I figured the casings were put in to the cabin walls as
decoration...not out of boredom....but was just guessing.

I knew the casings from our dump are a 2ndary deposit...which puzzles me
a lot...since I thot (most) target shooters (or hunters) left the
casings where they lie - unless they were reloader folks.  But, finding
100s of these expended items...seems like 'kids play'...or, someone was
very tidy. ??

Some of the shotshell brasses are missing the primer, but otherwise
don't look mangled...so...these were 'popped' out on purpose?  For the
fun of it. ?

Oh, I was wondering where the primer on a cat was located.  HA HA

>-----Original Message-----
>From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On 
>Behalf Of Smoke
>Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2007 3:05 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: the Kid Factor influence on artifacts (etc)
>
>I worked for several years out of Libby, Montana, and Ron is right.
>It goes even farther back than 1918.  However, decorating the 
>log ends with .22 rimfire cases is widespread throught the 
>northern Rocky Mountains.  I have have seen at least 50 cabins 
>like this and probably nearer 75.  People still do that there. 
> If you have ever tried to hammer bottle necked cartridges 
>into the ends of logs (blush) you will see why they use nice 
>straight .22 rimfires.
>
>If the cases are in the rocks along with other trash, that is 
>not where they were originally deposited.  If they were 
>shooting at the stuff in trash, that is where the bullets 
>would have been recovered, not the cases.
>
>As to primers falling out - yes they can (but not often) when 
>the cartridge is flattened or run over by a car/truck, tractor 
>or shod horse.  Just like a dead cat on the road.  The more 
>you run over it, the flatter it gets.
>
>:-)
>
>Smoke