Need Help To ID An Odd Cartridge

[Sooper Dave]

I found this bullet while metal detecting in a rural area of Tennessee where there was a lot of maneuvers for WWII. I do not know if this is something that would have been used then or not. I have never seen a cartridge like this before. It is about 2.5" in length and the lead is close to .30 caliber. It has a full metal jacket and it has been fired but the bullet just barely moved out from the casing. I can make out some of the letters on the rim head MKII AIPA S3 8 ?? I showed a guy at work that reloads and shoots a lot, and it has him stumped as well. I only know common rounds of ammunition, so I need help from the experts. Thanks, David

[JLDickmon]

everything looks very common for a WW-II era military cartridge, except for the rim configuration.. that's a goofy one..

[Teach]

That cartridge looks more like a WW I vintage, but I can't find any reference to anything of that shape in "Cartridges of the World". A little careful cleanup of the case head to expose more of the lettering might be in order. The general configuration of the headstamp also looks to be from the early 20th. century or older. The bullet appears to be a full-jacketed type rather than the more common cast lead that a hunting round of that era should be, so it's possible it's a military round. The Spitzer ogive shape places it somewhere after 1903, when the US military copied Germany's new bullet shape. Good luck!
Jerry

[knitepoet]

With the rather odd rim, I'm wondering if it was some sort of sub-caliber practice munition

[Big Al1]

At first glance, I thought it was an early Mauser round, like 1871, but those were 11MM and black powder. The odd rim sure has me stumped, but I also thought pre-WWII.

[woodsrunner]

Totally out of my area of knowledge since a flint isn't needed to fire it, but I think knitepoet may be on to something. In the far, far dim past I remember seeing a display of WWI & II military rounds, and this funny rearend type case rings a bell. I do remember that the display that I saw was at old Ft.McPherson in Atlanta, and it must have been about the close of WWII, maybe 1946 or so....

[tennmike]

Looking at that case gives me one idea in which it might have been used. To conserve on ammunition a round of that sort may have been used by the 'cannon cockers' to simulate the trajectory of a full sized round. That cartridge may have been loaded in the modified primer pocket of a simulation round. The M-60 and M-48 tanks I'm familiar with had a .50 cal. coaxial spotter round barrel to fire a tracer round before the main gun was fired to get the range.

I have no proof that is what that round was used for; only can surmise its possible use.

[Wambli Ska]

I found this bullet while metal detecting in a rural area of Tennessee where there was a lot of maneuvers for WWII. I do not know if this is something that would have been used then or not. I have never seen a cartridge like this before. It is about 2.5" in length and the lead is close to .30 caliber. It has a full metal jacket and it has been fired but the bullet just barely moved out from the casing. I can make out some of the letters on the rim head MKII AIPA S3 8 ?? I showed a guy at work that reloads and shoots a lot, and it has him stumped as well. I only know common rounds of ammunition, so I need help from the experts. Thanks, David

What you have are two things that do not belong together. The case is an expended old British cannon primer. Someone must have throught it was cute to shove a bullet into it and tossed it after they were done playing with it.

Here is one for sale:
http://www.specialistauctions.com/au...php?id=1472579

[Jayhawker]

BINGO!

[Big Al1]

What you have are two things that do not belong together. The case is an expended old British cannon primer. Someone must have throught it was cute to shove a bullet into it and tossed it after they were done playing with it.

Here is one for sale:
http://www.specialistauctions.com/au...php?id=1472579

You da MAN!!

[knitepoet]

What you have are two things that do not belong together. The case is an expended old British cannon primer. Someone must have throught it was cute to shove a bullet into it and tossed it after they were done playing with it.

Here is one for sale:

You da MAN!!

[Jim Tom]

Dang, Wambli! Who are you really?

[Wambli Ska]

The ultimate gun geek...

[Jayhawker]

Dang, Wambli! Who are you really?

Yosemite Sam... Really!

[Wambli Ska]

Yosemite Sam... Really!

I am going to grow that darn handlebar back. I do miss that 'stache.

[knitepoet]

I am going to grow that darn handlebar back. I do miss that 'stache.

[JLDickmon]

I'm glad I bumped this and took my SWAG.. learn something new every day..

[snake284-1]

Why that's simple, Wambli is the Puerto Rican version of Col. Townsend Whelen!!!

He be knowin' his stuff!!!