This past weekend at the gunshow I found something new, at least to me. It is a 20 caliber cartridge with a really long (for it's caliber) bullet and a DWM headstamp. If you have a moment would you take a peek at:
20 caliber?
or:
http://www.geocities.com/bttg1/cartridges/20caliber.html

I've added some rudimentary measurements (sorry, my metric calipers bit the dust) and I hope someone can shed some light on this cartridge for me.

Thanks in advance.

Hi, 1/4":
5x57R Target.
http://members.shaw.ca/curtito1/dwm.htm

Only problem is, your case is rimless. However, those who completely understand the DWM numbering system are rare indeed, and may even be extinct. A rare catch IMHO.

Bye
Jack

I show this to be a 5mm x 57.8mm Sturtevant (DWM 469A). Aprox.value of $10.00. Not a real common item. Good find.
MR.T

[ 08-08-2002, 08:15: Message edited by: mr.t ]

Thank you for the identification. I had gone through my limited reference materials (mainly COTW, older brochures and auction catalogs) and hadn't found a thing. Also, thanks for the DWM ID link.

Now, that I know what the round is, does anyone have any info about when it was developed, what it was used in and exterior ballistics? I can't imagine it being a blackpowder round. A 20 caliber bore would foul quickly.

A guru I'm not , but here goes with some information on your Sturtevant - it was manufactured only by DWM for the Sturtevant Engineering Company of England ( its actually a British Cartridge not European )Circa 1902 for testing in Deutsche Gewehr Prufungs Kommission , which was the German Rifle Examining Board - a military committee which trialed rifles and calibres and decided on the adoption of new military arms .
The cartridge is based on the M88 " Mauser " case , and has the following diamensions in mms-
Bullet - 5.18 ; case - 57.89 ; rim - 11.95 ; base - 11.95 ; neck - 5.99 .
made from c.1900 to c.1902 , also used as a sporting/match cartridge.

As a bit of useless information , check to see if yours is loaded ie. it may not be a factory loaded specimen because I know as gospel that a large ( 100+) number of cases and projectiles were around some ten or more years ago and most were assembled with the official factory loading tool and then sold on the collector market . i know cos thats how my two were assembled - did em myself - and no , it wasnt me who owned them all . Interestingly there are three projectile styles 1) a pointed nickel jacketed one at 1.246"
long , 2) a round nosed ni jktd blt @ 1.317" and a longer rn ni jktd one at 1.475. Apologies for using imperial measurements , battery is dead on the electronic calipers.
Cant offer any actual velocity data or information on powders etc , but hope that helps.

Forgive me for not mentioning that this cartridge was developed specifically with smokeless powder , and whilst it has a DWM code number , don't be fooled into thinking that European cartidge numbering systems are easy to follow . DWM is but one of several , and thay are all confusing. Even the experts get confused. The big problem with metric cartridges has been the lack of english language reference books , but that has changed with the advent of two very good works written by a fellow New Zealander , although both of those books have some errors in them , mostly due to the difficulties of locating accurate data or even old catalogues . Thats it from me...