Mystery casing dug at CW site

[BuckleBoy]

Hello all,

I dug this casing at a Civil War site and it’s too short to be a Spencer casing. The base of the casing measures about .64. Wish there was a good way to measure the sides but it’s too bent and crushed. It measures around .67 to .70 from top to bottom. The base is pretty much exactly the same width as a Spencer casing but the casing is not long enough to be one. (again, hard to determine it’s length due to it being crushed). Any ideas what this is? I’ve never dug a Sharps & Hankins for comparison but I’ve dug a good many Spencers with the casings complete over the last 30 years and it’s not long enough to be one. And of course it could possibly be post war too. Both sides were at the site where it was dug. I appreciate your help!

Buck

 

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[fyrffytr1]

Are my old eyes deceiving me or do I see a "double" base? I can't recall seeing a shell casing made like that. Then again, I can't recall what I had for breakfast!

 

[azdave]

Its been cut down. I find that era of cartridge casings all the time that have been altered..... Casings with all types of pieces cut from them, including the cylinder/casing wall portion being removed from the casehead.
I always imagined when your life involves being in a canstant state of 'making repairs' to things, the brass had its uses.