30 US 1906", or the good ole 30-06. Military stamps would have to show a date prior to that, to potentially be 30-03 (30 US 1903). I have some similar stamps (picked up a lot of military .30-06 cases from the 1st world war years ago), hoping also to have some .30-03 but it was not the case.
 
MadDog said:
So I was digging through a box of old ammo in the garage and I found some old rimfire ammo. I've come to the conclusion using my calipers that 3 of them are 32 rimfire and 3 others are 38 rimfire but I've got a dozen shells of something here that I can't match to any other rimfire charts.

Dimensions are 1.389 overall, 0.437 rim diameter, 0.377 case diameter and 0.860 case length.

Anyone have an idea of what it is? These are unmarked cases.

Click to expand...
The 38RF short was made into the 30s IIRC, as there were still a variety of Allen & Hopkins / Allen and Wheellock guns kicking around. You still see the ammo at most collector shows, nothing exceedingly rare, mind you, if you have an old 38RF they are desireable.
 
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