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February 2017

Please note: Unless otherwise indicated, the pictures on this web site are my property, and should not be used by anyone without my permission.

PLEASE ALSO NOTE: Beginning May 1st, I will temporarily stop taking orders for items from my web site, but will resume taking orders November 1st. During this break I hope to do a little 'dusting and cleaning' with the anticipated goal of updating my web site a bit. I will still continue with my monthly write-ups, and welcome your emails with questions about cartridges you'd like to identify or are wanting to sell, or to just say hello. Thanks for bearing with me.

A few uncommon sizes of shotgun shells.......

This short, pink hulled shotgun shell was produced in limited quantities by the Union Metallic Cartridge Company for use in a one-of-a-kind shotgun that was developed by John M. Browning shortly after the turn of the 20th century.

This 18 gauge shell will also be found with a No 20 head stamp, apparently used in the early production of these shells prior to a No 18 head stamp bunter being created. It uses a two-piece battery style primer.

Dimensions of the U.M.C.Co. Nitro Club 18 gauge shell are as follows:

(The photo above of the shell head is 1.5 times actual size; the side view is actual size.)

Rim: 0.780"

Head (just above rim): 0.710"

Length of brass head: 0.491"

Overall length: 1.859"

The 18 gauge shell is not so uncommon in Great Britain and other countries as well; however, regardless of where they were made, the 18 gauge shell is a seldom encountered size. This particular shell is of two piece construction, with a super thin brass hull and a separate brass base cup to make the shell stronger at its head and less likely to split or separate. It has a small copper primer and is fitted with a removable primer anvil which has a wire-like projection extending inside the shell approximately 1/8" beyond the primer pocket to allow the spent primer to be readily punched out from inside the case. It is this anvil, the two-piece case construction, or both of these design elements that the 'Kynoch's Patent' head stamp refers to. This shell was sold in March 1999 Buttweiler auction.

Dimensions of the Kynoch's Patent 18 gauge shell are as follows:

(The photo above of the shell head is 1.5 times actual size; the side view is actual size.)

Rim: 0.772"

Head (just above rim): 0.713"

Length of brass head: 0.348"

Overall length: 2.5625"

Case mouth (outside): 0.705"

Case Mouth (inside): 0.695"

Thickness of the brass at the case mouth: .005"

.Here's an 18 gauge shell by Braun & Bloem of Dusseldorf, Germany. It has a two-piece battery style primer that is found in current production shells. It has a green paper hull.

Dimensions of this Braun & Bloem 18 gauge shell are as follows:

(The photo above of the shell head is 1.5 times actual size; the side view is actual size.)

Rim: 0.775"

Head (just above rim): 0.708"

Mouth of paper hull: 0.688"

Length of brass head: 0.352" (uneven)

Overall length: 2.578"

And so as not to give the impression that I'm in an 18 gauge rut, here are a couple of other uncommon sizes.

This new primed empty pin fire shotgun shell made by Sellier & Bellot of Prague, Czechoslovakia is an oddity in metric size shells. It is quite unusual in that it is a 13mm shell, a size rarely seen by any maker.

It has a blue paper hull that is lined inside with bright red paper.

The copper percussion cap primer seated in a cutout in the paper head, as well as the brass pin extending into the primer can be seen in this picture looking straight down into the shell. This shell was sold in the March 1999 Buttweiler auction.

Dimensions of the Sellier & Bellot 13m/m pin fire shell are as follows:

(The photo above of the shell head is 2 times actual size; the side view is actual size.)

Rim: 0.539"

Head (just above rim): 0.495"

Mouth of paper hull: 0.480"

Length of brass head: 0.327" (uneven)

Overall length: 2.047"

Here's another shell by Sellier & Bellot of Prague, Czechoslovakia, this one a very uncommon 30 gauge center fire with a raised head stamp. It was sold in the March 1999 Buttweiler auction in which the description stated that it had been found with a 30 gauge shotgun. It has a green paper hull. The primer anvil extends into the case beyond the top of the primer pocket to aid in removing the two-piece battery style primer by tapping from the inside.

Dimensions of the Sellier & Bellot 13m/m pin fire shell are as follows:

(The photo above of the shell head is 2 times actual size; the side view is actual size.)

Rim: 0.574"

Head (just above rim): 0.603"

Mouth of paper hull: 0.592"

Length of brass head: 0.245" (uneven)

Overall length: 2.502"

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