Top Of Old Shotgun Shell

[fairangel]

I dug this today, my detector shows it as brass; after researching I have found it was probably made between 1848-1949. It has the following on it: the outer rim has Winchester 20, Leader, the small center has; W.R. A. CO, there's some other letters on the outer & inner rims but I can't make them out yet.

Does anyone know if it will destroy it to clean it & if not what should I clean it with?

 

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[kuger]

There were no type of shot shell shotguns in 1849.......if you ruin it I will send ya another one

The Winchester Repeating Arms Company produced the first firearm to bear its name in 1866 - the Model 66. In 1873, the company began to expand its operations to include increased ammunition manufacture. To coincide with the introduction of its new Model 73, the company claimed it was "prepared to manufacture 250,000 cartridges per day, embracing every size and description of a quality superior to anything heretofore offered." By 1875, cartridge capacity had been stepped up to a million a day. The decision to expand ammunition production was one of the major policy changes in the history of Winchester. It marked the first step toward making the company one of the largest and best-known manufacturers of ammunition in the world.

Smokeless powder entered the market in the 1890s. The adoption of smokeless powder for ammunition was one of the major innovations affecting the entire history of firearms, and started a new phase in the development

 

[fairangel]

Thanks kuger. I was going on the info on some websites I found, thinking maybe I had found a small piece of history.

 

[kuger]

Oh!You did find a piece of History!!I dont have time right now to give you the exact date,but it doesnt date as early as your info told you.I didnt mean to sound degrading to yours either,but we dig them by the hundreds and they cause me great sorrow LOL!They always sound so good!!Member Turtlefoot on here has a fantastic collection of the many different types and guages that I now send all of mine to.If you want it to shine,get some brass cleaner and a toothbrush,or leave that nice patina,and just brush it with a tooth brush
Appears to date to the earliest of 1870's?Thats cool,and early for a paper shotshell!!
http://members.shaw.ca/cartridge-corner/winch1.htm

 

[fairangel]

I didn't take it as degrading, I just thought maybe it wasn't a piece of history after all. I really appreciate your information. I think I will leave the patina on it, it keeps the old look on it.
I find a lot of rifle shells here, I think I dig about as many of those as I do pull tabs.

 

[kuger]

I didn't take it as degrading, I just thought maybe it wasn't a piece of history after all. I really appreciate your information. I think I will leave the patina on it, it keeps the old look on it.
I find a lot of rifle shells here, I think I dig about as many of those as I do pull tabs.

...these are my "Pull tabs",!!LOL!

 

[Red James Cash]

First came full metal case shotgun shells, then paper case with brass bottom.Yours is, was, a paper case,Unless of course the plastic was pulled off of it. I have a J.C. Higgins 12 gauge paper case.

 

[kuger]

First came full metal case shotgun shells, then paper case with brass bottom.Yours is, was, a paper case,Unless of course the plastic was pulled off of it. I have a J.C. Higgins 12 gauge paper case.

...this one was paper..plastic did not come until MUCH later

 

[tigerbeetle]

An angle on shotgun shells: A buddy has collected every shotgun shell be has found in almost 30 years of hunting. He does it primarily to "clean" a site for more exacting metal detecting. The brass weight from his bucketed bounty of what we both call "Shogun" shells -- as an effort to add some sophistication to these finds -- has gotten close to a tough lift. However, he has also begun to sort through the varieties of Shogun shells and has accrued a remarkably varied collection, which displays remarkably well. We have both developed a far more accepting attitude when we dig these oft omnipresent artifacts. Not sure they'll ever find value like coins or button but he has been offered many hundreds of dollars for his entire display. Also, I have over 30 reloadable brass shotgun shells. These easily recognized shells -- made of brass and up to three inches long -- are very much sought after by collectors.

 

[fairangel]

I usually don't keep the shells I find, I usually bring them home & trash them but this one just looked different than any I had seen so I kept it; I'm glad I did.

 

[kuger]

I usually don't keep the shells I find, I usually bring them home & trash them but this one just looked different than any I had seen so I kept it; I'm glad I did.

If you dont decide to keep them I am sure Turtlefoot would really appreciate them.
We had a site 5 or six years ago that was never documented as any type of shooting range but my Dada sorted through the buckets of shot shells and rifle cases and we has 41 different brands of paper shot shell headstamps,35 Brass cases,and four diferent guages,along with 27 different rifle shell calibers.Also were around 100 various cal. roundballs!Made a really neat display which we gifted to the land owner

 

[fairangel]

I think I will keep it, it's neat having just that small piece of history. If I do change my mind, I will definitely let turtlefoot know.

 

[Red James Cash]

..this one was paper..plastic did not come until MUCH later

Nooooo really

 

[Mud Magnet]

I didn't take it as degrading, I just thought maybe it wasn't a piece of history after all. I really appreciate your information. I think I will leave the patina on it, it keeps the old look on it.
I find a lot of rifle shells here, I think I dig about as many of those as I do pull tabs.

...these are my "Pull tabs",!!LOL!

Montana is literally paved with shell casings. They are useful in gauging the date of activity in the area being searched.

 

[kuger]

First came full metal case shotgun shells, then paper case with brass bottom.Yours is, was, a paper case,Unless of course the plastic was pulled off of it. I have a J.C. Higgins 12 gauge paper case.

Yours is, was, a paper case,Unless of course the plastic was pulled off of it. I

..this one was paper..plastic did not come until MUCH later

Nooooo really

 

[Davers]

Is a J C Higgins Shell Rare ?.( by Shotgun Shell Standards)