✅ SOLVED Krag Casing - REM-UMC 30 USA?

[Old Pueblo]

Found this old Krag rifle casing here that says "REM-UMC 30 USA", in Cochise County, AZ, not far from Fort Huachuca. From what I have read, the "USA" stands for "United States Army". I guess there is also a "REM-UMC 30 USG" headstamp, which stands for "United States Government". What I want to know is if casings with these headstamps were made for the US Army or US government in general, or if "30 USA" or "30 USG" just refers to type of ammo.

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

.30 USA was the "official" designation of what became better known as the .30-40 Krag. It is also marked .30 US or .30 ARMY on some head stamps. But then the .30-03 and .30-06 came along and it became .30-40 or .30 KRAG.

The gov't produced cartridges had a two letter arsenal code and two digit year: like FA 18. Some had the month: like RA 8 15

But I don't know if the Gov purchased stock ever used that designation (REM-UMC) but I do not think so. It was (and is) a good large game cartridge. DCM used to sell he rifles for $3 to civilians.

 

[ecmo]

I'm not overly familiar with all the various headstamps but where Charlie mentioned.30 U.S. is correct as I have a 1895 Winchester in .30-40 and the barrel right forward of the receiver is stamped .30 U.S.

Don

 

[Old Pueblo]

Thanks

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

VERY helpful! I just found a shell exactly like it yesterday, with much less the length of yours.
Funny, my primer is missing, too...!
....thanks

 

[Johnbrian]

UMC stands for Union Metallic Cartridge Company. It was founded 1867 and merged with Remington in 1912.

So, if you see a headstamp marked REM-UMC, it means REMINGTON-UNION METALLIC CARTRIDGE COMPANY.

Wiki: The .30-40 Krag (also called .30 U.S., or .30 Army) was a cartridge developed in the early 1890s to provide the U.S. armed forces with a smokeless powder cartridge suited for use with modern small-bore repeating rifles to be selected in the 1892 small arm trials. Since the cartridge it was replacing was the .45-70 Government, the round was considered small-bore at the time. The design selected was ultimately the Krag–Jørgensen, formally adopted as the M1892 Springfield. It was also used in M1893 and later Gatling guns.