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Conical bullets "Back Then"
- Thread starter SIGSHR
- Start date
maillemaker
New member
Well, it depends on when "back when" was.
There is a great 4-volume set of books called Round Ball to Rimfire by Dean Thomas. One of the volumes (#3) is dedicated to federal pistols.
http://www.amazon.com/Round-Ball-Rimfire-History-Ammunition/dp/157747015X
http://www.amazon.com/Contribution-History-Confederate-Ordnance-Rimfire/dp/1577471512/ref=pd_sim_b_3
http://www.amazon.com/Round-Ball-Rimfire-Ammunition-Miscellaneous/dp/1577470923/ref=pd_sim_b_2
http://www.amazon.com/Round-Ball-Rimfire-Ammunition-Breechloading/dp/1577470206/ref=pd_sim_b_1
In the era of black powder revolvers, initially cartridges were made up the same way they were for long arms - a paper cylinder that included the powder and the ball, and you'd tear it open and pour in the powder, then take out the ball and seat it.
These were criticized in the day as being clumsy to load and it was easy to dump powder into the wrong chamber or miss the cylinder entirely.
Later self-consuming (combustible) paper cartridges were invented and sold by a variety of companies, including Colt.
Here is a nice YouTube video by one of the fellows who frequents this board that shows shooting some very nice reproductions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vx_nQphKO4
These paper cartridges utilized conical bullets.
Steve
There is a great 4-volume set of books called Round Ball to Rimfire by Dean Thomas. One of the volumes (#3) is dedicated to federal pistols.
http://www.amazon.com/Round-Ball-Rimfire-History-Ammunition/dp/157747015X
http://www.amazon.com/Contribution-History-Confederate-Ordnance-Rimfire/dp/1577471512/ref=pd_sim_b_3
http://www.amazon.com/Round-Ball-Rimfire-Ammunition-Miscellaneous/dp/1577470923/ref=pd_sim_b_2
http://www.amazon.com/Round-Ball-Rimfire-Ammunition-Breechloading/dp/1577470206/ref=pd_sim_b_1
In the era of black powder revolvers, initially cartridges were made up the same way they were for long arms - a paper cylinder that included the powder and the ball, and you'd tear it open and pour in the powder, then take out the ball and seat it.
These were criticized in the day as being clumsy to load and it was easy to dump powder into the wrong chamber or miss the cylinder entirely.
Later self-consuming (combustible) paper cartridges were invented and sold by a variety of companies, including Colt.
Here is a nice YouTube video by one of the fellows who frequents this board that shows shooting some very nice reproductions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vx_nQphKO4
These paper cartridges utilized conical bullets.
Steve
Very few people probably loaded with loose powder and ball after the Civil War. I reckon you could've found paper cartridges loaded with conicals at any general store or trading post into the 1870s.
Colt bullet molds had two cavities, one for round ball and one for conical bullets. I've seen at least one such mold on the web that had the round ball cavity made into another conical bullet cavity by a gunsmith.
Colt bullet molds had two cavities, one for round ball and one for conical bullets. I've seen at least one such mold on the web that had the round ball cavity made into another conical bullet cavity by a gunsmith.
rodwhaincamo
New member
The foil is what they started with, but then moved on to nitrated paper from what I understand since they had a problem getting the foil from Germany (?).
maillemaker
New member
There were a variety of different "shells" tried for combustible cartridges. Skins, paper, foil, shellac, I think I even remember one where the powder itself made the case with some kind of binder on the outside.
Round Ball to Rimfire covers them in detail.
Steve
Round Ball to Rimfire covers them in detail.
Steve