These are sufficiently out-of-round or flattened that they never could have been loaded in the first place.  They are effectively ruined for reloading (which was one of our thoughts about them).

--- On Thu, 1/7/10, Jerry Schaefer <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> From: Jerry Schaefer <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: cartridges
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Thursday, January 7, 2010, 1:42 PM
> These may be blanks, for what purpose
> remains to be seen.
> 
> Jerry Schaefer
>  
> ASM Affiliates, Inc.
> 2034 Corte Del Nogal
> Carlsbad, CA 92011
> 760-804-5757 (office)
> 760-804-5755 (fax)
>  
>  
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of David
> Legare
> Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2010 11:53 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: cartridges
> 
> 
> I have a large number of cartridges at a historic mine site
> in southern New Mexico.  The primary occupation of the
> site is from around 1903 to 1911.  These cartridges are
> of a very wide variety of calibers.  they were all
> identifiable  30-30, 30-06, 44-70, 45, etc.  The
> question concerns their treatment.  Virtually every one
> of them was found crimped in almost exactly the same place
> on the cartidge.  Anyone have any idea what this
> behavior is?
> 
> 
>       
>