#48 • Rare Antique 45 Ward Burton by U.M.C. Cartridge

Part of Antique Ammunition Online Auction (timed auction by Linkous Auction Group)

High bid $70.00

Status: Sold

Exceptionally rare .45 Ward Burton cartridge manufactured by the Union Metallic Cartridge Company between 1871 and 1876, produced for the short-lived Ward Burton bolt action rifle that was briefly tested by the U.S. Army as a candidate for the standard infantry rifle before ultimately losing out to the Springfield trapdoor design. The cartridge features a distinctive bottle-necked brass case with a notably pronounced shoulder and a deeply recessed centerfire primer surrounded by concentric rings on the base, topped with a round nosed lead bullet coated entirely in a deep black lubricant that remains largely intact after 150 years, with a visible paper patch wrap at the case mouth junction. Cartridge measurements are OAL 2.35in CL 1.79 MW .47