How to Identify Shell Cartridges From WWI

Identify the cartridge body. The copper cylinders which holds the projectiles produced during this era all have the similarity of not having an extraction groove. A WWI casing will have a case rim, which is essentially the wider base of the cartridge, but no indention above it, which is an extraction groove.

Look at the bottom of the cartridge casing. You should see a few markings depending on the age and surface condition of the cartridge. Look for the date near the center. If the date is between 1900 and 1918, then you have a round possibly used--or manufactured--during the time of the Great War. Some stockpile ammunition from the mid 1800's was used as well, but this can prove difficult to find.

Look at any markings on the casing that indicate a U.S. origin. The U.S. cartridges will have stamped letters in English, and the bottom will typically read "Model of 1916" or "Model of 1914" depending on the year the round was produced. The cartridge will also have its manufacturing company name stamped on the bottom. Cartridges for this war came from numerous ammunition production locations scattered across the country, as the full swing of the industrial revolution was just beginning to take hold, and adequate production plants weren't in place as they are today.

British cartridges typically will have a particular head-stamp marking indicative of the year and manufacturing armorer. The British had numerous armories in many locations across the globe, so obtaining a head-stamp I.D. catalogue for collecting these cartridges is essential. A cartridge with a head-stamp marking of AF is indicative of a round produced in Melbourne Australia. A marking of BE is indicative of its being produced at the Royal Ordinance Factory in Worcester U.K., both during WWI.