Paper Pistol Cartridges

[DARE]

Reading "The Peacemaker and its Rivals" by John E Parsons. Talking about the transition from cap-and-ball to metallic cartridges.
For the fiscal year ending June 30,1872 the Ordinance Dep't issued 317,114 paper pistol cartridges, calibre .44 to the Army. Also issued 219,880 metallic center-fire pistol cartridges calibre .44. Assuming the center-fire stuff was for converted Colts and Remingtons. Probably the .44 Colt cartridge. 130,088 cartridges for the S&W .44 (American Model).
Wondering what the paper cartridges looked like and how they worked. I guess the idea was to make it faster to load things like the 1860 Army.
Any info appreciated.

 

[DWalt]

Just look up paper cartridges in Wikipedia. They show pictures of them. Mainly just sort of a paper envelope containing powder attached to the base of a conical bullet. The envelope is slightly tapered. I believe some used gut instead of paper as a powder container as it was more waterproof.

 

[29aholic]

Dixie gunworks also has a diagram of paper cartridges. You basically load them in the revolver like loose powder and ball then run a sharp rod through the flash hole to pierce the paper for ignition.

Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk

 

[sigp220.45]

Here ya go.

 

[robertrwalsh]

One of the first "hard" medical screening standards was attached to these paper cartridges. The enlistees and draftees had to have enough teeth that they could bite/tear the cartridges. The requirement was dropped during WWII.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Paper cartridges were quite frequently used in muzzle-loading firearms. Probably a great variety of types, but typically a cylindrical container of nitrated paper (treated to be more combustible) holding a pre-measured powder charge and the bullet or ball. A piece of thread was used to seal the end holding the powder charge and also around the forward portion holding the bullet or ball. The end containing the powder would have to be pierced or torn open to expose the powder to the igniting flash of a percussion cap or flintlock.

Paper cartridges were also used with muzzle-loading shotguns, and light artillery pieces were frequently charged with pre-loaded paper cartridges. The paper itself could serve as a driving wad or wads of cloth, felt, or leather could be incorporated.

Many commentaries about Civil War battles noted soldiers with stains around their mouths from biting open the paper containers prior to stuffing into the muzzles of their rifles and ramming the charges into the firing chambers.

Metallic cartridges were developed before and during the US Civil War, and became widely accepted by the 1870s, but muzzle-loading arms continued to be manufactured well into the 1890s and were still in widespread into the early 20th Century.

 

[Ruger 13]

I make them for my cap and ball revolvers with cigarette papers! Been doing it for decades for 36 and 44 caliber. It allows more shooting when I take them to my backyard range.

 

[gwpercle]

The Dixie Gun Works Catalog ( still only $5.00) taught me how to make them for my 1851 Navy Colt cap and ball reproduction revolver .
An interesting way to have assembled loads ready for the cap & ball revolvers . I believe Sharps single shot Percussion Cap fired rifles could used a paper cartridge ... all of them still required a percussion cap to be pressed onto the nipple but at least the bullet and pre-measured powder charge were together and in one convient " paper cartridge" which in truth was just a little combustible paper package ... I bet the rain messed them up big time . The brass case was a huge advancement !

Can you still get cigarette rolling papers ?
Gary

 

[desi2358]

A couple things need corrected about cap & ball revolver cartridges. First it is not necessary to run a pin or anything of the kind through the nipple to shoot them once loaded. The cap has more than enough fire to penetrate the thin paper or skin used to make the cartridges. Many were also treated with waterproofing agents that were flammable as well which also helped insure ignition. Properly made modern paper cartridges work the same way, there are people selling kits and instructions for those who wish to duplicate the original loads.

Second thing was the comments on tearing open cartridges before loading (and the need for a good set of teeth. That is quite true for musket cartridges (rifled or smoothbore) but has nothing to do with revolver cartridges which is what the OP was asking about. Revolver cartridges normally were issued in packs (sigP220.45 shows a pic of such a pack) which had a tear strip to open the pack. The cartridges were then inserted in the cylinder and rammed home with the loading lever. At which point the gun was capped and then ready to fire.

 

[nicky4968]

Eras Gone has some interesting videos about paper cartridges on YouTube.

 

[Wyo]

Worth noting as well that many prepared cartridges were made of things other than paper as paper was very fragile. Cartridges for Sharps rifles, for example, were made of linen during the later part of the Civil War.

 

[ironhead7544]

There was also a tape primer system for the Sharps rifle and others.

 

[DARE]

Thanks for all the info. Was especially interested in the gov't issue paper pistol cartridges during fiscal year 1872. Think they were for Colt and other cap and ball guns such as the 1860 Army. So a probably combustible paper with a powder charge and ball. Still had to use a primer. Did you need grease seal to prevent chain fire?
The metallic cartridge was certainly a big improvement.

 

[sigp220.45]

Thanks for all the info. Was especially interested in the gov't issue paper pistol cartridges during fiscal year 1872. Think they were for Colt and other cap and ball guns such as the 1860 Army. So a probably combustible paper with a powder charge and ball. Still had to use a primer. Did you need grease seal to prevent chain fire?
The metallic cartridge was certainly a big improvement.

I believe no grease was used on top of the load.

I gave up on the whole Crisco business a long time ago as an un-necessary mess. The blast from the first round usually blows the stuff off of the adjacent chambers anyway. I've never had a chain fire, which I suspect happen more from ill-fitting caps.

 

[DWalt]

If the bullets are of a correct diameter that can be forced into a chamber tightly, there shouldn't be any "chain fires" even without any grease over the bullets. I have seen some people use thin wax discs between the bullet and powder in C&B revolver chambers. I have read that back in the CW and post-CW period, there was no grease used in C&B revolvers, bullets were usually fired with no lubrication.

I had forgotten about the DGW catalogs, I still have some of them from back in the 1960s-70s. They contained a lot of information about the use of muzzle loading rifles and revolvers. I have been to DGW many times, but the last time was about 15 years ago. Back then I would pass through Union City headed north, and would often stop there just to see what DGW had.

There is evidence that paper cartridges in some form have been in use since guns were first used. Back in my old Southern Ohio home town there was a paper cartridge factory operating during the Civil War. The building still exists and is in use, but for a different purpose. Fairly simple technology - just fill a big room full of women with scissors and powder scoops. I think they also filled artillery shells there.