Cartridge Boxes

Hay all you F&I boys! I make leather shooting bags and such, and was wondering what the French Marine cartridge box with the anchor on the flap really looked like, including how many holes were in the insert.Is there any book that shows originals? I've heard they were brown, I've heard black.Would like the same info on British boxes too. Would also like to know what size hole would suit most reenactors. Any help appreciated. Keep yur powder dry :thumbsup:

What period are you asking about.

I'm pretty sure when he said "Hey all you F&I boys", he was referring to the French & Indian War.

Hay all you F&I boys! I make leather shooting bags and such, and was wondering what the French Marine cartridge box with the anchor on the flap really looked like, including how many holes were in the insert.Is there any book that shows originals? I've heard they were brown, I've heard black.Would like the same info on British boxes too. Would also like to know what size hole would suit most reenactors. Any help appreciated. Keep yur powder dry :thumbsup:

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During the F&I War I believe the Brits were using the Long Land Pattern musket, commonly known as the pattern 1 Brown Bess. That musket was a .75 cal, but they typically put .69 cal lead balls down it (quick loading even after multiple shots). A lot of the locals would have the French Fussils. I believe they were .62 cal. Since the paper cartridges would have a lead ball of the appropriate caliber in them, you'd need to make the holes big enough for the weapon you were using. Not sure about the number of holes that are historically correct, but most of the ones that I've seen have had 3 rows of 8 holes for a total of 24. I've also seen the belly boxes which are curved and carried at the front by the belly and they typically have 9 holes in them.

Not sure that helps.

The nine-holers were for artillery crews who did not use the musket as their primary weapon.

Dragoons used 12 round "boxes" made of tin tubes in a single row with a leather flap.

Soooo. the inside was a series of tin tubes? I thought I saw something in a sketchbook that was curved wood with three rows. Sounds like there were several different styles depending on what type of unit you were with. Thanks for the info fellas. :thumbsup:

No, no. I was just giving examples of variations. The standard was a 20 to 24 hole wood block. With or without a leather cover on the bottom. Some Americans used crude ones with just a leather flap tacked to a wood block. Not weatherproof at all.

I made one with 3 rows of 8 holes. Drilling 24 of the 3/4" holes that close to one another with a hand-brace will try your patience. The wood just tears out between the holes. I destroyed several before I got smart and drilled overlength holes in a 1" deeper than needed block and then sawed the block to depth.

I always thought the single row of tin tubes design would be great for hunting, but never pursued it.

Take a look in "Battle Weapons of the American Revolution". Most of the examples they have carried 17-18 cartridges. Later American boxes carried 24-30. There is one example of a French waist box which carries 9.