I was gifted a wooden box with a bunch of loaded 9.3x72R cartridges recently. In this box was also the appliance shown below. It seems to be a cartridge gauge perhaps? It is solid brass with no visible markings. The cartridge rim rests below the flange about 0.015"-ish when inserted. The bullet will not enter the small end but I have not measured it. Any help with ID'ing is appreciated.

Thanks,
Hoot

At a WAG, is it a hydraulic de-capper for Berdan primers?

Is there a snugly fitting plunger to go in the top end?

Hoot 4570,
I think Parabola's WAG is as good a guess as any. Is there a base with a hole large enough to pass a .254" primer, in addition to a plunger?

I haven't dug to the bottom of the box yet but, so far, this is the only bit in there besides the ammo. I'll dig a little and see if there are other parts hiding....

This is called bullet seater die in old catalogs. With it came a brass "mushroom" seater.

With kind regards,
Jani

P.S.: here is a similar device, complete with the mushroom shaped bullet seater, albeit for muzzleloaders: https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/...g_1_1922436274a9d01587e4b495a45ecdd0.jpg

Jani,
That makes sense also, I disregarded that use because Hoot 4570 said a bullet wouldn't go into it. BTW, I couldn't get the link to open up.
Mike

What Jani told is in an AKAH catalogue from 1908:



Cheers,
Wolfgang

Kugelsetzer


Apparate zum Laden von Patronen.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

Well, there you go! Thank you gentlemen!

BINGO!

Dug through the box and found the goodies below:







And, a correction: A 9.3 bullet WILL fit in the small end of the 'base'. I probably grabbed one with a flaw or something that didn't fit.


There were also these two items. I tried to get an internal picture but can't. However, there is a captured spring inside each. Neither of these will fit into the small end of the kugelsetzer but will fit over a 9.3 bullet. I assume one places a bullet in the end of the tube and then inserts into a loaded case...maybe? Any thoughts?

Hoot4570,
The bullet seater seems to be for 9.3x70R, rather than 9.3x72R, I wonder if the other devices are to limit bullet seating depth to adapt the seater for 72 mm cases. I noted the ammo box end indicates the cartridges were the "D" version with 15gram J ( hunting ?) bullet. If the two devices are closed at the end, maybe they are powder measures.
Mike

Yessir. I noticed the markings as well as those on the end flap of a cartridge box. The cases do indeed measure 70mm and not 72mm. Silly me assumed the cartridge just by looking.

The spring loaded tubes are still a mystery. They are closed on one end and one has what seems to be a bit of rubber(?) attached. That one appears to have been "beat upon" as there is a small bit of distortion in the end cap itself. The 'mouth' will not allow the case mouth of an unloaded 9.3x72R to enter but will allow a 200gr. 9.3 bullet in about half its' length. The spring is fairly stout...judging by my non-calibrated thumb. My WAG is a spring loaded seater of some sort?