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FS #2 is a 40-60 Winchester Center Fire cartridge introduced in 1876 by the Winchester <br />Repeating Arms Company to the civilian market for its model 1876 lever action rifle/carbine <br />(Plate 5). That rifle originally chambered a 45-75 caliber, then at some point the cartridge <br />represented by FS #2 was added. The sources consulted give conflicting dates for the advent of <br />the 40-60. Shuey (2003 v.1:20) and Watrous (1943:29) give 1884 as the first year of loading <br />the 40-60. Hoyem (1999 v.4:77) and Barnes (2000:127) list 1876 as the beginning date. Datig <br />(1963, v.1:153) simply lists beginning production as "late 1870's." <br />This specimen has a small copper primer but no headstamp, which suggests that <br />perhaps the production of FS #2 was quite early, probably pre -1884. In addition to the 1876 <br />Winchester, the 40-60 was also chambered in the Highwall Winchester single shot rifle. The <br />caliber was designed as a big game round. It was certainly more powerful than any Winchester <br />round prior to 1876, but fell short on power for any big game shooting at much over 100 yards. <br />FS #3 is a cartridge case that is clearly headstamped "W.R.A. CO. 38-55," which is the <br />first of many headstamp variations used by Winchester for this caliber and dates to the first <br />year of its production in 1886 (Plate 5). This earlier loading was advertised "For Ballard No. 4 <br />Rifle" (Shuey 1999, v.I:296-298), which means that FS#3 may have had a paper patched bullet <br />and would not have fed through the mechanism of the later 1894 Winchester lever action <br />rifles/carbines. Other loadings at this same time had plain lead bullets that would have fed <br />through the repeating rifle mechanism. <br />The case also lacks a chanular around the case body. The chanular was later with the <br />advent of smokeless powder loads. The conclusion held here is that this cartridge was a black <br />powder load, perhaps with a paper patched bullet intended for a single shot rifle. The last black <br />powder load by Winchester was in 1935 (Shuey 1999 v.I:297). The best guess for a production <br />date for specimen FS#3 is somewhere between 1886 and 1894. <br />The rifles that the 38-55 round may have been used in were both single shot and <br />repeating rifles/carbines by Winchester, Ballard, Colt, Stevens, Marlin and Remington. It was <br />a popular hunting round for deer sized animals, and also for competition target shooting <br />(Barnes 2000, p.79). The 38-55 has regained some of its lost popularity in recent years with <br />modern black powder and cowboy action shooters. <br />Fieldwork to determine eligibility was conducted on 8 October and 28 October, 2015. <br />It was proposed that shovel and auger testing be performed, that the site be metal detected in its <br />entirety, and dendrochronology samples be taken. The purposes of the investigations at the site <br />were to determine the vertical extent and nature of the subsurface deposits and to search for <br />thermal features. <br />Shovel Test 1 was placed directly beneath the poles of Feature 1, 40cm north-northeast <br />of the support tree (Figure 8). Soils are dark brown, sandy loam, loosely compacted, with a <br />few very small pebbles that are consistent throughout. No cultural manifestations were <br />encountered. Shovel Test 1 measured 25x25cm and was 35cm deep. Shovel Test 2 was placed <br />22 <br />