Metal Detecting Near Old Robbers Trail and Found This......

[gollum]

Metal Detecting Near Old Robber's Trail and Found This......

Found some old shell casings near a "Robber's Roost" area here in SoCal, and dug this at about 8 inches.

It's got a headstamp "W.R.A. CO. 32-40" It's a Rifle Cartridge from about 1894 for the "New" Winchester Lever Action Rifles. The WRA CO stands for Winchester Repeating Arms Company, and 32-40 is the caliber.

Oh, the other thing........it has never been fired. The primer is intact, with the bullet still in the neck. I like to think that someone dropped it while reloading during a robbery. I can't think of any other good reason not to pick up a dropped cartridge, as they were quite expensive (relatively), and hard to come by way out in the desert (but who knows).

Enjoy,

Mike

 

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[dkw]

Re: Metal Detecting Near Old Robber's Trail and Found This......

Neat find!! I'm pretty sure that the 32-40 started life as a single shot rifle cartridge several years before the Winchester Model 1894 was introduced. It might be older than you think. I'll see if I can find any info in my books that might help date the headstamp. Off the top of my head I'm thinking that they quit using W.R.A. CO stamping around the 30's or 40's. I'll have to look it up to see when they started using it.

 

[Burdie]

Re: Metal Detecting Near Old Robber's Trail and Found This......

Great find and post with history. HH
Burdie

 

[privet12]

Re: Metal Detecting Near Old Robber's Trail and Found This......

It is a 32 cal with 40 grains of black powder at least in the original loads, later they started using smokeless powder in them but still used the same designation.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Re: Metal Detecting Near Old Robber's Trail and Found This......

I can't think of any other good reason not to pick up a dropped cartridge, as they were quite expensive (relatively), and hard to come by way out in the desert (but who knows).

I can't think of any good reason not to pick up a dropped coin or ring . . . but I'm glad lots of folks don't. Loops on cartridge belts keep 'em handy, but they will pop out if the loops get loose or if you bump the cartridge noses (like on a saddle while turning to shoot at pursuers . . . or dropping your trousers for a . . . rest stop.

PS - you can still go to a sporting goods store and buy .32-40 cartridges, though yours appears to have some age; and the depth found at is a key, too.

 

[gollum]

Re: Metal Detecting Near Old Robber's Trail and Found This......

Hey Charlie,

Winchester stopped making the .32-40 in 1930, along with the .32-55. They brought it back in the 1980s, and still make it today.

The reason we think it was dropped during a fight, was the fact that we found some empty brass, and a couple of flattened slugs at about the same depth in front of some rocks. The way the slugs were buried, we thought they were gold nuggets....sigh!

This is not along a well travelled trail. It's not anywhere near civilization. It's waaaaaay out in the desert, not too awfully far from a stage route. This area was known for quite a few stage robberies, and a couple of posse-bad guy shootouts. Just never thought I'd find the exact spot of one. Now, we just need to find the loot the bad guys hid before they were shot.

Best,

Mike