Help ID'ing Rimfire Ammo

[ChevelleSS396]

I need some help identifying these. The one in the middle measures in at about 3/4" in length and the base is approximately 3/8" in diameter. (They're both slightly smashed so the measurements may be a little off). The one on the right is approximately 1" in length and the base is approximately 9/16" in diameter. The one in the middle is a simple, plain "H" and the one on the right is a raised "H" in a circle. I pictured them next to a modern .45ACP for comparison.

 

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[Ed144]

cartridgecollectors.org.....H stamp is likely Winchester Repeating Arms Co.

 

[ChevelleSS396]

I did try to look through their forum. They are Winchester Repeating Arms Co. cartridges, I'm just having some trouble figuring out the caliber and what era they might be from.

 

[Older The Better]

The small plain H could be from any era I believe. The circle H may tell you more I’m wondering if that one is a Henry not a Winchester.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Henry rifles, as well as the Winchester M-1866 fired .44 rimfire cartridges. Both guns had dual firing pins. Your rimfire only has one strike so not fired in Henry or Win. Gary

 

[Older The Better]

To clarify I’m not saying it’s a .44 just showing an example of the circle H headstamp. Looks bigger than a .44 compared to that modern .45 but that’s getting beyond my limited knowledge

 

[pistol-pete]

The middle one is a 38 Long rimfire and the big one is a 56-50 Spencer rimfire. You can see the distinct Spencer firing pin Mark on it. The Raised H headstamp is 1860-1870. Nice find.

 

[ChevelleSS396]

The middle one is a 38 Long rimfire and the big one is a 56-50 Spencer rimfire. You can see the distinct Spencer firing pin Mark on it. The Raised H headstamp is 1860-1870. Nice find.

Thank you very much! That's a first for me!

 

[Lamy Lineman]

They are Henry Rimfire shells. Made of copper. Were used in many different rifles and revolvers. Depending on the caliber, Henry 1860 rifle, Winchester model 1866. Spencer Rifle, ( believe was 52 caliber ). Colt model 1860 Army long cylinder, Colt model 1871-72 open top revolver. Colt model 1873 single action Army. In the early years of cartridge making. There were no standards for loads and slugs, so there was a lot of different loads. A lot of revolvers were chambered to match ammo. I've also read that Winchester made these shells and put the H on them to honor Mr. Henry, who invented the Henry repeater rifle. These are my collection of Henry shells.

 

[TimberCrack]

Cool finds...Congrats...the old shells were made of copper so that's why they really sing on your detector..I lucked out and found a .46 rimfire which pony express riders used in their issued rifles from the company..

 

[Colonel Corncob]

The bigger bullet is 14.2mm across, so it's definitely a .56-.56 rimfire, created in 1860. The other 56- variants have tapering of the shell, but yours doesn't from what I can see so it's gotta be a .56-.56. This shell could've been used in the civil war, but .56-.56 bullets were made until the 1930s.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Sorry to have to tell you... according to ALL of the various books on civil war bullets, no Spencer cartridges made during the civil war had an "H" headstamp.

 

[ChevelleSS396]

I did find several others since I made this post that are all 1870’s vintage and I’m thinking these are too. It definitely coincides with the old fort that’s a couple of miles away. I have an AT Pro coming in the mail and I’m dying to get back to that spot and see if there is anything deeper that my Ace 250 might have missed.