Casing I.D. Please

[kuger]

Found these at a 1860-1878 site,they appear to be .50 cal?Rimfire,no headstamp,and are slightly tapered at the throat Any help is appreciated

 

[ivan salis]

looks sort of like a spencer casing --any firing pin marking on the rear ?

 

[kuger]

Thats kind of what my buddy thought as well?There are hammer strikes on the extreme outside rim,on both......just one.

 

[ivan salis]

well henrys rifles 44 cal had double strike pins one top one bottom to prevent misfires --so its not a henry * -- strongly leaning toward a spencer casing --size is right and era is correct for it.

 

[kuger]

Yea,we found handfuls of Henrys,but these two were the only of that type.3/4 of a Sharps rifle was found there as well.

 

[ivan salis]

ah a sharps rifle you say -- bingo -- both the sharps and the spencer both took 56 - 50 rimfire ammo -- so hello "sharps casing" --- since the casing matches the type of ammo used by the sharps gun found there. -- with only 2 fired rounds found and the gun as well--- maybe whoever had the sharps rifle only got off two shots before being "dispatched". --or they were low on ammo. like one guy had a odd rifle while the others had the 44 cal henry --which held more rounds than the 7 round sharps did -- but the sharps was more powerful

 

[kuger]

Really?WoW!I was a Sharpshooter for the Gov. but dont know jack about old Calibers!!Thanks I really appreciate it!!

 

[ivan salis]

yep the 3/4 of a sharps repeater rifle you found , matches up exactly with the (2) 56 - 50 shell casings you found ( that is exactly the type of ammo the sharps would have used by the way )-- maybe something happened making the sharps rifle unusible --or it owner was killed or disabled somehow -- it is very odd that a valuible rifle would just be left like that without good reason --and with so few shots fired.

 

[kuger]

Yea,the whole site is one big mystery.Musket balls are found by the handful,along with all kinds of other casings and bullets and my buddy whos site it is, has been hunting it for years and has an unbeleivable collection of firearms from there as well.Most of the parts of guns are found mismatched parts and minus the barrels on the long guns?

 

[ivan salis]

sounds like a possible cw site or gun smithing site -test firing gounds --either way sounds like a gold mine of old gun goodies

 

[kuger]

Thanks!