What is this case I found?

[snaketail]

I’ve been around guns all my life and I thought I’d seen, or read about, all the cartridges and their variations. But last weekend I ran across a fired cartridge that has me stumped.

It is close to .30 cal (.297 inside the neck), the case length is 1.5”. The case has a boxer primer. The head stamp says 38 and 78, and there is a small dimple on either side of the case abut .5” from the neck – I found several cases and they all had the dimples. The head has a beveled edge similar to what I’ve seen on Russian 7.62x54R cases.

It reminded me of a .32-20, but it is straight walled.

Looks like it would be a nice cartridge for a single shot rifle like a Winchester 1880. Maybe.

Anyone know what this is? See attached pix.Attachment 67131Attachment 67132Attachment 67133Attachment 67134

Thanks
M

[trooperdan]

7.62 Nagant pistol maybe?

[snaketail]

The Nagant pistol was my first thought - but I think they have a short bottle neck - the 7.62 Nagant pix i found on Yahoo did.

Thanks

[300winmag]

Attachment 67140

[VintageRifle]

The nagant case only has that bottleneck if it was crimped that way. The bullet is seated below the case mouth and the crimp its used to create the gas seal. Not all nagant ammo is that way.

[snaketail]

I believe you are right - I searched again and found examples of the Nagant without the short bottle neck. I still think it would make a cool single shot cartridge with 110gr boolit.
M

[brstevns]

Maybe a .310 cadet?

[Nobade]

Nope, Russian military issue Nagant revolver case. I have a bunch that haven't been fired and they have the same "stab" crimp and headstamps.

-Nobade

[308Man]

I too have seen these without the crimp- NAGANT

[USMC87]

I don't have a clue but like to see others who do.

[Chilmonty]

38 special after excessive steroid use? JK don't taze me dude.

[Hogdaddy]

7.62 Nagant pistol maybe?

Bingo,, The Nagant is most likely ; )

H/D

[Alchemist]

You could get a SS chambered in .30 Carbine and be right there....

I believe you are right - I searched again and found examples of the Nagant without the short bottle neck. I still think it would make a cool single shot cartridge with 110gr boolit.
M

[jlchucker]

One of those numbers stamped into that head may be a date. 1878 probably not--1938???

[9.3X62AL]

The case length strongly suggests 7.62 x 38R Nagant revolver, and the numbers seen on the headstamp are likely a production year and facility number. A lot of these contraption-esque revolvers have made their way into the USA since the Wall came down, and I have one such example. OEM ballistics run at the midpoint between 32 S&W Long and 32 H&R Magnum, 98-108 grain bullets getting 850-1100 FPS per data claims. If the revolvers were more tractable, they would be decent field pieces for small game and varmints. They are for all practical purposes an overlength 30 M1 Carbine case, and I use a F/L 30 Carbine sizer die to resize my fired brass. Starline made these cases for a time, but has since sworn off ever doing so again. Prvi Partizan and Fiocchi still load semi-affordable factory ammo in this caliber.

I had never pondered the use of the cartridge as a single-shot rifle round, but it could certainly be adapted to that application. I don't think the case has any strength advantage over the 30 Carbine case, or even the 32/20 WCF. All of that length AKA "boiler room" might go for naught. Although ALL brass is pretty scarce at the moment, once the supply chain normalizes the 30 Carbine and 32/20 will be a lot more readily available as componentry.

[saint_iverson]

+1 nagant!

[Nobade]

I had never pondered the use of the cartridge as a single-shot rifle round, but it could certainly be adapted to that application. I don't think the case has any strength advantage over the 30 Carbine case, or even the 32/20 WCF. All of that length AKA "boiler room" might go for naught. Although ALL brass is pretty scarce at the moment, once the supply chain normalizes the 30 Carbine and 32/20 will be a lot more readily available as componentry.

Hmmm, that's a thought. If you used that in a single shot rifle and seated the boolit out where it normally would be, it would hold a lot of gunpowder. I just might have to make a reamer to chamber a stubbed handi rifle barrel to see what it would do.

-Nobade

[silverman1]

Yes it is a 7.62 Nagant.
The revolvers cost around $100.00,and with all steel construction,I consider a bargain.
They have a V mainspring,and it works both the trigger,and hammer.
The trigger section,can be carefully ground a little at a time,and gets the trigger pull weight down to app.3#
I also use a .30 carbine die,and use 32-20 cases,and take the bottleneck out.
I just use .32 cast lee bullets in it,seated out of the case,like any other revolver round.
This does not give you a gas seal like the Nagant cases do,but shoot fine.
I found a rook rifle acrion at a gunshow,and it is a thin sided break open action,but with set triggers.
I fitted a barrel to it,and used an M-1 carbine reamer to chamber it,but added a collar with teeth on the back,to cut the rim,
Sighted in @ 50 yds,it hits 8 in low @ 100.
Yes it is anemic!
I did not want to chamber this in a modern cartridge,for fear the next owner could put a factory case in it,and blow up a 90 yr old gun.