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November 19, 2006
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I again wonder why this cartridge is thought to be a 40-100? “Supposed to be an experimental.” Again, with no headstamp… is there just a story that goes along with this cartridge?
April 15, 2005
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There is a strong similarity with this cartridge as compared to the 50-110 Express (300 gr bullet) versus the 50-100-450.
As I previously mentioned, the cartridge Chuck asked about is extremely likely to be a 40 EX (40-100) loaded with a heavier bullet and a correspondingly smaller powder charge. The primary question I have about it is this… what rifle was intended for, followed by was it ever commercially loaded, and finally why was it not marked. At this point, we do not know if it was even a factory loaded cartridge.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
May 23, 2009
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steve004 said
I again wonder why this cartridge is thought to be a 40-100? “Supposed to be an experimental.” Again, with no headstamp… is there just a story that goes along with this cartridge?
Bert H. said
There is a strong similarity with this cartridge as compared to the 50-110 Express (300 gr bullet) versus the 50-100-450.As I previously mentioned, the cartridge Chuck asked about is extremely likely to be a 40 EX (40-100) loaded with a heavier bullet and a correspondingly smaller powder charge. The primary question I have about it is this… what rifle was intended for, followed by was it ever commercially loaded, and finally why was it not marked. At this point, we do not know if it was even a factory loaded cartridge.
Bert
It’s an unidentified factory made Winchester experimental cartridge; also known with W. R. A. Co. 40-EX. headstamp. See Dan Shuey’s Vol. I WRACo Head Stamp Book p. 55 and Vol. II p. 11.
If it is in Shuey’s Books you can pretty much take it to the bank that it is what he says it is.
To quote to first sentence of Page 55, “Winchester made hundreds of different experimental and prototype cartridges over the years.”
Shuey states in his books that the purpose is unknown and has unknown for the dates of introduction / use. That’s how rare of a cartridge it is, there is not much known about it. It is likely in Shuey’s book due to having been from the Paul Foster collection. Paul Foster was a WRACo factory employee that saved quite a few of these rare / experimental / prototype factory cartridges. Some of the rarest known Winchester cartridges are from out of his collection.
My guess is that they experimented with it in the Single Shot Rifle. As likely no other firearm would chamber it and the Single Shot was often used for experiments. Otherwise they may have had a special chambered barrel on a bench-type jig for test firing the round.
Sincerely,
Maverick
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April 15, 2005
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Well that helps to explain it. Based on my survey of the factory ledger records, there were no serialized Single Shot rifles chambered for it in the 1 – 109999 range (through July 5th, 1910). I therefore suspect that it was purely an experimental cartridge, and Winchester used a standard 40 EX barrel to test it.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
March 31, 2009
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Maverick said
It’s an unidentified factory made Winchester experimental cartridge; also known with W. R. A. Co. 40-EX. headstamp. See Dan Shuey’s Vol. I WRACo Head Stamp Book p. 55 and Vol. II p. 11.
If it is in Shuey’s Books you can pretty much take it to the bank that it is what he says it is.
To quote to first sentence of Page 55, “Winchester made hundreds of different experimental and prototype cartridges over the years.”
Shuey states in his books that the purpose is unknown and has unknown for the dates of introduction / use. That’s how rare of a cartridge it is, there is not much known about it. It is likely in Shuey’s book due to having been from the Paul Foster collection. Paul Foster was a WRACo factory employee that saved quite a few of these rare / experimental / prototype factory cartridges. Some of the rarest known Winchester cartridges are from out of his collection.
My guess is that they experimented with it in the Single Shot Rifle. As likely no other firearm would chamber it and the Single Shot was often used for experiments. Otherwise they may have had a special chambered barrel on a bench-type jig for test firing the round.
Sincerely,
Maverick
Good find. I looked through his book several times but did not know about this section.
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