Identify Rimfire Round

GunHawke

August 15, 2002 11:58

A customer showed me a rimfire round that I can't identify from the one look at it. It measures about 2.5" overall length with a lead bullet I believe to be in the 7mm/30 cal. range and appears to sink quite a way into the brass. The base is only marked with an "R", "F", "3" and "82".

Sorry for the limited info. If this is too little info I will get a sample for photos and proper measurement.

Thanks ahead of time!!



"They blink an eye or draw a breath before they pull a trigger. I won't!" J.B. Books

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  captkirk3@dslextreme.com

  August 15, 2002 12:27

  Not enough information to go on...You need to pickup a copy of BARNES CARTIDGES of THE WORLD! There's a bunch of Rim Fire Cartridges listed...You've seen the Cartridge in question as where I/we hav'nt...I'm sure you'll pick out the correct one when you see it...Best....
  
  Captain Kirk, Tech Staff

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  Iconoclast

  August 15, 2002 15:12

  GunHawke, if the case is as long as you say, it is from a .45-80 Sharpshooter. This would be a Benet inside primed case, not a rimfire. More likely, you will find the case to be 2.1", making it a .45-70, but it could be either a rimfire or, more likely, the Benet type. There are a few other possiblilities which are pretty scarce inside primed designs. Look carefully around the body of the case between the rim & 0.40" toward the case mouth to see if there are any longitudinal (perpendicular to the axis of the case) indents. There would be two, on opposite sides. If there are none, then it is in fact a rimfire. It is a military rifle ("R" - as opposed to a carbine "C") round loaded by Frankfort Arsenal ("F") in March of 1882 ("3" "82"). If the bullet is indeed on the order of .284 - .308" someone at some time played games with it. There were never any subcaliber loadings in this cartridge, they were 100% .458" Also the bullets were not sunk into the case; there was just room for the black powder charge and the shank of the bullet. If you wish to post dimensions & (particularly) photos I may be able to narrow it down for you further.

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