Can anyone ID this round?
- Thread starter press-1-for-english
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OP
press-1-for-english
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Waiting for my buddy to send it so I can post it.
OP
press-1-for-english
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Makes sense. I'm wondering if "45" is the year and it is some sort of fantasy round made up from a milsurp round, like you said, during VN.
OP
press-1-for-english
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My buddy is an engineer so whatever he measured it with the dimensions are accurate.
OP
press-1-for-english
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That sure does look like it.....
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My thoughts are often flawed these days, but I think there is a comprehensive article with photos on the Mars guns (perhaps much more information than the wiki piece) in a 1960s GUN DIGEST. I'll attempt to look it up.
OP
press-1-for-english
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Thanks rockquarry!
I think it's a Movie Blank or other Specialty Cartridge in 45acp.
The extra length beyond the .910 measurement was the 'bullet' portion and would have been slightly rounded over so it would feed. Not crimped shut. Likely a card wad sealing up the nose.
Something like this. This is an Aluminum case .45acp blank
Open up the rounded nose portion and straighten it out forming the sharper shoulder. Then seat the dummy bullet.
The .910 measurement is very close to the case length of the .45acp @ .890.
The slight different easily missed when eyeballing with a caliper at where the reduction in diameter starts.
The .42 cal Bullet?
I'd want to measure it once pulled out of the case for it's real dia. It may be just that though and was a 45acp trimmed in dia to fit the KeyChain ornament.
The extra length beyond the .910 measurement was the 'bullet' portion and would have been slightly rounded over so it would feed. Not crimped shut. Likely a card wad sealing up the nose.
Something like this. This is an Aluminum case .45acp blank
Open up the rounded nose portion and straighten it out forming the sharper shoulder. Then seat the dummy bullet.
The .910 measurement is very close to the case length of the .45acp @ .890.
The slight different easily missed when eyeballing with a caliper at where the reduction in diameter starts.
The .42 cal Bullet?
I'd want to measure it once pulled out of the case for it's real dia. It may be just that though and was a 45acp trimmed in dia to fit the KeyChain ornament.
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DWalt
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I have seen hundreds, maybe thousands, of oddball cartridges, and do not remember seeing one that looks like it. And the HS is strange. That does not mean it couldn’t be something made for a special purpose or is an obscure experimental cartridge, either foreign or domestic. I’ll check in Hoyem’s cartridge ID volumes for any possibilities. Donnelly’s manual has nothing like it, so it is unlikely to have been a commercially produced round. Best bet to get an answer is on the IAA forum.
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The article on the Mars pistols is in the 1961 GUN DIGEST, "Mars Automatic Pistols" by Larry Sterett, a regular contributor to GD publications for many years. The article is long, maybe 4,500 words, and very detailed with footnotes. I just glanced at it.
Unless I missed something, it look like bullet diameters were 10mm (.394"), 9mm (.354"), 8.5 mm (.335"), .360", and .450". Photos show a depiction smilar to that shown in this thread but obviously not the same.
These cartridges in 1961 were incredibly scarce and the photos were taken of a few cartridges in the H.P. White Co. (remember them, the pressure people?) collection.
Unless I missed something, it look like bullet diameters were 10mm (.394"), 9mm (.354"), 8.5 mm (.335"), .360", and .450". Photos show a depiction smilar to that shown in this thread but obviously not the same.
These cartridges in 1961 were incredibly scarce and the photos were taken of a few cartridges in the H.P. White Co. (remember them, the pressure people?) collection.
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The head stamp code list says it's either Remington Arms or A/S Raufoss Ammunisjonsfabrikker, Raufoss, Norway
I'm wondering if this was assembled from random surplus components just for the "keychain trade".
I'm wondering if this was assembled from random surplus components just for the "keychain trade".
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cmj8591
Member
Looking at that primer pocket, I think that might have been made as a key chain and doesn't belong to any specific chamber.
I think you're right, there's not even a flash hole in it and it looks too big anyway if that's a .45 shell...
...Ben
OP
press-1-for-english
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I tend to agree. I will let my buddy know it's a novelty item. Thanks to you all.
I don't know the caliber, but it is marked like a military marking. 45 being the year and RA for Remington Arms. Just a guess.
DWalt
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That the primer pocket lacks a flash hole indicates it wasn’t intended to be fired. Possibly for display, salesman’s sample, etc.
DWalt
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I remember reading something about the British Military tests of the Mars pistol. In the final test report, there was a comment made to the effect that “Those who fired it once during the test could not be persuaded to fire it again.”
I think a "Sweat shop" to sell little offerings to people that like that sort of stuff.
Looks like old school stuff.
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