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  • shell casings

    • Artifact ID #: 2510
    • Excavation Unit: 0N 20W
    • Level: 0-10cmbs
    • Identification: Spent .38 caliber centerfire shell casing. This shell casing is a spent (or fired) shell casing from a .38 caliber pistol. A .38 caliber weapon was the preferred self-defense pistol for the Chinese during the 19th and early 20th century due to its small size but substantial power. The .38 pistol could have also served as a hunting weapon but only in a limited fashion. Before the 1890s, most firearms used rimfire casings, whereas the primer to ignite the gunpowder was located around the base of the shell. This example is a centerfire, where the gun’s hammer would strike the center of the shell igniting the primer, hence the name. This particular shell was produced for the Smith & Wesson .38 caliber pistol, and manufactured by the Union Metalllic Company and dates to the 1890s through 1920s.


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