Skip to content
Pitt Rivers Museum
AboutHire the MuseumNewsletterUniversity of Oxford

1927.45.2.15

Cartridge case

1927.45.2.15
Collection type
Object
Description
Cartridge case
Cultural groups
English
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1845
Date collected
By 1927
Acquisition information
Donated: 11/1927
Object numbers
Accession number: 1927.45.2.15
Research and responses

The donor - Miss Hatchet Jackson - is probably related to William Hatchett Jackson, who read Natural History at New College (1870-73), and later taught on the Natural Science degree (at Keble College), becoming the Radcliffe's Librarian in 1900. [Dan Hicks 22/04/2013]

E-mail correspondence between Marina de Alarcon and David Penn: '...These are probably later part of the 19th century in date. Pinfires were made in quantity from the 1850's to the First World War, and in lesser quantities for a while thereafter, although they were 'old technology' and moving rapidly down market by the 1880s. Ely Brothers was one of the two major British commercial and sporting and military ammunition manufacturers at this period. It sold 'own brand' cartridges in huge quantities. It also supplied both loaded cartridges and unloaded cases to gunmakers and ironmongers throughout the United Kingdom and indeed much of the rest of the world. Local gunmakers would routinely load up cartridges either to their own special prescription (which was of course, always, 'hard hitting. 'long range'. 'deadly', 'low recoil' or whatever - there was no trades trades description act the hamper the imagination) or to the order of their customers. At first, if the retailer was willing to pay extra, his name could be placed on the brass head of the cartridge. These are much rarer and more collectable than the usual 'ELEY LONDON' marking/ Later, it became usual to print the retailer's name on the side of the paper case at a nominal extra cost. many of these are very decorative, and again this enhances their collector interest and value..."[FB 26/11/2019]

Search terms: Firearm Weapon, Firearm Accessory, Cartridge

Further items to explore