You kind of made my point with the old boxes saying loaded shells instead of just shotshells - the factory loaded shells came first. Then people would take the fired shells and reload them. I would think unloaded brass could also be bought once there was a market for them. Bob, I guess no one is really answering your question other than the late 1800s. They made and reloaded the pin fire that pre dated the shell we know today.
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Paul Harm
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