What is this cartridge?

[Flintshooter]

These were in a bunch of things a friend of my mother wanted disposed of. The bigger of the two smaller cartridges is headstamped 22 Savage and the smallest one is a 25/20. But what are the biggest ones? Most have no headstamp at all like the good cheap surplus .303 British that was available back in the sixties. The one that does has the strangest headstamp I’ve ever seen.

 

[JohnKSa]

French. The one with the headstamp was made in the 4th Quarter of 1914. 8mm Lebel, D variant ball.

The A. TE. B.S. identifies the manufacturer(s).

The picture makes it look like some of them are bulging. That's kind of weird.

 

[BlueHeelerFl]

There is corrosion on those cases. The powder might be decomposing

 

[Flintshooter]

French. The one with the headstamp was made in the 4th Quarter of 1914. 8mm Lebel, D variant ball.

The A. TE. B.S. identifies the manufacturer(s).

The picture makes it look like some of them are bulging. That's kind of weird.

Thanks, that explains why I have never seen anything like them

 

[jonnyc]

Not an uncommon cartridge, but their early semi-smokeless loads tend to rot the rounds from the inside out. I actually stopped collecting them due to the damage they can cause in collection trays and nearby rounds.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Another way to identify these cases (since so many had no headstamp) is the double taper of the case which eliminates rimlock.