Are these posts-war cartridges?

[Acts2vr21]

I've only visited this forum once or twice, so I apologize if I'm asking questions which have already been covered elsewhere. I have a question about the following two cartridges, which look similar but not identical to cartridges I am familiar with:

1. Maynard cartridge, .50 caliber. This cartridge was sold to me as a Maynard, and it looks like one to me. A quick internet search also shows several identical cartridges for sale. However, I have never seen anything quite like it in any reference works; it seems to be a hybrid of the the blunt-nosed and round-nosed bullets (like TT 78 and 80, or MM 88). Is this cartridge a later, post-war variant? Or is it a reconstructed cartridge, where a blunt-nosed bullet has been reinserted into its cartridge, but not as far as originally, making it look like a very long blunt-nosed cartridge?

2. Henry cartridge, .44 caliber. This has some similarities to Henry cartridges in reference works (TT 60B or MM 161), and it looks like a Henry. It is also stamped with an "H" on the base, and I would think that if it were made after 1866 it would not be stamped with the "H"...maybe a "W" for "Winchester." But the case is shorter than others, and the bullet seems to have a ring with serrations in it, which I have not seen in other Henry cartridges. Is this a post-war bullet, perhaps produced right before New Haven Arms Company changed its name to Winchester?

Thanks for the help, and sorry again if these are dumb questions.

 

[PCGeorge]

1- The Maynard specimen appears to be a civil war one, and as you suspected, it's a "recent" re-loading (somebody has recently put a dug Maynard slug into an emptty dug Maynard cartridge) ...but without pushing the slug down to its proper depth in the cartridge.

2- You did not show us the H marking. If the H is a "depressed-mark" H (rather than a "raised" letter) it is postwar.

Regards,
Pete [P.C. George]

 

[Acts2vr21]

Thanks for the info. Some followup questions:

1. For the Maynard cartridge, if I try to push the bullet down to the proper depth do I greatly risk damaging the case? I would rather it look correct, but if that's not possible I'll leave it as is.

2. The "H" is depressed. Did these cartridges continue to have the "H" stamp even after the company changed its name to "Winchester," or does the "H" suggest that it is post-war but still relatively early?

Thanks again.

 

[PCGeorge]

Acts2vr21 wrote:
> For the Maynard cartridge, if I try to push the bullet down to the proper depth do I greatly risk damaging the case?

In the past, I myself did some "reloading" work with excavated empty Maynard cartridges and slugs (meaning, the lead bullet). Here's what I learned that is relevant to YOUR situation.
1- To avoid damaging the cartridge, the most important thing you need to discover is whether or not the lead bullet has been glued into the cartridge, or merely pushed into it. So, the very first thing you should do is try to firmly but GENTLY pull the slug "straight" outward. If it won't budge in the outward direction, you'll know it's been glued ...and pushing inward cannot be done.
IMPORTANT caution-note: When you pull outward on the slug (using just your fingers), do not grip the Maynard cartridge by the disc on its base.
2- If you can remove the slug, closely examine the cartridge's upper lip, externally and internally, for any signs of tiny cracking or other fragility.
3- If there's any dirt-concretion on the inside of the lip, gently scrape it out by using a small pocketknife blade.
4- Then look for any bumps or concretion on the lower sides of the lead slug, and if you see some of that, gently scrape it off.

> The "H" is depressed. [...] does the "H" suggest that it is post-war but still relatively early?

Yes, the depressed H is "relatively early" postwar.

By the way... I applaud you for the member-name (Acts2vr21) you chose.

Regards,
Pete [P.C. George]