Revolver cartridge arsenal packs

[Dutchman Dick]

Anybody have info on how arsenal packs for revolvers were constructed and labelled? I've found some info in Round Ball to Rimfire vol. 3, but nothing on dimensions, and more info on the "patent" wooden packs that Colt cartridges were sold in than the pasteboard boxes used by the arsenals. I know that early in the war some cartridges were wrapped similar to musket rounds, but they went to pasteboard boxes due to excessive damage to the cartridges in transport and handling , since revolver cartridges were a bit more fragile in construction.

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

If I can find it tomorrow, I believe I have the dimensions of a pack or two somewhere in the Piles and Mess.
I will look.

Curt

[Dutchman Dick]

Thanks! Construction details and labeling would be a great help, too. I have some prints of Colt's Cartridge Works labels, but nothing else (my one and only arsenal stamp is a St. Louis 1862 .58 musket pack stamp).

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

Sorry, but I must disappoint...

I cannot find my pistol packet references. (I suspect I loaned them to a friend for reproduction about 5-6 years ago who died of a stroke- and whose wife threw away all of his "stuff" and donated his (my) books to the library...)

All I have are references to carbine ammo packets.

Pooh...

Curt

Who has sworn for years to create a spreadsheet or index card system to record the loaning out of which books to whom and when Mess

[hta1970]

Pick up a copy of "Precussion Ammunition Packets: Union, Confederate & European" by John J. Malloy, Dean S. Thomas, and Terry A. White.

While it might not have the exact measurements you are seeking, it does a great job documenting what rounds are known to have been produced at each manufactory. They have many illustrations of packages, individual rounds, some packet x-rays and a detailed list of where each item illustated can be found. At that point you could always contact the repository of the original for more detailed information if needed. There are also 3 package patents in the appendix.

Hope that helps!

[cannoneer]

I have some information on the paper style.
According to my 1861 Ordnance manual...
Army revolver. .44 caliber
The paper trapezoid is; 2.75"Hx3.25"Long base x 1.6"Short base
The wrapper is 8" Length x 6.5" Width

Hope that this is of some help.

[The Wizard]

I cannot give you the exact reference where I got this information. I can only give the time frame and place where I found it. It was some time between August 2002 and May 2004 in the library at Trinidad State Junior College, Trinidad , Colorado. I made some notes on the labeling. Each line is cntered justified.

SIX
ARMY PISTOL
BALL CARTRIDGES
CAL. 46-100
WITH 8 PERCUSSION CAPS
ST LOUIS ARSENAL
1864


SIX CARTRIDGES
FOR
ARMY REVOLVERS
CAL. 44
WITH 7 PERCUSSION CAPS
WATERVLIET ARSENAL
1864

Lines are of different height but I did not note their related sizes.

Hope this is of some help.

Speaking of cartridge packaging labels, if one was thinnking about creating a label what font would one use to give it a period look?

[kurt2005guns]

dick, measurements for 44 cartridge block with out caps(both types were made) are as fallows-2 7/8" long
1 5/8" high
9/16" thick
they held six cartridges and were wood. wraped with a buff or brown thin paper. some were stamped and some were printed. they then were covered with a thin coat fo varnish to water proof them.

[Dutchman Dick]

dick, measurements for 44 cartridge block with out caps(both types were made) are as fallows-2 7/8" long
1 5/8" high
9/16" thick
they held six cartridges and were wood. wraped with a buff or brown thin paper. some were stamped and some were printed. they then were covered with a thin coat fo varnish to water proof them.

Don't suppose you have any detailed photos, or could tell me where I can find them? Were these the arsenal-made packs, or the private manufacturer packs (Colt, Bartholow, et al)? And were they one piece drilled out at the edge, or the 2-piece grooved blocks like Colt used? Thanks!

[The Wizard]

Dutchman Dick,

"Pittman's Notes on U.S. Martial Small Arms, 1776-1933, Volume 2, Revolvers and Automatic Pistols" by John Pittman, BG, Ordnance Corps, USA has information on "combustible cartridge packaging".