One in a million shot?

[Coyote Hunter]

I have a small farm here in Central Montana located very close to an old cavalry fort, I do alot of detecting in the fields and find lots of .58 Springfield, 45/70, 50/70 bullets and brass along with a handful of 56/50 brass.
I made this find yesterday, it is a 45/70 bullet that after being fired impacted another piece of brass of much smaller caliber and stuck in the throat of the case.
Can any one identify the case? it is externally primed, the rim diameter is .432 and the OD on the case is .380 and I'm just estimating the case length to be approx. 1.2 inches long, it has a head stamp but I can only make out one letter for certain as a W.
I also found another 45/70 bullet and a 50/70 bullet, all three finds were around 5 inches deep.
If anyone has any thoughts on this I sure would like to hear them.

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

It is close to the dimensions of a .38 Special .357 Mag (differ only in length) or a .38 Long Colt. But not exactly. 0.432" rim is small for any of those.

 

[chub]

Strange find!

Chub

 

[Blak bart]

Wow thats cool !! Congrats !! What a great find.

 

[jewelerguy]

very unusual. That shot might have even impressed Annie Oakley

 

[Hawks88]

Now that’s weird. Nice find.

 

[Subterranean]

I sure looks like the .38 cartridge was used for target practice by the .45/70 rifleman! Very cool find, congrats. Sub