I agree with rick and the other about the probability of two cartridges
jamed together. However, the blurry photo shows that the part on the left,
if it is a cartridge case, is NOT a .45-70 case. If it is a cartridge
case, note that the "Head" is semi-rimmed whereas the .45-70 cartridge has
a straight rimmed case. The Headstamp should be on the right side of the
photo..
The part on the left looks like a brass end for a wood ramrod jamed down
into the cartridge. I have replaced or repaired dozens of ramrods in 30
years of buckskinning. Of course, from that photo, I wouldn't bet a
plugged nickel either way!
Smoke.
Smoke (Michael A.) Pfeiffer, RPA
Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
605 West Main Street
Russellville, Arkansas 72801
(479) 968-2354 Ext. 233
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
Matthew
Sterner To: [log in to unmask]
<msterner@SRI cc:
CRM.COM> Subject: mystery cartridge or trick of the eye?
Sent by:
HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
<HISTARCH@asu
.edu>
08/12/2002
01:27 PM
Please
respond to
HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
Folks,
I have a tough time analyzing historical-period artifacts from drawings and
photographs, but with the increasing number of non-collection surveys in
the West, we have to do our best right? Anyway, I have a drawing and a
fuzzy photograph of a 45-70 cartridge identified from a nineteenth-century
site in south-central Arizona. The headstamp (don't know which end the
headstamp is on -- see photo) clearly identifies the cartridge as a 45-70
carbine cartridge produced at the Frankford Arsenal in February 1878.
Now for the tough part. Had that been all the information provided, no
problem. Identify the round, determine from notes whether it was fired or
unfired, move on. But there is this blurred digital photo that came along
with the artifact. I swear that the photo makes the cartridge appear to
have 2 bases of equal diameter. I am presuming that the crimped portion of
the cartridge (the left end in the photograph) is the projectile, but I'll
be darned if it doesn't look as though the projectile "rim" extends beyond
the plane created by the length of the cartridge! Can someone please
reassure me that it's just me eyes playing tricks on me and that the
cartridge will actually chamber.
Photograph can be seen at http://www.sricrm.com/histarch/ , then click on
file name "4570_cartridge" . . . or something like that.
Any help/advice/reassurance would be appreciated.
Matthew A. Sterner, M.A., RPA
Senior Project Director
Statistical Research, Inc.
6099 E. Speedway Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85712
(520) 721-4309
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