Odd Cartridge - What Is It?

[Pizza Bob]

Ida flooded my garage and basement. Totaled three cars in the garage (427 Vette / Chev SS / BMW X1) and got about 10" in the basement.

Going through a bunch of stuff to throw out or dry out and keep. The stuff I'm currently sorting through was stuff that was moved from my parents home when we liquidated their stuff. My father was a shooter and reloader and in his stuff I came across this rimmed cartridge...



The case length is 1.00". The bullet, at the driving band, is .354" and the rim diameter is .433".

I know there was a 9mm rimmed, but I thought it was shorter than this, plus the headstamp would lead me to believe that it predates the 9mm rimmed. Very interesting headstamp...



When did Winchester stop using "WRA" and what the heck is "Spl Tool". Again, from the use of "WRA" I would think this cartridge would predate the use of any cartridge driven tools (like a nail gun) and they certainly wouldn't use a centerfire cartridge anyway.

Anyone have some insight?

I posted in this sub-forum because it is a rimmed cartridge (revolver) and I believe it would fit this time frame.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[Narragansett]

Sorry about your destruction. Especially to the Vette and SS. Can't help you on the bullet

[moosedog]

I Googled WRA Spl Tool ammunition and it shows several in 38 Special caliber and appears to be collectible at $12 per round. Couldn't find anything to elaborate on it but maybe someone reloaded a tool use case?
Hope you do ok with the insurance company on the losses. The 427 Vette is my dream machine.

[murphydog]

Sorry for your losses, but glad you are still above ground (and water) .

My uneducated guess is it may have been a “master copy” or measurement standard for a .38 Special. This case is supposed to be 1.155” so it is slightly short.

[s&wchad]

PM sent…

Those were originally blanks for driving steel studs/rivets used in construction. They were the same size as .38 Special cases, so a lot of them were salvaged for reloading. The primers were crimped in place.

Yours was obviously reloaded and appears to be shorter. A lot of old timer’s were very “frugal”. I’ve seen .410 hulls cut down to about 1” and reloaded with reduced charges/payloads.

Edit to add:
Here’s a .45 Colt cartridge I got from a reloader. Even if I could chamber it, I wouldn’t shoot it!

[scooter123]

I would not label a 427 Corvette as "totaled". Does it need attention from an expert, yes it does. However these were rather simple cars to take apart and put back together. I had an uncle who had a 1957 190 SL that carried three Concours badges in the grill and before each competition my uncle would take it apart, carry the parts to his basement, and re-finish every part to factory new condition. It took him about 4 months to do this. Compared to that Mercedes a 60's Corvette is only a bit more complicated. I can also tell you from experience that the Small and Big Block Chevies were very easy engines to do a full build on.

As for the SS and X1, you are correct, they are totaled. Just too many computers in cars today to deal with when they get flooded.

[DWalt]

As stated, it is very likely a case for use with a powder-actuated tool, such as a stud driving gun. Someone probably reloaded the case with a bullet. The WRA headstamp changed to W-W back in the early 1960s, actually about the same time REM-UMC changed to R-P. Neither changed over immediately, just when the old headstamp bunters wore out and needed to be replaced.

[RobertJ.]

Originally Posted by moosedog

and appears to be collectible at $12 per round.

Isn't that the going price for any ammo these days?

And to the OP- I'm sorry for the loss of your cars.

[jimbo728]

Looks ;ike a .44 something not magnum.
Hope you can save the 427.
Jim

[jimbo728]

Maybe ammo for #3 S&w. .44 American,
just a guess.
Jim

[cmj8591]

It's possible that it had been originally crimped and the crimp was removed. That would explain why it's shorter than a 38 Special. It's purpose was for a stud driving tool. I don't think they are all that scarce. I definitely wouldn't shoot it.

[2152hq]

These were 'blanks' used in HD Steel Stud driver guns,,not the common nail driver type gun.
They were commonly used to drive steel studs right through contruction I beams for the attachment of the reinforcement rod mesh used in pouring a concrete slab in place.

These were used in the 60's and 70's on heavy building and other construction.
I don't know if they are still used,,probably something better, cheaper, safer to use has been developed. Welding attachmnet maybe.

The 38spcl brass was usually scrounged from the sites and much of it showed up as reloaded ammo.

The WRA headstamp was just used till it wore out on the cartridge production line.
More common cartridges were made in greater quantity, so the headstamp die wore out earlier in production. Then the newer style was put in it's place.
CArtridges that were not often run, the die lasted longer and so they show up in boxes dateable yrs later than the others as Dewalt pointed out..

At one time Winchester made a '45-70 Tool' (blank) cartridge as well.
For punching the holes in rail tracks to allow the splice bars to be bolted into place holding 2 sections of rail track together in alaignment .

Must have been some scrambling for that brass!

[Drm50]

I have a bunch of 45/70 rail punch cartridges from coal mine. I also have some that were used in Navy line throwing guns. There are all kinds of industrial and special use power drivers and bulleted cartridges that are little known to general public.
Never shoot an Industrial Cartridge in your gun. Some are designed to produce hi pressure.

[NYlakesider]

Originally Posted by 2152hq

These were 'blanks' used in HD Steel Stud driver guns,,not the common nail driver type gun.
They were commonly used to drive steel studs right through contruction I beams for the attachment of the reinforcement rod mesh used in pouring a concrete slab in place.

These were used in the 60's and 70's on heavy building and other construction.
I don't know if they are still used,,probably something better, cheaper, safer to use has been developed. Welding attachmnet maybe.

The 38spcl brass was usually scrounged from the sites and much of it showed up as reloaded ammo.

The WRA headstamp was just used till it wore out on the cartridge production line.
More common cartridges were made in greater quantity, so the headstamp die wore out earlier in production. Then the newer style was put in it's place.
CArtridges that were not often run, the die lasted longer and so they show up in boxes dateable yrs later than the others as Dewalt pointed out..

At one time Winchester made a '45-70 Tool' (blank) cartridge as well.
For punching the holes in rail tracks to allow the splice bars to be bolted into place holding 2 sections of rail track together in alaignment .

Must have been some scrambling for that brass!

I worked on the Empire state Plaza in the 1970s in Albany and that Lathers were using .38s for driving studs. I literally got about 3,000 cases out of that. Not many pistol shooters in NY state at the time so I had no problem getting cases from the work being done

I had just got my NY state pistol permit and started loading for it. Saw the empty's on the floor and they looked great. I took a few to a gunsmith that was a member of my club and he looked them over. They were top of the line, the primers were not crimped. The only difference we could see was they said .38 tool. If I look hard I still probably have a few in the basement. I only loaded them for target load so i got a lot of load and fire out of them.

[DWalt]

Originally Posted by Drm50

I have a bunch of 45/70 rail punch cartridges from coal mine. I also have some that were used in Navy line throwing guns. There are all kinds of industrial and special use power drivers and bulleted cartridges that are little known to general public.
Never shoot an Industrial Cartridge in your gun. Some are designed to produce hi pressure.

At one time, there was an oilfield instrument used to determine the depth of oil in the oil well casing, which was necessary to know how to adjust the pump jack stroke length and frequency to optimize pumping efficiency. It operated on the sonar principle, and used special .45 Colt blanks as a surface sound source. I used them over 35 years ago, but I think they caused a few well fires. They now use something else safer as a sound source. I wish I had kept all of the .45 Colt empty cases I once had.