USA SHOTSHELLS
(Please note:
Headstamps may have one or both of the markings listed. EX: A Western
Field shotshell may have just "Western" on the brass, while the same type
of shell may also be marked "Western Field" on another base). The second name
generally represents the brand name or product line of the shotshell and may be
either stamped on the base or written on the shellge case itself. Some US shotshell
manufacturers used a steel base instead of brass, mainly during WWII. (Dates after shells indicate dates of
known manufacture. Dates after company name indicates known dates of the company
being in business.
An * after the shell represents the shell is generally
a brass shotshell, but the headstamp may possibly be found on others)
Some photo's supplied by our friends at aussiemetaldetecting.com
A special Thank
you to Mike and Rene Polman, David Frederickson, Jim Buchanan and Bob Ruebel who provided
many photo's on
this page.
NOTE: Generally with US shotshells, those labelled for instance as No 12 as opposed to those labelled as 12 GA, the former is generally older. By the 1950's most use companies labelled the headstamp as the # GA. (12 GA, 20 GA etc.) Hover over picture, notes will display if there are any.
ACTIV Industries
Information from Fede of the I.A.A
This cartridge case is an Spanish design that goes back to 1972 and “Zigor” was the original brand and company name that manufactured them in Vitoria, Spain (first marketed in 1978). In Basque language it’s a common name that means “scourge” or “punishment”, thus the man with a whip.Later they joined forces with another Spanish shotshell manufacturer named CTL and became CTL-Activ, S.A. In 1994, the latter established a manufacturing branch in Argentina, first using imported cases and later making them at their own factory (molds purchased from Kent-Gamebore). During many years their plant was located inside the premises of FM Fray Luis Beltrán in Santa Fé, until 2011 when they moved to a new one in the province of Entre Ríos. This explains why you can find FLB cartridges using Activ made cases.Their history in the US started in 1980 under a company named J. C. L. Zigor Corp. that was established in Kearneysville, West Virginia. In 1985 changed their name to Activ Industries, Inc. and in 1997 was purchased and renamed Kent-Gamebore Corp. (now Kent Cartridge America, Inc.).The “Activ” trademark was applied in the US by a company registered in Puerto Rico named Rainel de Puerto Rico Inc., that also had a branch in Madison, Connecticut.
ALCAN (Alcan
Cartridge Company, ALTON, IL
1951 - 1971
purchased by Fiocchi and S&W
AMERICAN
AMMUNITION CO.
(1910 - 1922)
