Another one for the Bullet Experts

BioProfessor

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Apr 6, 2007
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Same site as the bullet in a previous post and still trying to narrow down a time frame. I found 2 cartridges that both say they are 38 caliber. One is 9mm in diameter so it fits with a .38 caliber but the other is 11mm in diameter but still says 38 caliber. Can't figure this one out.

Thanks for the help.

Daryl
 

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W R A Co is Winchester Repeating Arms co, and UMC is Union Metallic Cartridge (now Remington). .38 Smith an Wesson is a shorter earlier version of the modern .38 and there were countless pistols chambered for it, usually small pocket pistols. I think the other might be a 38-40 thats just lost the bottleneck it was a rifle cartridge.
 

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Just for clarification, the one with the headstamp "UMC 38 CFW" is the one that measures 11mm.

Daryl
 

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BioProfessor said:
Just for clarification, the one with the headstamp "UMC 38 CFW" is the one that measures 11mm.

Daryl

38-40 Center Fire Winchester. made by Union Metallic Cartridge Co. Bottle neck rifle cartridge. it's missing some of it's length.
 

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Just to make life difficlt for humans the calibers of firearms historically have had little standardization

A .36 Colt fires a 0.375" ball or bullet, while a .357 Magnum fires a 0.358" bullet, as does a .38 Special. The 38-40 used a 0.400" bullet, but the .38/55 uses that 0.376" diameter as the early Colts did.

They get smushed to varying degrees as they hit the barrel, and the solid lead bullets had to be larger to get a good seal and compression while the copper jacketed ones had to be smaller as they don't "squeeze" as easily.
 

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