While backpack hunting the back country, I found a large caliber rimfire case, and I would like to I.D. it.

It is approximately .50 cal (.515" to .525" insde the neck-it is slightly out of round).

The case is 1.055" long, with an "H" on the base.

Thank you for any help.

Doug

Is your case straight-walled or bottle-necked?

Can you give us a measurement at the head ( above the rim )?

I can tell you that whatever it calibre it is the case is the procuct of Winchester Repeating Arms Co.

Doug
As my NZ friend mentioned, more dimentions are needed.
Here in the states, the most "common" candadates would be the 56-52 or 56-50 Spencer (Spencer put the caliber 2nd). My "H" headstamped sample of the 56-52 S runs 1.027 on the case length, and the -50 is a bit longer than that (don't have my dimention list on this computer).
2nd row, 3rd from right is the 56-50, 2nd from the right is the 56-52

It is a straight-walled case. The case outside dimension right in front of the rim is .570".

The rim outside-edge measurement is .640".

I suppose that the overall lenght measurement I gave could be a few thou. longer than an unfired case because it looks like the case head has balloned out just a little.

OK, these are the numbers from my samples (and these older cartridges do vary by a fair amount)
56-46 Spencer (shor neck case by CD Leet
Rim .643
Base .561
Mouth .476
Case length .930

56-50 Spencer
Rim .641
Base .559
Mouth .527
Case length 1.163

56-52 Spencer
Rim .637
Base .559
Mouth .533
Case length 1.027

56-56 Spencer
Rim .641
Base .559
Mouth .560
Case length 0.860

Hope tha nembers, and photo, help

Thanks for all of the info, and the picture!

So at 1.055", do you think that this is a 56-50, or a 56-52?

I'd guess 56-52 as there's only .028 different (vs the .108 difference to the 56-50).

Our Kiwi friend, or the man from AZ, may know of some other possibilities that I'm not aware of.

Guys

I am leaning towards 56-52 Spenser , personally. Problem with fired cases is the chamber dimensions seldom conform to cartridge manufacturers specs so the fired case is always bigger which makes positive i.d. a bit hit and miss.

I have checked out my case diemsion listing for both 56-50 and 56-52 Spenser and the 56-52 is my best guess.

Always intrigues me where these cases turn up , but I guess when you look at it - the mil-surp market for Civil War rimfires was still supplying the market well into the 1900s so the rifles were putting meat on the table for many years after the cessation of hostilities. Heck - I bet those things would still go bang better than 75% of the time now .

Now theres a project for you TG - see if your Spenser rounds will fire - then it will increase the value of the ones in my collection....

Can you post a close up photo for us? where did you find it? Might have a very interesting history.

I do not have a very good computer...I will see if I can do that (post a pic).

I found the case in the Las Padres Nat. Forest in southern/central California. It was on a remote hilside...pretty much in the middle of nowhere. It is fun to find something like this, knowing that it has laid there for probebly 100 years.