A guide to headstamps

[AT P Sweep]

Hey Blokes Just back from a Hunt and turned up a cartridge shell ~ in a 19 Century site ~

Marked I think 'GK B'

I assume it is George Kynoch Birmingham

But no idea what the firearm is ~

Rough measure says ID projectile 12mm Case base OD 17mm, rim OD 20mm and 59.5mm length!

In superb condition too~ considering thsi has to have been laying there for < 100 plus years >

Any clues ?

[PRE]

Emmy,
Sorry, but I'm stumped! Most of my experience is in small arms and not as much with ordnance types larger than that.
Best,
Pat

[zwerge]

From your rough measurements it sounds like a 577/450 Martini-Henry....Pete.

[AT P Sweep]

Zwerge
Thanks ~ I said to the boys ~ that I guessed it may be a Martini ~ but I was guessing but purely based on time frame ~ logically it would fit ~

Thanks

[aghsmac1]

It's surely a .577/.450 Martini - Henry Boxer shell, British made by Georges Kynoch de Birmingham and dated approximately 1885.
See measurements and identical shell like yours, G.K.B stamped (code:EBD0011), on this site.
.577/.450 Martini - Henry Boxer M. 1871 / MUNICION.ORG
Regards, Aghs.

[canadian kyle]

is there away to re upload the head stamp photos, shows the missing photo bucket

[CBH]

I dont think there is, thats why the Mods are always after poster not to use photo hosting sites.
Threads become useless when the photos disappear.

[canadian kyle]

true, was just wondering for info on mine its a 40mm drill round 1944 mk 111 and looks like J. A. just looks for who used it what the mk lll and j. a. means?

[3pinplug]

Hi all

Just found the following headstamp and was readig earlier in the post that most german cartridges have 4 headstamps, I found this cartridge in Germany but it only has 3? Its K98 cartridge size but don;t quote me thats where it is from!
Can someone let me know:-
1. Is it German?
2. What each of the stamps mean?

It reads S67 9 17

Thanks
Mark

[zwerge]

Hi,the S67 means a spitzer pointed bullet in a case made from 67% copper,the 9 and 17 is the 9th month of 1917,the reason there is no maker initial is because it was not a government arsenal but a commercial made case for the government......Pete.