Description
45-70 Blanks – Original Western Cartridge Company Box
This 45-70 blanks box is an original Western Cartridge Company package for blank ammunition loaded with a black powder charge. Marked as a product of Western Cartridge Company, Division of Olin Industries, it appears to be unopened and remains a strong surviving example of period blank ammunition packaging.
45-70 Blanks
The box retains the kind of straightforward factory labeling that makes old ammunition packaging appealing in its own right. In this case, the back is marked A70E31H, adding another layer of identification beyond the main product label. With its clean surfaces, solid corners, and lack of smoke or water damage, it presents as a well-preserved box rather than a hard-used leftover.
Construction / Configuration / Pattern
This is a period paper ammunition box for .45-70 blank cartridges. It was manufactured by Western Cartridge Company, Division of Olin Industries, and it is identified as a black powder charge loading rather than a later smokeless blank variation. The rear of the box is marked A70E31H, likely a factory code, lot-related marking, or packaging designation. The box appears unopened, which is an important point for collectors of ammunition packaging because sealed or apparently untouched examples tend to preserve their original presentation more convincingly than loose or heavily handled cartons.
Historical Context / Provenance / Development
Blank ammunition boxes often carry a different kind of interest than standard ball or sporting loads. They speak less to hunting or target shooting and more to signaling, training, ceremonial use, theatrical supply, or utility purposes where report mattered more than projectile performance. In the case of .45-70 blanks, that association can be especially appealing because the caliber itself is so closely tied to late 19th-century and continuing American arms history.
The Western Cartridge Company connection adds to that appeal. Western was one of the important names in American ammunition manufacture, and the later Division of Olin Industries wording places the box within a recognizable phase of 20th-century corporate branding. That makes the piece useful not only to cartridge collectors, but also to collectors of American commercial packaging and firearms-related paper.
A blank box like this also works well because it preserves a niche part of ammunition history that is often overlooked. Many collectors focus on service ball, sporting loads, or commercial hunting ammunition. Blank ammunition tells a quieter story, yet it still belongs to the wider world of American cartridge production and use. When a box survives in apparently unopened form with clean corners and no major environmental damage, it carries that story especially well.
Condition
This example appears to be unopened. The corners remain good, and there is no smoke or water damage noted. Overall, it presents as a clean and well-preserved box with strong display value. The A70E31H rear marking is also still present, which adds to its collector interest.
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