Got another one. I just recieved a 15mm Pinfire, (my first, for this caliber), It seems to be really neat!.... It has a brass case, the base has a high center. H/S = " FUSNOT BRUXELLES " It has a pointed lead bullet with a thin smooth cannelure towards the tip. The case looks like brass, but it might be copper.... I just can't tell, the case is to dark.... Any ideas out there??????

Is it the long or short case length? The long case is about .850 - 860 " long and more common than the short. Your specimen in made in Belgium by Charles Fusnot and Cie of Brussels who is credited with perfecting the drawn case type in Belgium . Fusnot produced pinfire rifle and handgun ammunition and became part of Societe Anonyme Pour Le Fabrication Des Cartouches & Projectile at Anderlecht , Brussels before 1887 and ceased operations in 1915. They used the " FUSNOT " and " CF " headstamps , and were not a military related company.
Any 15mm pinfire is nice to have and yours sounds like a very nice example . Incidentally , it may have either a copper case or brass case , as both were used extensively in the manufacture of pinfire cartridges at that time . You will have to decide for yourself on that one! Merry Xmas.

Well, I took a little 0000 steel wool to the base and found that the case is copper, Plus... I found 2 "stars" to add to the H/S! Damn! That case was dark! Case length = .755" And the (really thin) cannelure on the bullet is .250" from the tip. Any idea on a Monetary value? I'd like to think I got a good deal on this specimen......

STEEL WOOL!!!!!!!Aaaaaargh , shame on you sir! But then - its your cartridge....

Guestimates of value are a little difficult for me to offer , maybe Iconoclast or one of the other US based guys can offer advice . I would say that IMHO it was worth more before the " steel wool " episode . Sounds like it is the "in-between" case length , makes it more interesting than just the long , and probably also the short . Good one! - despite the mettallic ovine attack.....

Now, don't go balistic on me! I said "0000" steel wool, can't get bronze wool in this neck of the woods. And I have had over thirty years expierence working with metals so I am not your average "club-footed" joe when it comes to knowing how to treat copper. I used it just gently enough to remove the gunk from the tops of the raised H/S and went no further.

A partial apology to you then- but steel wool!!!!
You do realise that there are no natural enemy's to the sheep from whence comes steel wool ? Wiry little blighters.....
de Coux lists three basic case lengths in his auction listings , you seem to have the intermediate one , if that is the appropriate name for it . Nice cartridge , they dont often turn up.
Ever though of buying a suede brush for cleaning? Slightly less abrasive than the steel wool , and less likely to attract the attentions of wandering Australians feeling homesick .....

There is one natural enemy to the "steel wool lamb", It's water.... Also it takes a real "monkey" to hurt a cartridge with 0000 steel wool - also called 4 Ought steel wool, it is very fine mesh and hardly agressive at all. It is actually less agressive than using plain ol' Brasso and a cotton cloth. Now I have seen cartridges that some one has put through a bead-blaster! Talk about your instant junk!

Sparky, you can get bronze wool from Brownell's:

http://www.brownells.com/index.html

I don't presume to advise you on metal working, but I've had some good luck removing various types of 'goop' using plain old alcohol and elbow grease. Dish detergent or dilute vinegar can also do a nice job without creating discoloration or marks. Doesn't work on everything, and caution / patience are virtues, but some very mild solutions often work wonders.

[ 12-29-2002, 21:44: Message edited by: Iconoclast ]

I allways start with the least aggressive means of cleaning a cartridge by using a cotton cloth, then a paper towel & so on...... I reserve using any chemicals until a last resort, with alcohol being the least aggressive, with automobile carborator cleaner being a second. Both don't hurt the metals, leave no stains, leave no films, and doesn't bother the original finish or patina's.