IMHO:

The logic behind cutting metallic cartridges to salvage lead and 
powder seems a little "forced" to me.  A pair of pliers to pull 
bullets make a lot more sense, and would be a lot safer than cutting 
into loaded cartridges, and frankly, I would assume that most lead 
bullets could be dislodged from most cartridges using simple 
hand/finger power, even without a pair of pliers.  But I haven't 
personally tried that ...

.22 caliber wind chimes made me laugh, though ...

Mark



>Hmmm...interesting responses you've gotten and all sound like viable ideas.
>
>A co-worker of mine, Doreen Cooper, found a number of Colt .45 
>cartridge cases that had been cut in a similar manner in a military 
>context dating to 1902 in Skagway, Alaska . Here is what her 
>armaments analyst, Charles Atkins, had to say:
>
>"A cut in the case, in the area that formally held the bullet, is 
>rare but not unknown in Alaska. This cut is used to unload the case 
>and salvage the powder and lead. This was accomplished by placing 
>the loaded cartridge on a hard surface, probably containing a groove 
>to stabilize it.. Then a knife like tool was placed in such a way as 
>to cut the brass case lengthwise over the bullet. The tool was then 
>struck, cutting the brass case and releasing the bullet. The bullet 
>could then be removed and saved for recasting into whatever shape or 
>size was needed and powder could be saved and reloading into another 
>cartridge."
>
>Cooper went on to suggest that the soldiers inhabiting the small 
>sheds where these cartridges were found were salvaging bullets and 
>powder for use in personal weapons for hunting wild game in 
>off-hours.
>
>Here is the citation:
>
>Cooper, Doreen C.
>2004    Gold Rush Life in Skagway: The Second Avenue "Cabins." 
>Report submitted to General Services Administration, Auburn, 
>Washington, by R & D Consulting, Skagway, Alaska. p. 95.
>
>Hope this helps.
>
>Catherine Holder Spude, PhD
>7 Avenida Vista Grande #145
>Santa Fe, NM 87508
>505-466-1476 home
>505-913-1326 cell
>
>"Life is not tried, it is merely survived if you are standing 
>outside the fire," Jenny Yates and Garth Brooks.
>
>--------------------------------------------------
>From: "Avery, Paul" <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 6:07 AM
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Cartridge Case Question
>
>>Hello all,
>>
>>We did some work recently at an 1830s plantation house in North
>>Carolina.  We recovered a fairly large number of cartridge cases from
>>what appears to be an early 20th century deposit.  It was located just
>>off of the front porch, so it looks like they were sitting on the porch
>>and plinking.  There were some unusual calibers, including several .32
>>Winchester Self-Loading Rifle and .22 Winchester Automatic.  The most
>>unusual thing though, was that there were more than a dozen .22 short
>>and .22 long cases that appear to have been jabbed with a knife.  The
>>cut goes through one wall of the case and runs lengthwise just above the
>>rim.
>>
>>Is this just random behavior indicative of boredom or is there more to
>>it than that?
>>
>>Someone suggested that the cases were sticking in the person's gun and
>>they used the knife to remove the case.  That makes some sense, but
>>there isn't enough space between the edge of the cut and the mouth of
>>the case on the .22 shorts for it to be stuck.  I can't imagine how they
>>managed to get the things to stay still while they punched the hole in
>>them.  Risky indeed to hold something that small and stab it with enough
>>force to puncture the case!
>>
>>I plan to try it myself as soon as I have a chance to create some empty
>>.22 cases, but in the meantime, I'd like to hear from the group.
>>
>>Thanks!
>>
>>Paul G. Avery, RPA
>>Senior Archaeologist
>>MACTEC Engineering and Consulting
>>9725 Cogdill Road
>>Knoxville, TN  37932
>>Phone: (865) 588-8544x1169
>>Fax: (865) 588-8026


-- 

Mark C. Branstner, RPA
Historic Archaeologist

Illinois Transportation
Archaeological Research Program
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
209 Nuclear Physics Lab, MC-571
23 East Stadium Drive
Champaign, IL 61820

Phone: 217.244.0892
Fax: 217.244.7458
Cell: 517.927.4556
[log in to unmask]


"I hope there's pudding" - Luna Lovegood (HP5)

"If you only have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail"- Anonymous