I recently acquired a bag full of assorted .38 brass in trade. Amongst the brass were 60~70 pieces of brass marked:
W.R.A. 38 special, Googling the headstamp confirmed that it is Winchester brass probably from the 40's or so.

Now for the fun part, the brass has 3 cannelures one in the expected spot about 2/3 of the way down from the top of the case mouth to support a wadcutter. There are an additional 2 more lines about 1/8 in apart at the 2/3 mark that I haven't ever seen before. Ill try to post a pic later when I get home.

Does anyone have any idea of what the 2 additional lines are for/signify and what the original loading might be?

Attached Images

WRA.jpg (47.6 KB, 148 views)

Multiple cannellures well down on the case like these are designate the case was originally for a mid-range 148gr. HBWC load. Could be 1940s, more likely 1950s.

W.R.A. = Winchester Repeating Arms Co.

Other Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp. headstamps are:

Western

Winchester

W-W = Winchester-Western

Super-Speed

Super-X

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Gunsmithing since 1961

The WRA and Western headstamps were used until about the early 1960s, becoming W-W. Ditto with the REM-UMC and Peters headstamps, becoming R-P. No firm date can be established, because various calibers changed headstamps at different times.

Also WCC. Usually with a two digit year date. Usually designates military, but also turns up in Winchester White Box offerings. Probably excess brass getting used up for the cheap stuff. Note the craven use of "usually." Headstamp and other brass conventions are usually, well, just that.

I've noted those odd cannelures before as well as similar but different. I've always figured they designated a particular load or possibly sometimes just cosmetic.

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USAF, 69-92
Vietnam, 72-73

ALK, that is what I thought, along with those in the bag was a box+ worth of REM-UMC with a single stripe and a stray piece of WW and Peters brass. The remainder of the bag was modern Federal and CBC brass.

In assessing the condition does anyone have any thoughts on the "step" down at the base of the case in the web area? All of the cases have this and I'm mot sure if its a sizing error or a fault in the case that would keep me from reloading it.

Load em and shoot em. When they crack, chunk em.

Here is a picture of a case of Remington 148gr ammo I got two years ago.

The crimping case marks will get higher on the case with the use of a..........

158gr and 125gr bullet, due to less bullet seating into the case.

Wow. I have WRA, Western & Peters brass I have had for years that probably have 100+ reloadings on them!

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That "step" at the base is from the thicker case area that doesn't expand upon firing , the upper part of the case expands to the cylinder size , the bottom doesn't and the little step is created. It's not a problem , reload them they are fine.
Gary

Gary, the "step" goes the other way...bigger on the bottom towards the case head and smaller diameter above towards the case mouth, leading to the musings of a undersize sizing die causing the mark

The ring you see at the base is the result of sizing to far down with a carbide size die. It is sized clear down into the solid web of the case. I have a good explanation of this on a different lap top that will no longer connect to the internet.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

I see it now , it's the result of a tight , probably carbide , sizing die , adjusted all the way down , the bottom part isn't resisized because of the shell holder. Still not a problem , go ahead and use them .
Gary

During the 60s and 70s there was also WCC (Winchester Cartridge Company) head stamps

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Still having a little trouble finding a pic or info on the 3 stripe loading. My buddy did cut a sacrificial case in half and we don't see anything that would indicate any issue with re-use. Ill post a pix when I get home. The stepped portion of the case is right at the base at the thickest part of the web. There is no apparent offset in the brass internally. My next step is to load up about 6 or so with my normal load and see if anything changes.

ALK, do you remember the gist of how this can happen? I've set them into both Lee and RCBS shell holders and looked at both my Lee carbide and RCBS steel (357) sizing dies and just cant see how the dies could get that far down and in the case of the carbide die there is a generous radius into the die that couldn't give that sharp of a step.

Attached Images

WRA 2.jpg (102.0 KB, 29 views)