paper cartridges

[hogslayer]

I have just started to make and use paper cartridges in my Rogers & Spencer .44 cap&ball revolver ,(nitrated paper)
I only shoot target on a gallery range , YES that's what our wonderful government will let us do ,black powder pistol or revolver for target shooting ,
Funny thing is in 1960 when they asked me to serve my country (army) it was OK in fact they supplied me with a rifle and payed for the ammo.
(sorry for the rant) What i would like to no is how common was it to use paper cartridges during the American civil war,I would be grateful for any documented info
members of this forum might have ,Thanks.

 

[Norinco]

The Federal (North) government issued ammo in paper cartridges exclusively.

I'm not sure about the South, but I'm not aware of anyone producing paper cartridges down there. They would have loaded loose powder and round shot.

 

[SAJones]

The combustible paper cartridges for pistols was in common use for the North, don't know about the South. As I recall, they were packaged 6 to the packet with extra caps, I assumed in case one was dropped in the loading process. Colt's instruction sheets even gave directions for using the combustible cartridge, recommending that a hole be punched in the bottom before loading to assure a boom instead of a pop.

 

[hogslayer]

Thanks guys for your answers ,i will try to get more details and let you no what i come up with.

 

[Norinco]

Is your revolver an original or reproduction?

BTW, it sucks that your country is so "enlightened" in its gun laws.

 

[crockett]

Everyone is correct, the paper cartridge was the standard way the Civil War soldier loaded a cap and ball revolver. I have been told the military manual gave instructions on how to load from a flask so that MAY have been done- not sure on that. I don't know of any Civil War era flasks issued to reload percussion revolvers.
The South is sort of different, remember they scraped the Federal system for a weak confederacy inwhich the States often ran their own shows. The Richmond Arsenal issued paper cartridges but they put them in cardboard boxes as opposed to the wood boxes used by the Union. So.... there was a breakage problem on the Southern cartridges because they could rattle around somewhat in the boxes. Given that- I wouldn't be surprised if some (a lot) of Confederate troops re-loaded from a flask. The paper cartridges used less powder than you can use when loading from a flask and the round balls were more accurate and hit harder than the pointed, conical bullets. I think a lot of the Southern troops were more knowledge on firearms- at least at the start of the war- and that may have induced a lot of them to load from a flask as better results were obtained. The only advantage on the combustible cartridges was faster reloading time.

 

[BillinOregon]

I suspect a lot of civilians also used paper cartridges, purchased at the general store.

 

[Norinco]

I read somewhere that if you sent off to Colt, you could get a thousand cartridges for $18 or something like that.

 

[Norinco]

To add, I read a post in another forum where a guy says that some Confederate arsenals made paper cartridges that were just like rifle cartridges of the day. You had to bite off the end and pour the powder into the cylinder. I haven't done anything to verify this yet.

 

[hogslayer]

Norico,sad to say its only a reproduction by ubirti
but great fun to shoot.

 

[crockett]

That could be, there's a guy in Gettysburg- Tim (Tom?) White, who has written several books on the subject- for anyone interested.
Yes, Civilians used paper cartridges as well. The Western lawmen carried them but for fast- back up ammo. They usually loaded from a flask to start as that allowed more powder.
BTW- different percussion revolvers have different sized loading ports- in other words the Rem 1858 New Army has a large port but the 1851 Colt Navy is rather small and not all paper cartridges will fit into the port- for loading.

 

[Berkley]

One of the rarest Confederate paper cartridges - for the LeMat:

-from Confederate Handguns by Albaugh, Benet & Simmons

 

[hogslayer]

Thanks for the info,the loading gate is not a problem as i load off the gun,i will try to photo my setup , this might help to explain things better.

 

[hogslayer]

This is the set I use for my Roger & Spencer .44

[/img]

[/img]
The loading device i made 30 years ago after breaking the lever on a revolver.

 

[BillinOregon]

Hogslayer: That's a mighty nice loader. I always admire folks who can make useful tools that actually work.