Michael W. Cobine sends us these unusual .32-20 WCF cartridges. Michael says to look at the bases of these pair of cases. Do they look like "A" Base cases to you? Have any of you visitors seen anything similar? These do look like some of the raised base cases made by U.M.C. but with a more defined step.

Let us know if you have any thoughts about these.

 The case on the left is headstamped 'W.R.A.Co. 32 W.C.F.', the case on the right is unheadstamped.

Enlargement of the case base, note the step.

Update to the February A-Base Case

From Howard Hoovestol;
"I do have a comment about the 32-20 a-base. I sectioned one, and it is found constructed under the Bayless patent of February 16, 1875 (No. 159,883) Dan Shuey told me that he had found one with the W.R.A.Co. headstamp. The one I have has the 1878 Gardner primer, so I had suspected it was made by Winchester, now the headstamp confirms it."

Below is sheet 2 of the T.R. Bayliss U.S. Patent No. 159,883  dated February 16, 1875 showing the 'reinforced' base design. Ok, when did the a-base case design appear in Europe? Bayliss was from England but did European manufacturers adopt this case base design?