What kind of ammo shells are these?

[SkyPirate]

Are these CW shells?

"RA 17" & "RA 18" stamped on the ends of each.

 

[Eddie Lomax]

No and no. One was made in 1917 and the other in 1918. RA is Remington Arms.

 

[DigginThePast]

RA 17 Remington Arms, 1917 - Caliber .30-40 Krag I believe.

RA 18 Remington Arms, 1918 - Caliber .30-06

 

[SkyPirate]

Thanks for clearing that up for me! The guy who gave them to me said they were CW.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

SkyPilot (and any other readers who are interested)... here's a bullet/cartridge ID rule to rememeber.

You see the small disc in the center of the cartridge's base. It contained the primer which ignited the powder in the cartridge. Such cartridges (with the small disc in the center) are called "centerfire primer" cartridges. Absolutely no centerfire cartidges were used by either side in the US civil war. The US Military did not adopt centerfire ammunition until the 1870s.

You might want to pass this information along to your friend who said they are civil war cartridges.