Winchester Purple Primer Sealant

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  • Last Post 14 August 2020
Bryan Austin posted this 12 August 2020

Any idea when Winchester used purple sealant on Winchester 44-40 ammunition?

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Bryan Austin posted this 12 August 2020

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Bud Hyett posted this 13 August 2020

The flat primer in place of a rounded primer may be a better clue. I have .45 Colt known to be manufactured in the late fifties still with rounded primers; WRA headstamp and rounded primers. (A gift of factory ammunition that has not been shot, yet.)

All manufacturers will use up existing stocks of primers and sealant. Unless the primer sealant is used to show which ammunition was mercuric and which ammunition ws non-mercuric and we can find that information, the flat primer is possibly a better clue. 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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Bryan Austin posted this 13 August 2020

That just confused the daylights outta me lol!

From what I have found Winchester switched to flat primers in 1976 for the 44-40. They tested flat primers several times in past years but reported unsatisfactory. We all know Winchester switched to Staynless primers by 1931 and "flat" primers by 1976.

I got these from a "1946" Winchester box.

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Bryan Austin posted this 13 August 2020

11.3gr of a Sharpshooter type powder. Winchester reported velcities between the 1930s and 1940's to be 1,300fps. However, 1937 Hercules Sharpshooter handloads reported 14gr of Sharpshooter with velocity @ only 1,260fps. Also, this 200gr JSP is only .424" rather than .4255". In the first photo I posted, the right cartridge was re-assembled and crimped with a Redding Profile crimp set to my .428" setting.

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Bud Hyett posted this 13 August 2020

A major clue was the box was still wrapped in a paper bag with a 1961 receipt. I bought several thousand W-W rounded primers at a huge discount from Freeland's in the lates sixties as they were clearing out old stock. The primers were still in wooden trays with sawdust in the bottoms.The .44-40 was a nominal .427 bore, I think. The standard My uncle tried unsuccessfully for several years to sell me .427 200-grain bullets for my .44 Magnum. 

I will never understand the disparity between the .427 and .429 bores. Winchester and Colt had .427 bores, S&W must have wanted to make a new bore size starting with the .44 Russian family. S&W had been successful with selling the .45 Schofield revolver and cartridge, selling the Schofield cartridge to the US Army since the cartridge would fit both firearms. Marketing ploys existed even back them. 

 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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Bryan Austin posted this 13 August 2020

So what dates was the purple primer sealant used?

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Bryan Austin posted this 13 August 2020

I see a 1931? .38 cal. box with Purple sealant on oval primers. That's enough for me I guess.

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Ed Harris posted this 13 August 2020

Here are some more examples

 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Bryan Austin posted this 13 August 2020

Thanks Ed so it looks like they used it early on in 1928-31ish?

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Ed Harris posted this 14 August 2020

Thanks Ed so it looks like they used it early on in 1928-31ish?

Yes, that would be correct.  The .45 Auto Rim with "full-patch" bullet and flat primer dates from that period.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Bryan Austin posted this 14 August 2020

Great info, thanks. The earliest I could find flat primers for the 44-40 was 1976 but it looks like they may have thrown in a batch real early...lol   I purchased this box thinking they would be handloads but they certainly appear to be factory loads

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