Cartridge Box Tin issue

[Pritchett Ball]

OK, my Robert Serio 1861 .58 cal Cartridge box has tins that are like the originals...my problem is I don't understand the gap UNDER the divider that separates 6 cartridges from 4 others. As the photo shows, when only a few cartridges are loose in the tin, inevitably 1 or 2 cartridges get trapped under that divider, making it real fun (under pressure) to grasp and pull those cartridges from the box.

I don't understand the advantage of the divider...and why do you need the space under it?

Kevin Dally

[Jimmayo]

Re: Cartridge Box Tin issue

How long are your cartridges? The box is designed for original cartridges not blanks. I measured 4 original roundsI have that were in an original box I bought long ago. One was 2 inches in length and the runt of the litter. The other 3 were the cartridges that have separate powder bag under the bullet. They were 2.5 inches in length. Shown are a broken one with powder bag and the short one that I am not sure how it was made. Too lazy to look in Roundball to Rim fire book for cartridge length but Curt will probably have that info in memory. You can put some foam or scotch brite in the bottom of your tins to take up some extra room and make your rounds easier to retrieve.

[Pritchett Ball]

Re: Cartridge Box Tin issue

Jim:

Dean Thomas book(s) show a lot of different length's for US cartridges...2.45", 2.28", up to 2.75" for examples, mine are 2-3/8" thereabout. The space involved is 3-1/8" across the tin, and the space in the divider is 1-1/2" between the btm of the divider, and the btm of the upper tin. A longer cartridge would still be able to fall under the divider. I have not read of this being a problem in period accounts, but it must have existed!

Myself, I'd rather not have the divider, the space would be completely open, but I didn't come up with the original design.

Kevin Dally

Kevin Dally

[arkangel33]

Re: Cartridge Box Tin issue

I own six different sets of tins. 1 .58 set the divider was torn out. The other 2 one being .58 the other .69 roundball the divider runs all the way to the bottom. So rounds cannot do what your saying they are doing. To me the simple fix would be to solder in a new divider or take the divider out completely. There is plenty of U.S Correspondence between Arsenal commanders and the Chief of Ordnance pertaining to the refurbishment of the "Tin Magazines" specifically ordering sheet tin for St. Louis Arsenal. I suspect the tearing out of the divider was pretty common. I base this on looking at tons of originals and owning several original sets.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Cartridge Box Tin issue

Hallo!

This reminds me a bit of the glass half empty glass half full adage. The reality is, that the glass is never half empty as it is half filled with water and half filled with... air.

At any rate, I am seeing this differently. It is not so much the length of the cartridge all of the time but rather more often the diameter of the cartridge. ;) :)

Yes. cartridges vary, mostly because of the where the worker (often a woman or boy by the way) folded down the "tail."

Curt

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Cartridge Box Tin issue

That happens. When it does I just move the full tin forward (switching places with the empty one) and pull cartridges out of it. It's not a perfect solution but one thing that mitigates the sliding down of those last few cartridges is to pull the long tabs which are flat against the body of the cartridge straight up in the air. If they do slide down, they are much easier to grab if that tab is sticking up.