Identify this old cartridge

Centerfire?

 

I read that British army orphans were employed in making cartridges with rolled brass cases and paper patched bullets.

 

Fascinating. I've never even heard of rolled brass cartridges before. I guess it could work but I think it would lose some efficiency from escaping gas around the sides of the chamber.

.40

 

I've never seen anything like that. Wow!

 

That could be a cartridge for a British 577/450 Martini–Henry. However, the 577/450 Martini–Henry cartridge is more bottle neck shaped. Rolled brass cases were quite common before they figured out how to "draw" brass.

 

Just curious; why would you measure it in mm?

 

These were originally used in "Enfield" pattern rifled muskets converted to centerfire. As stores of these were used up, purpose built rifles were manufactured in this caliber prior to the advent of the .450 cartridge. They continued to see service in the British commonwealth in reserve, training, native troops through WWI. This round/rifle was also relatively common in Canada, still being used on moose and bear and also with shot rounds in remote locations until relatively modern times. After WWII, various Enfield pattern rifles became cheap and plentiful and thoroughly displaced the .577. You still see a fair number of them hanging above the fireplace in Canadian hunting lodges, cabins and constabularies.

 

On a fishing trip near Ear Falls ONT, our native guide thought it would be hilarious to see a 13 year old boy shoot "Grandfathers Big Medicine Gun" when the resort owners son and I were bumming around his cabin after hours. They were both mildly disappointed when it didn't knock me on my butt. Pretty sure it was a .577, as I don't remember the case having a bottleneck, and it looked like a converted .577 Enfield RM. I found the experience very similar to shooting a .577 Enfield rifled musket with a minie' ball that an old codger (also no doubt amused by the prospect of a 13 yr old boy firing such a beast) let me fire a few weeks prior.