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Tinfoil cartridges

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CaptainKirk

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I've read in various places references to Sam Colt advocating the use of tinfoil cartridges. Does anyone have any info on these, how they were made, if they worked, and if the foil was consumed during combustion, or if it caused any malfunctions or other problems?
 
Yeah the conical projectile has a spigot on it's base the tin foil was placed over the spigot and the spigot flattened to secure the foil to the bullet, the foil was then formed on a dowel to shape the cartridge.Pretty much a failure , an attempt to get a more reliable cartridge for tropical use . The foil fouled up the gun and ignition was iffy when not loaded with a lot of care.
 
I have some information. The tin was initially thought to be the ideal material because it was waterproof and not subject to burning so it would not hold an ember. Various foils were tried but the only thing that worked very well was a special foil Colt had to buy from Germany. The tinfoil cartridges (as much as I have found to date) were the only combustible pistol ammunition ever loaded with a round ball and not many of them were even loaded with a round ball.
There was ONE BATCH of this type of ammunition were the foil was so thick that Colt recommended punching a hole in the back prior to loading. I have never mentioned this before because all other combustible ammo was supposed to be loaded as is (intact) and I figured if I mentioned this one batch then folks would get confused. All the other foil cartridges were loaded intact and all the paper and skin cartridges were loaded intact.
The foil cartridges were unique in the packaging of them. EACH cartridges had a paper tube over it with a pull tape (not string). The other thing is that the foil were usually packed ten to an envelope (soft cardboard) and these envelopes were of a white color whereas the later packaging for the paper cases was tan. The tin foil cartridges were made from about 1855 to 1858 (like everything minor exceptions exist).
I have tried to find out if this special tin foil blew to bits and got washed out the chamber or if residue collected and required the fouling to be cleaned out after a few shots. I sort of think residue was an issue but I've not found/read anything for sure on that.
The paper cartridge MAY have been a concession to a supply problem of the German foil and the massive sales that would arise if a Civil war broke out. In any event in 1858 Colt switched to the paper shell case. This was obviously not waterproof and the military had a problem with it. Colt then came up (his employee Root) with a small wood box which would hold six cartridges. A tan paper label covered the entire box and was shellaced to comply with the military's need for a waterproof container. The Colt boxes had a wire rip cord that ripped 3 of the sides of the box- the last unripped side acting as a hinge. The Colt boxes never contained percussion caps whereas other manufacturers had a 7th hole for caps or a groove in their box for caps, etc.
I'd be interested in knowing if anyone has ever found a funtional foil. I've played around with foil and they ignite okay but the residue is really bad on the one's I made and after about 3 or 4 rounds you cannot fully seat another cartridge completely into the chamber.
As I said before, there are some publishers who specialize on this subject, it is very well researched. Most are around Gettysburg. Do an internet search under Terry A. White, he is a very good guy. There is also a Duane Thomas (I think that is the name). I think both are in Gettysburg and they are often down in DC at the National Archives.
 
If you can find a copy the Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Backwoodsman Magazine had an article titled "Colonel Colt's Foil Cartridges". The article details on how to make these waterproof foil cartridges for percussion revolvers.

Dean Thomas of Thomas Publications has published many books on CW era cartridges.Good books but expensive,
 
Page 212 of COLONEL COLT LONDON has a reprint of the Colt & Eley specificationfor tin foil cartridges dated 1855 June 9. This book is a must for anyone remotely into Colt c&b revolvers, I know it is about the London factory and British market but the contents are realy realy good and do apply to US guns and times as well. Its full of first hand accounts and not the usual revisionist babble :thumbsup:
 
Thanks for the excellent and detailed reply! Your comment about the foil residue...I'm assuming you were referring to aluminum foil?.....was the residue easily removed, or did it scorch to the cylinder bores? Was this a "Reynolds-Wrap" type foil, or was it a thin, flexible foil (like is used in say, chewing gum wrappers or restaurant-type baked potatoes? Did you roll them yourself, and if so, did you use a round ball or conical? Did the foil encompass (envelope) the ball/bullet or was it tied off with string or glued? Please be as detailed as you can! And thanks to all of you for your answers and insight!
 
Let us know if you find tin foil (not aluminium foil) , German or English they tried both.
 
I used foil for candy but I think the foil on a cigarette pack is about the same. In any event, MUCH thinner than the stuff you use for cooking. I used the same wood dowel/mandrel and same trapezoid shape- so there is a single layer over the back. I use a glue stick to glue the sides and ends of a cartridge. foil or paper.
With this thin candy foil I had a lot of residue and my first concern was if it would obstruct the flash hole from the base of the nipple. On some chambers the fouling was so great that when I tried to load a fourth round the tip of the conical was beyond the end of the cylinder and the cylinder could no longer rotate. I had to remove the cylinder, take out the nipple, use a brass rod small enough to pass through the threads for the nipple and push the conical out the end of the chamber- a big mess.
I experimented with the foil as A LEARNING EXPERIENCE. Prior to making combustible cartridges I thought the paper was treated with nitrate so it would catch fire and burn through to explode the powder charge. Accordingly, I was surprised foil was ever used and I wanted to make a couple just to see how they worked. Having done that, I only make paper cartridges now a days. It's fun to try the foil but I wouldn't recommend it unless some special type of foil could be discovered.
The last of this type of ammunition was the Colt paper case that was packed six rounds in a little wooden box. It was the highest level acheived for this type of ammunition. I have made the split boxes like Colt had but they are very difficult to create. D.C. Sage was another major manufacturer and he had a single wood box with holes drilled in the top and a pull string (Sage used string, Colt used a wire) that was under the label, by ripping the string the label covering the holes in the top of the block were exposed and the ammunition easily obtained. Sage also had a 7th hole in many blocks and the caps were first rolled in tissue paper and then put in the 7th hole. I think the purpose of the tissue paper was to pull out all the caps, when the caps were just dropped into the hole they could twist and jam.
On the reading, there is/was a magazine called the GUN REPORT that dealt only with fire arm collecting and they had a monthly column just for those collecting ammunition. Most of what I know comes from those sources.
 
And...I forgot to answer all your questions. I used a glue stick to overlap the sides of the foil and the border of the trapdoor. I then pour in a powder charge- the original used 15 gr Navy 36 and 17 Army 44. and then put some glue around the outside base of the conical and seat the conical into the foil tube until it rests on the powder charge and lastly I squeeze the foil around the outside base of the bullet to make sure I have a good seal.
The Colt 1851 Navy has a very small loading port so you might have to play around with the bullet shape and powder charge to insure you have something that will fit into the chamber. The 44's (Colt and Rem usually have plenty of room and this is not a concern).
Incidentally, I have read that the original ammunition (paper, skin, and foil) used conicals with exterior lube. Sometimes the bullets would stick to the sides of their wood boxes because of this lube. I'm not certain what purposes the lube served, to lessen leading of the bore, to prevent a chain fire, or both. In any event lube was used. To be honest, I don't do this and I have often wondered if there is an increased danger of a chain fire from using this type ammunition unless you grease the ends of the chambers. In any event I have not and have been okay so far but as a safety measure- it is something to consider.
For field use, as I said before, if you make some little paper tubes with matching caps, just large enough for a powder charge, you can carry these, plus round balls (that are more accurate IMHO) and lubed wads and caps- all in an Altoid can and really have a small, convenient package with what I consider superior ammunition. The combustible cartridges are more of a "Bonding Experience" with the past and I use them primarily at a range.
And.... on any damage the foil causes the bore, etc- not that I have experienced. Use a toothpick or something similar to clean foil residue out of the chambers after a couple of rounds.
 
If you can ,try and look at the spec. that I have mentioned it includes draftsman drawings etc of the cartridges ,all copies of the original drawings (original first hand documentation )
 
Sounds like the foil might leave a mess. I spent some time online searching for "tin foil" but in every case, the trails lead back to aluminum foil.The cigarette pack foil/paper sounds intriguing because, after all, it is paper-backed and therefore should glue to the base of a Lee conical bullet nicely, and also form a nice, tight lap seam.
My biggest aversion to combustible paper cartridges is the obvious fragility.
I may play around with both and see which offers the best compromise. If I do, I'll be sure to post the results here.
 
There is tin foil available or was-
http://www.coleparmer.com/Assets/Msds/97257.htm

It costs about $75 for one of those 300mm by 300mm sheets.However the thickness might be a problem one way or another.

Besides the book 1601phill mentioned,Thomas's Round Ball to Rimfire Vol.3 has quite a bit on the tin foil cartridges plus the original patents describing the construction.
 
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1601phill: thanks for that reference and I'm going to try to get that book. For those that are interested, it is my understanding that Eley (I think the same one that made a lot of percussion caps) had an English Patent and Colt applied for and was turned down on a U.S. patent as his cartridge was not that different and thus a Colt- Eley alliance was created.
And, I don't think too much should be made on the foil cartridges. It is virtually impossible to get the right kind of foil and the residue is going to be a problem and then there is the safety issue. A lot of the factories (Colt, Bartholow, and others) who made this stuff had the factory blow up. There is also the issue about safety from a chain firing. SO....I personally think foil cartridges ought to be limited to making just a couple and loading into a clean cylinder- just so a shooter can experience them but beyond that, they have little place in day to day shooting. As I said,for the field- making small viles to hold a powder charge and carrying in an altoid can with greased wads, balls, and caps gives you superior and safer ammunition. A larger powder charge can be used and the ball is usually more accurate than the conical. The wad guards against a chain firing and there is no residue left in the chambers. Clearly the better option.
 
Keeping some premade cartidges on hand is a good idea in my opinion. They cut some time off the load/reload. So there is a reason other than curiosity sake.

I keep some stashed back at all times.
 
Colt applied for a patent for "Tin Foil Cartridges" March 28,1851.The Eley patent for the tin foil cartridges was dated June 9,1855 and issued to William Eley and Samuel Colt.

Eley also had an earlier patent,February 1855,for an "improvement in manufacture of ball cartridges"-

"The improvement consists of a mode of fixing flexible cases(for receiving charges of powder) to balls,particularly conical ones;for which purpose,a projecting tang is cast or formed on each ball,and on such tang a paper or flexible case is fixed,by means of a perforated disc placed on the tang,in such a manner as to shut the end of the case between the disc and the ball when the tang is subjected to pressure,so as to upset it's end,and thus to fix the case and disc to the ball."

The Colt-Eley Patent-


A.D. 1855, June 9.”” N° 1324.

COLT, Samuel, and ELEY, William Thomas. ”” " Improve-
" ments in the manufacture of cartridges."

The bullet is cast with a rebate and an annular groove at its rear
end. The powder-case is formed of sheet foil, and the caps are
secured by waterproof cement. The case, when charged, is attached
to the bullet by cement and pressure. A layer of grease is run
round the cartridge at the junction of the powder-case and bullet.

The cartridge may be enclosed in an outer case, and a tape
is attached to the rear end, by means of which it may be readUy
torn off.
 
On th drawings I have seen the conical projectile has a lead pin on it's base , the tin foil is fitted over the pin a small washer is placed over the foil and the pin is peened down over the washer , the foil was then shapped into a cartridge. It is well worth noting that the whole thing was a failure . The tin foil was then used to line and seal the bulk wooden boxes containing the smaller cartridge boxes , The foil was very well recieved in this application and was used in this role for decades.
 
There's quite a bit on the tin foil cartridges and government reports an them in actual usage in Thomas's book.They just didn't work out very well in practice. The article in Backwoodsman on them has been about the only thing I've seen about actually making a usable example with currently available easily found materials.
 
I think the washer was cork and if so it might have helped seal against a chain firing.
 
Just checked the specs again it states the washer was made of tin and that this was used with both tin foil and paper cartridges. Please note that this is in relation to the British made cartridges and US made ones may well have been diferent .
 

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