Interesting ammo find...

[Shapes And Colors]

My grandfather recently returned from Oklahoma, where he helped clean out an old farm house after the owners passed away. He found 2 boxes of this ammo that, until today, I did not know existed. I'm hoping there are a few people here more knowledgable than I in regards to a bit of its history and possible value, if any.

The cartridge is the Winchester .40-65, apparently made for the model 1886 and the marlin model 95, and was last sold commercially in 1935. It seems as though there are a few companies that produce small batches of it today, but it's not easy to find. I've found the new rounds to be around $3 a piece, and I've seen some individual antique rounds going for $50 a piece. The box is in decent condition, and the rounds are surprisingly clean.

Anyone have any info on these? Or perhaps a good resource to learn what I'm trying to learn?

[Socalman]

That is pretty cool.

[Enfield47]

Very cool find. Maybe you can contact Remington and see if they can provide a little insight for you. I would imagine they have something in their archives.

[G-Man WC]

Wow, that's a heavy hitter. Thanks for sharing.

.40-65 Winchester


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The .40-65 Winchester (also called the .40-65 Winchester and Marlin)[1] was an American rifle cartridge.

Introduced with the 1887 Winchester Model 86, and available in Winchester single shots and in the Marlin Model 95, it was "a further effort to put more steam" in repeating rifle cartridges.[2]

It was commercially available in black and smokeless varieties until around 1935, and can be handloaded by reforming .45-70 brass.[2]

[GunDog]

Historical Notes The 40-65 Winchester & Marlin was introduced in 1887 for the Model 1886 Winchester rifle. The Winchester single-shot also chambered it and so did the Marlin Model 1895. The 40-65 Winchester was loaded in both blackpowder and smokeless powder versions, and Winchester catalogs listed it to 1935.

General Comments The 40-65 was a further effort to put more steam in the repeating rifles' cartridges so they would be competitive with similar single-shot cartridges. This one, reasonably popular, continued for almost 50 years. Rifles in this chambering are common and ammunition can be made by reforming 45-70 cases. Although groove diameter was typically 0.408 inch, original load bullets were 0.406-inch diameter.

Source: Cartridges of the World, 10th Ed., by Frank C. Barnes

[Shapes And Colors]

Thanks for the advice everyone. It was a pretty cool find indeed. I bet it's fun to shoot.

[smog7]

That's pretty damn cool! I would hold on to them.

[rojocorsa]

I've never heard of it, but the fact that it was made for the 1886 action tells me its a hefty one.

I didn't know that old brass like that could not be reloaded either.

[starsnuffer]

Sell it or shoot it!

If you hold onto it, someone will just find it in your farmhouse later on when they're cleaning it out and ask the same question!

-W

[Rorge Retson]

I'd message hickok45 and ask him about it, as he is very knowledgeable in the area of old stuff like this.

Let us know what you find out if you do contact him.

[Shapes And Colors]

I'd message hickok45 and ask him about it, as he is very knowledgeable in the area of old stuff like this.

Let us know what you find out if you do contact him.

Good call, I messaged him last night
I'll update with his response.

It really is a neat round, and I bet it'd be a ton of fun to shoot, but finding a gun chambered in it (despite it being called 'common') is difficult and they are expensive. The value attached to an original Winchester rifle in this cartridge is between 5k-15k, from what I've found. I really want to turn this ammo into a lever gun in 45-70, but I don't think it's worth that much.