Unusual 30 cal cartridge

[ejg223]

A fella dropped in today and showed me a cartridge that was apparently retrieved

from a sunken ship. I don't know the history to well but it must have been a weapons

smuggling boat from Germany to Ireland in 1922.

 

Anyway, I have never seen anything like this round before. The bullet is of spitzer

design (looks very modern), the case neck is very long, shoulder rounded and a tapered case.

Case length 53-54mm and a large rimm. The head is rounded not flat?? Primer is larger than

the large rifle. Headstamp, U and opposite 14 ?

 

I'll put a few pictures up in the morning.

any ideas?

 

edi

[ejg223]

Christ Pat, where did you pick that up?

It can certainly be from German origin.

 

Now some pictures.

Any one have a clue what this is?

Change the head and neck down to 7mm and we'd have a nice target round.

Last pic is compared to a 308

edi

 

[casts_by_fly]

7.62 x 54R?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7.62x54mmR

 

Incidentally, it looks like that could be a solution to my 25 caliber question. The 7.62x54R looks like it might have enough capacity to get what I want from a 25 cal 100 gr.

 

Thanks

Rick

[ejg223]

You could be right,

I know that they made a 308 diameter version but I thought that was after the second war.

My father had a finish nagant in 7.62x54R with the smaller 308 bullet.

Never really noticed the head being so rounded.

 

This one has exactly 7.82 diameter on the bullet.

 

edi

[ejg223]

Rick is right,

7.62x54R,

Found this site in the meantime. Visit Website

Must be the "1908 Type L" which seems to have the more rounded shoulder

and the round head. Bullet is a cupro nickel 147gr lead core

Headstamp indicates 1914 and made in Petersburg.

Bullet still seems a bit small in diameter?? maybe corroded a bit.

 

Thanks all.

edi

[casts_by_fly]

In the pictures on wikipedia all of the bullets are a dull green color, which I assume to be paint. Your bullet looks like the paint has worn off. That would make an 0.003" difference.

 

Thanks

Rick

[ejg223]

Rick, in that website I put up, the older versions where mostly

not painted. A chap on a German forum explained that

the lead core bullets of those days were made hollow in

the back and they expanded slightly and sealed when being fired.

The bullets of that type where made 7.82 - 7.84mm.

edi

[Stonewall]

Now you have got me interested . Find out more of the story about this cartridge .

 

Then post it here:International Ammunition Association

 

http://cartridgecollectors.org/forum/viewf...169664f82d68805

 

Glenn

[ejg223]

Now you have got me interested . Find out more of the story about this cartridge .

 

Then post it here:International Ammunition Association

 

http://cartridgecollectors.org/forum/viewf...169664f82d68805

 

Glenn

 

Hi Glenn, I'll try find out a bit more about the ship that smuggled the weapons and ammo.

It'll have to wait a while though, because I'm off on holidays today. Back in 3 weeks.

 

edi