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Exact shotshell manufacturers Identification can be a very difficult process. It often requires far more than just the headstamp. Often the identification requires the headstamp, primer, the shell case and often the topwad. Sometimes the only sure way is to have the actual box itself, especially for dating. Many companies such as Winchester may only place a "Winchester" wording on the headstamp but used for various models of shotshells which are very different from each other. For example, the "Winchester" only headstamp is used on "Winchester Standard" loads, "Winchester Magnum" loads, "Winchester Duck and Pheasant" loads etc. Many shotshell companies also provide their casings for other companies they load themselves and this can be worldwide. Today companies such as Cheddite and Fiocchi have their headstamps (full cases) sent to 100's of other companies who use to load their own brand of shotshells. Headstamp Identification on shotshells over all, unless you have the box is a vague science to say the least. Small companies often buy hulls from the larger manufacturers to re-load and sell themselves and have done so for over 125 years. It is therefore important to note what is written on the shell casing itself (either on the top wad or written on the casing) to aid in the identification and aging of the shell. The color of the plastic or paper hull as well as the case size and the size of the brass rim must also be taken in to consideration for identification purposes. The color, size and type of primer used may also be an indicator of the manufacturer or if it is a re-loaded case. Primer size, color, type and size have changed over the years and can sometimes also give an idea to the age of a shell. Keep in mind though, that many companies keep the exact same headstamp for many many years, so dating a headstamp just on it's own is not usually a reliable method. Even when they have changed their headstamps, there are usually still many hulls around that have been sold to other companies or re-loaded years afterwards. These pages are really to help you ID who made the casing.
Thanks to Mike, Heath Kushner, Rene Polman, Jim Buchanan, Bob Ruebel and aussiemetaldetecting/com who provided photo's on this page.
Dominion Cartridge Company & Successors
(all were paper except where
denoted with * which is brass)
DC CO, Brownsburg, QC : 1886 - 1915,
1915-1919 located in St Henri, QC
1919-1927, Dominion headstamps under Canadian Explosives Industries.
1911 DC Co merged with other companies to form Canadian Explosives Ltd.
DC Co shotshell plant was moved to St Henri, QC 1915-1918 then back to Brownsburg
Dominion
Cartridge Company (part of Canadian Industries Ltd.): 1927-1955, Dominion headstamps.
C.I.L: (Canadian Industries LTD) 1955-1976, used C.I.L
headstamps.
IVI: (Industries Valcartier Inc. now part of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Canada) 1977 to 1998. (Note: IVI never officially took over CIL until 1976, but the Imperial/IVI markings started being used in 1967). IVI is now only used on military centerfire ammunition.
1998-2006:
Challenger & Imperial headstamps2010+. Imperial Canada
headstamps now used by Aurora Enterprises who now owns the Imperial brand name, but is in no way related to any of the above.
Rival
(12, 16, 20 gauge) exported to South American
countries (1955-1960's)
Pictures by Heath Kushner
Exchem Mark(components and boxes made by Dominion and loaded and sold in Liberia) No Picture
Regal(Supposedly an experimental lot that was never
released)
circa 1930's
Pictures by Heath Kushner
(1955-1976). Successors to Dominion.
1976-1998. Successors to CIL & Dominion
