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EUROPEAN
MILITARY CARTRIDGES - 1860's TO 1945 - BRITISH SNIDER, &
MARTINI-HENRY, GERMAN MAUSER, SPANISH
REFORMADO REMINGTON, ETC. - SINGLE
CARTRIDGES AND FULL PACKETS:
Each cartridge or packet
is described individually below with accompanying
photographs.
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.43 SPANISH REFORMADO (11.5 mm x 57R) – FAMOUS
SPANISH AMERICAN WAR BRASS PLATED “POISON BULLET” FOR
THE SPANISH REMINGTON ROLLING BLOCK RIFLE: One
of the most historic cartridges ever employed against
the U.S. Armed Forces, and around which grew an aura of
myth and legend, the Berdan primed .43 Spanish
Reformado, also known as the 11.5 mm x 57R, features a
brass plated bullet which was the unintended root of the
belief that “Poisoned Bullets” were employed against our
forces during the Spanish American War. Introduced in
1867, this was the original Spanish military cartridge
for the Rolling Block Rifles manufactured for Spain by
Remington.
While the brass plated bullet was never intended to be
poisoned, exposure of the brass to the tropical climate,
and being carried in leather cartridge boxes and looped
cartridge belts caused the brass to readily develop a
coating of the green verdigris – the result of the
chemical reaction between the brass and the leather.
The green, waxy deposit, while not toxic in and of
itself, likely did in fact contribute to infectious
wounds, and gave rise to the claims of “poisoned
bullets”. Over a million of these cartridges were
captured by the US troops in Cuba, along with the
Spanish Remington Rifles.
In spite of the numbers seized by our troops, today this
is a relatively scarce cartridge. This is a very limited
offering of collector quality specimens of these
historic cartridges from the Spanish American War.
FULL PACKET
OF 20 ROUNDS OF .43 SPANISH REFORMADO (11.5 mm x 57R):
A full packet of 20 rounds in the original box.
The box is full form with all the seams intact and the
edges sharp. The packet is open on the top, but I
am not sure these were sealed in the first place.
All twenty unfired cartridges are present, are loaded
with the early brass plated bullets, and are headstamped to include the date “87”, indicating
production in 1887. This packet could well be from
the ammunition store captured in Cuba during the war. .
A very nice packet to display with your Spanish
Remington Rifle. (0748) $165

.43 SPANISH REFORMADO (11.5 mm x 57R) SINGLE
CARTRIDGE:
Headstamped to include the date “87”, indicating
production in 1887, this cartridge could well be one of
those captured in Cuba during the war. (0929) $20

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FULL PACKET OF 20 ROUNDS OF
.43 MAUSER:
A full packet of 20 rounds OF .43 Mauser Cartridges.
The box is full form with all the seams intact and the
edges sharp. All twenty unfired cartridges are present, are loaded
with cast lead bullets, and are headstamped with the
caliber. The label indicates these cartridges are
loaded with Pyrodex in an amount equivalent to the black
powder load. (0326) $150

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FULL PACKET OF 20 ROUNDS OF
.43 MAUSER:
A full packet of 20 rounds produced by "Old West
Scrounger Inc.", a well known maker of obsolete
ammunition.
The box is full form with all the seams intact and the
edges sharp. All twenty unfired cartridges are present, are loaded
with cast lead bullets, and are headstamped with the
caliber. (0333) $150

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OLD DOMINION
PACKET OF .43 MAUSER:
A partial packet of 11 rounds produced by Dominion
Ammunition Company.
The box is full form with all the seams intact, with
some minor shelf wear. The original eleven unfired cartridges are loaded
with cast lead bullets, and are headstamped with the
maker and caliber. (0327) $75

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PRE-WWII 8MM x 57R MILITARY CARTRIDGE
PAPER WRAPPED PACKET:
An original pre-World War Two military issue ammunition
packet for the Hungarian Mannlicher Rifle in 8x56R.
The packet is paper wrapped without any label - the only
identifier is a blue-green daub of colored ink which was
probably sufficient within the issue system of the time
to identify this packet's contents.
The packet has been opened on one end by carefully
undoing the folds of the wrapper paper. From all
appearances, the packet contains the original
cartridges. Without risking tearing the wrapper, I
cannot get a full absolute count of the cartridges, but
from what I can tell there is at least 18 cartridges,
and very likely all 20 are there. I'd rather leave
it as is rther than risk the integrity of the wrapper.
The lack of Third Reich markings on the packet and the
headstamps suggests to me that this packet predates the
onset of World War Two. That this desirable early
production packet survived the war in this condition
is notable. (0322) $125

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WWII BRITISH 9MM PISTOL CARTRIDGES – Mk. 1:
An original World War Two British Army issue ammunition
packet of 9MM Parabellum Cartridges. The 9mm Mk. IZ
cartridge was introduced during World War II for use in
Sten submachine guns, but it was discovered this round
was insufficiently powerful to work the action of this
gun reliably. To solve this, the muzzle velocity was
increased from 1250 fps to 1300 fps, and the higher
velocity round was given the designation 9mm Mk. 2Z.
This change was approved on March 15, 1944, with the
remaining stocks of 9mm Mk.1Z ammunition marked "Pistol
Use Only" to be issued with 9mm pistols in service
during the war.
This packet of 9mm Mk.1Z has been opened and it contains
35 of the 48 original cartridges. The cartridges are
headstamped “HN 44 9MM” with the British “broad arrow”
acceptance stamp. The cardboard packet is full form
with no significant wear or damage and all of the maker
and Ordnance Department printing and stamps are legible
in the original green ink. A nice packet to add to your
display. (0715) $50

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.455 MK II WEBLEY
BALL CARTRIDGES - FULL BOX: Full box of
Fiocchi Cartridge Company .455 MK II Ball Cartridges.
Box shows some minor shelf wear but is otherwise solid
throughout. (0334) $35

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MODEL 1877
AUSTRIAN WERNDL 11MM RIFLE CARTRIDGES - TWO STRIPPER
CLIPS IN THE ORIGINAL PAPERBOARD CARTON:
This original paperboard carton contains two stripper
clips of 11mm cartridges for the Austrian Model 1877
Werndl Rifle - one clip contains all five rounds, the
other contains four rounds. The cartridges are
loaded with the waxed paper patched bullets and all are
in very nice condition. The stripper clips are in
very good condition and the paperboard box is full form,
but is missing the flap that covered the wide end.
Overall a nice example of an early Austrian ammunition
packet. (0749) $48

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MODEL 1896 SWEDISH MAUSER 6.5 X 55MM RIFLE
CARTRIDGE PACKET: This original paperboard
packet contains nine original 6.5 x 55mm Swedish Mauser
cartridges. The packet is dated 1953 and although
showing some aging, is complete and full form.
(0750) $25

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8MM x 57j
SPORTING CARTRIDGES - THREE BOXES: One of
the more popular sporting cartridges in Europe, these
three boxes have some age, but are very similar to those
I used in Germany in the 1970's. There are two
boxes of Nicorro brand and one box of the RWS brand.
The RWS box is full with the original 10 rounds.
One of the Nicorro brand boxes is full with 10 rounds
and the other has eight of the ten rounds present.
All three boxes show some handling, but are otherwise
full form with all the flaps. The RWS top flap
label is missing some of the text and the Nicorro boxes
have fully legible labels. (0753) All three boxes for $125 or
$45 each for single boxes - your choice while they last.

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.577- .450 MARTINI-HENRY BRITISH CARTRIDGES:
These are excellent
examples of the famous .577-.450 cartridge, adopted by
the British as the standard military cartridge in 1871
for use in the Martini-Henry falling block, single shot
rifles. Perhaps best known for its use during the Zulu
Wars in South Africa, the Martini-Henry was the standard
British service rifle for many years. These are
believed to be the product of the Royal Ammunition
Laboratory at Woolwich Arsenal in southeast London,
England.
These original cartridges are
becoming scarce, and they are increasingly more
difficult to find to complete your historic display.
.577- .450 MARTINI-HENRY BRITISH RIFLE CARTRIDGE:
This is a very nice specimen of the standard government produced military
rifle cartridge consisting of a rolled brass, two piece case
with the black lacquered base, loaded with a paper
patched bullet. The white paper patch around the
bullet indicates this is a rifle cartridge.
SOLD

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.577- .450 MARTINI-HENRY BRITISH CARBINE CARTRIDGE:
This is a very nice specimen of the much rarer standard
government produced military carbine cartridge,
indicated by the red paper patching material around the
bullet. Consisting of a rolled brass, two piece
case with the black lacquered base, this carbine
cartridge is loaded with the paper patched bullet and a
smaller powder charge. Again, far less common than
the rifle cartridges, these red paper patched cartridges
seldom appear on the market.
SOLD

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.577 SNIDER
PAPER COVERED COILED COPPER CARTRIDGE:
Predating the coiled brass and drawn brass cartridges,
these Paper Covered Coiled Copper Cartridges were issued
for the Snider breech loading system rifles and
carbines. Quite rare today, these early cartridges
are believed to be one of the first cartridges produced
for the Snider system. The coiled copper cartridge
case, loaded with a lead bullet, is covered with a thin
paper wrapping and the case is mounted in a separate
black enameled steel base. In excellent condition,
full form, and bearing no headstamp.
SOLD

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.577 SNIDER
2nd PATTERN COILED BRASS CARTRIDGE: A
scarce early loading for the Snider breech loading
system rifles and carbines, this coiled brass cartridge
case is mounted in a separate black enameled steel base
and loaded with a lead bullet. In excellent
condition, full form, and bearing no headstamp.
SOLD

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.577 SNIDER
2nd PATTERN COILED BRASS CARTRIDGE: A
scarce early loading for the Snider breech loading
system rifles and carbines, this coiled brass cartridge
case is mounted in a separate black enameled steel base
and loaded with a lead bullet. In excellent
condition, full form, and bearing no headstamp.
SOLD

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.577 SNIDER
KYNOCH CARTRIDGE: A standard loading for
the Snider breech loading system rifles and carbines
manufactured by the famous Kynoch Cartridge Company. In
excellent condition, and headstamped ".577 S.".
$45

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LEON BEAUX – MILANO .41 SWISS
RIMFIRE CARTRIDGE BOX FOR 20 CARTRIDGES – IMPORTED BY
THE WINFIELD ARMS CORPORATION ca. 1950’s:
Bearing a colorful label and box color, this square two
piece paperboard box of .41 Swiss Rimfire Cartridges was
manufactured in Milano, Italy by Leon Beaux, and
imported into the U.S. by the famous Winfield Arms
Corporation.
In 1953 Winfield Arms made a name for themselves by
buying all the Johnson Automatic Rifles held as surplus
in the U.S. Winfield refurbished the rifles and sold
them through the mid-1960’s. Winfield Arms was also
known for importing and relabeling these .41 Swiss
Rimfire cartridges. Winfield sold surplus weapons from
all over the world, including Remington rolling block
rifles, Martinis, Mausers, Terni carbines, Ross .303
rifles, Swiss Vetterlis, Webley revolvers, Swedish Lahti
pistols, as well as sabers, bayonets, and gun stocks.
There is also a vein of the company’s history that
supports the story that Winfield Arms were a front for
the CIA, facilitating international arms sales for the
covert operations sponsored by the agency.
The box, measuring 2 ¾” by 2 ¼”
and 2 ¼” high, has been opened by carefully cutting
around the bottom edge on three sides, leaving the
bottom panel attached on the one side like a flap. This
method of opening the packet left the sealing tape that
seals the top and bottom sections of the box around all
four sides intact, and made for a very displayable box.
The box and labeling is in excellent condition with only
the most minimal aging and no damage to the box or
labels.
This is a fairly scarce box and
in spite of being empty, is in remarkable condition and
very displayable. (0626) $25

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WORLD WAR
ONE GERMAN 7.92 SERVICE CARTRIDGES IN A NICKEL PLATED
STEEL STRIPPER CLIP - DATED 1918: As
issued to the German soldiers during World War One,
these five 7.92 caliber service cartridges are mounted
in the original nickel plated steel stripper clip.
Each cartridge is in excellent condition and head
stamped "C S67 8 18". $35

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WORLD WAR
TWO GERMAN 7.92 SERVICE CARTRIDGES IN A STEEL STRIPPER
CLIP: As issued to the German soldiers
during World War Two, these five 7.92 caliber service
cartridges are mounted in the original steel stripper
clip. Each cartridge is in excellent condition
with no head stamp as is normally encountered with
German WWII cartridges. $25

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.455 WEBLEY
BLANK - BRITISH MILITARY LOADING: As with
the US Army, blanks cartridges were an integral part of
the standard issue of ammunition, particularly important
in training horses to accustom them to the sound of
gunfire. In excellent condition with a bright
finish, and headstamped with the British "Broad
Arrow" proof stamp and "R L", "L T II" and "35".
SOLD

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GERMAN MADE
CARTRIDGE TIN FOR 50 CENTRAL FIRE No. 320 CARTRIDGES:
A rectangular two piece tin box bearing a red label with
black printing indicating it was made in Germany and
contained 50 "No. 320" Central Fire Cartridges.
From the "Made In Germany" text on the label, this tin
was imported after 1890. The tin, measuring 3.25"
long, 1.75" wide and 1" high, is in excellent condition
with and the label shows wear only around the edges with
all the text clear and legible. (0751) $25

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FRENCH FUSIL MODELE 1866 “CHASSEPOT” PAPER
CARTRIDGE – VERY NICE SPECIMEN: Officially
known as Fusil Modèle 1866, the Chassepot Rifle was
the bolt action military breechloading rifle carried by
the French forces in the Franco-Prussian War of
1870-1871. Replacing an assortment of muzzleloading
rifle, the Chassepot was a considerable improvement over
the existing military rifles in 1866, marking the
commencement of the era of modern bolt action,
breech-loading, military rifles. The Chassepot employed
these paper cartridges until 1874, when the rifle under
went conversion to fire metallic cartridges and became
known as the Gras Rifle.
This Chassepot 11mm (.443) Rifle Cartridge is in
excellent condition with a full length and full form
powder tube firmly attached to the integral ringed-base
lead bullet. This cartridge was glued to a
cartridge display board and then removed, resulting in
some minor damage to the one side of the cartridge
wrapping paper. The cartridge was repaired using
original cartridge wrapping paper and the repair is
limited to one side of the cartridge. The
cartridge still displays well on the undamaged side.
The paper wrapper is otherwise very solid with the
tissue paper base intact, and the thread tie between the
bullet and powder charge is intact. This is a very
respectable specimen of a scarce cartridge to display
with your Chassepot Rifle.
SOLD
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