Cartridge packages

[Jonah Barleycorn]

Re: Cartridge packages

Thanks for the assistance

S. Stern
27VA

Mr. Stern ( I presume???),

Please make a point of signing your FULL name to your posts. This means your first name as well. Reading, understanding, and following the forum rules will make for a better experience as well as to keep the moderators off your back. :wink_smil

[Kykeydet12]

Re: Making Cartridges...Need Help!!!

Curt: i havn't until now gotten around to trying to make those bundle's . I tried it the way you show and it took a couple of tries but i finally got the hang of it thanks for all the help . I have a friend that is trying to make period labels for the bundle's thanks alot.

Rob young

[10TnVI]

Re: Making Cartridges...Need Help!!!

Gents,

I've been talking with several pards and other fellers about authentic cartridge tubes here lately. I've always enjoyed making tubes, but for the nine years I've been in the hobby I've mostly made the standard blank reenactors tubes. I have made several authentic tubes though, and know how to do it. My question to you gents is how they did it? I have read many articles on "HOW TO", but thats all they do is tell me...how to. I'm interesed in finding out how it was done by those who made the tube. Did they take a 5/8 inch dowel rod and sand it down to a size of a .58 cal ball or what. I thank you for your time.

Cody- if by they you mean the period makers, they had the former rods turned to proper caliber to begin with by the manufactury that supplied them.
If your talking about how to make a former rod for your own use, you can either start with a 5/8 dowel and sand it down or start with a 1/2 inch and build it up. I used plain masking tape rolled around a 1/2 inch dowel until it miked at .575. To make the proper tapered tip I epoxied a correct size minieball to the end of the rod instead of trying to carve it to shape.

[Skeet]

Re: Making Cartridges...Need Help!!!

We were rolling cartridges this weekend and had an assembly line going. I guy in our unit has the device to wrap the cartridges into bundles, we even have different stamps for the aresenals. There is a receipe to soak the bundling paper in, I believe it is beeswax and linseed oil? Anyone else heard of this? Cpl Dan Morgan 10thVA (IVR)

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Making Cartridges...Need Help!!!

Hallo Kamerad!

The U.S. Ordnance Manual, 1st Edition (1841) and 2nd Edition (1849) specified that rounds were to be bundled in waterproof paper.

The U.S. Ordnance Manual, 3rd Edition (1861) does not specify water-proofing.

However, it does appear on some pistol, carbine, and commercial ammunition.

The 1849 Manual states:

To waterproof 10 lbs. of paper, the following recipe is used:

Beeswax: 1.3 lbs, Spirits of Turpentine: 1.3 gals, Linseed oil: 0.1 gal.

The 1841 Manual states:

4 lbs, 2 gallons, and 1 gill.


"All the ingredients should be pure and of the best quality. Heat them together in a copper or earthen vessel, over a gentle fire, in a water bath, until they are well mixed. The paper is then immersed and allowed to dry before using it to wrap bundles."

Off the top of my head, without checking, the 1863 Confederate Ordnance Manual does not mention water-proofing either (it being essentially a copy of the U.S. Manual). But I will defer to our resident CS lads on that one...

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt

[Nor'easter]

Re: Making Cartridges...Need Help!!!

I had spent many cold days in trial and error out in my barn teaching myself how to make better cartridges. Thankfully, someone had sent me illustrations from an Ordnance Manual.
The question I would ask is whether or not there is someone with the capability who might be willing to do a photographic step by step of cartridge & wrapper construction including detailed measurements to post here. I think my own are alright, but they could probably be a lot better.
Thoughts?

[Gerkin]

Cartridge Labels

Gentlemen,

First, I have searched and searched. From the pictures I have seen of original packages, they all apear to have been stamped, rather than having a seperate label put on. Is this just my eyes?

Secondly, I am wanting to make some good St. Louis Arsenal Cartridges, and was wondering if anyone has those labels that they could email to me.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Cartridge Labels

Hallo Kamerad!

Thomas' paperback and hardbound books are the "bibles" for cartridge information.

However, various related topics and resources can be found in the SEARCH feature under "labels."

With the exception of St. Louis, bundle labels were dropped by the Feds in the first year of the War. Arsenal bundles had had applied labels.

Confederate arsenals and laboratories appear to have used a mix of applied labels, labels printed on the bundle papers, and ink stamps.

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt

[TeamsterPhil]

Re: Cartridge Labels

Bob Braun of the 33rd Wisc. wrote a nice article, titled "Designer Labels," on St. Louis Arsenal cartridge labels that was copyrighted in 1994. This article contains his rendition of a St. Louis label. I'd imagine that geting in touch with him would be worth your while.

Phil Campbell

[MoFed]

Re: Cartridge Labels

I believe that Mike Watson, Cartridges Unlimited, carries these.

Charles D. Hoskins

[Gerkin]

Re: Cartridge Labels

Thank you all.

[Mike N]

Sharps Cartridges

Apologies as I know the "how do I make correct cartridges?" question has been asked many times before. I've used the "search" function but reviewing the articles and previous threads still leaves me scratching my head as all the information I've found deals with cartridges for muzzle loading rifles.

I've got a (Zimmerman de-farbed) repro 1859 Sharps Carbine that I'd like to make cartridges for. I'd also like to "live fire" this gun so I'd appreciate information or sources of information for making "live" as well as "blank" cartridges. Diagrams would be especially helpful.

I've made .44 and .36 caliber revolver blanks but don't know the correct dimensions or procedures for making the carbine cartridges. I know the originals were made from both paper and linen and would like to hear anyone's experience with different materials and methods. Feel free to PM me if you would rather not re-hash this on the forum.

Thanks in advance.

Mike Nugent

[Cheyenne]

Re: Sharps Cartridges

Not helpful, but I'm curious if the defarbing of your Sharps included a facsimile of the lawrence Priming system?

Harvey Lane
Pvt. , Co.K, 6th Texas Infantry

[GeraldTodd]

Re: Sharps Cartridges

I attached a package label and package and cartridge patterns for the fastest, cleanest method I know...

The cartridge is rolled on a 1/2" tube from the large end toward the small end with a 1/2" hanging off the right end of the tube. That bit is twisted into a pig-tail and pushed into the end of the tube. The cartride tube is slid off - no glue, no fuss. It does require developing a feel for it so you don't over twist or tear the end, but once you've got it you can roll hundreds of tube while watching the other tube. BTW-The paper lady tubes are made exactly the same way only they have 3 finished layers and mine have 2. I also use ordinary 20pd paper - lighter stuff crushes instead of cutting when the breech is closed.

Drop in 60 grains of 2 or 3F powder and fold the tail the way you would a musket cartridge - flatten, fold sides into thirds, fold back, then forward again - the key is to keep the cartridge round and tight.

The package is not made as the originals, instead it's made to be expendable. I use tape or printer labels to hold it together. It filled with 10 cartridges, a packet of 12 caps and wrapped in the wrapper with the label centered on one face. This is the only place glue comes into play.

Longer tubes will allow for a wad or 30/40 grains of Cream of Wheat to lengthen the cartridge and make it easier to load without inadvertantly pushing it in to the breech too far.

One of our boys uses hair curling papers and makes tail-less rounds, and there's lots of other approaches all of which are more labor intensive that that described above.

[Minieball577]

Re: Sharps Cartridges

I'd also like to "live fire" this gun so I'd appreciate information or sources of information for making "live" as well as "blank" cartridges. Diagrams would be especially helpful.

Looks like the blank rounds are taken care of. Attached is an article that I found useful for making live ammunition.