Making Cartridges

MAKING CARTRIDGES By Patrick Reardon After receiving some kind compliments at Avoncroft on the quality of my cartridges I was persuaded by KC to write some notes about the techniques 1 use. Firstly let me make one point very clear. Whilst I have studied the War with obsessional interest for most of my life, I am the freshest of fresh fish when it comes to living history. Avoncroft this May was my first ever event. It had taken several years of being a reenactment 'groupie' before I plucked up courage and put aside my feelings of extreme self consciousness. However having taken the decision to enlist I was determined to make every effort to achieve as accurate and authentic an impression as my enthusiasm and the guidance of experienced friends could create. In the matter of infantry arms and accoutrements I am fortunate in having a reasonably extensive collection of original pieces against which I can judge the fidelity of currently available reproductions. I am striving to ensure that the muskets I use are as close in appearance to the originals as it is possible to get. This can be a frustrating (and expensive!) business as, when one compares an original to a reproduction, the inaccuracies in the latter are all too apparent. However that is not the subject of this note, except to say that accuracy in the appearance of arms and indeed all kit, should be matched by the accurate appearance of a cartridge. In the context of my aspiration for accuracy, before attempting to make my first cartridges I set about reading and rereading anything I could find on the subject. Without a doubt the two best sources I discovered are the following: "ROUND BALL TO RIMFIRE, A HISTORY OF CIVIL WAR SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION" PART 1 DEAN S THOMAS PUBLISHED BY: THOMAS PUBLICATIONS, P.O. BOX 3031, GETTYSBURG, PA. 17325 "THE COLUMBIA RIFLES RESEARCH COMPENDIUM" 1ST EDITION APRIL 2001 $25.00. PUBLISHED BY THE COLUMBIA RIFLES. AVAILABLE FROM ANDY METHENY, PRODUCTION EDITOR, 367 BURROUGH ROAD, B0XBOROUGH, MASS 01719 (978) 263 1753. Email: [email protected] For those who have an interest in Civil War arms and their use, 'FROM ROUND BALL TO RIMFIRE (reference below as FRBTR) is essential reading. The amount of information the author has collected is astounding and I unhesitatingly recommend it. It is difficult, if not impossible, to acquire original live rounds in the UK and therefore the photographs and drawings in this book are an invaluable guide to those wishing to make or improve their ammunition. 'THE COLUMBIA RIFLES RESEARCH COMPENDIUM' (referred to below as CRRC) is an extraordinary collection of articles on all aspects of the life and equipment of a Federal soldier. I cannot praise too highly the dedication of those responsible for this volume. The article in CRRC of relevance to these notes is "Cartridges for the .58 Springfield Riflle Musket" by Jeff Henion. Before getting into the substance of this note I should state that what I do is to attempt to simulate, as simply as I can, the external appearance of the original cartridge I am copying. Most of my technique follows original methods of manufacture, but I do vary these slightly as you will see.

MATERIALS & TOOLS I list below the various elements which are required.

1)

Wooden dowels around which to wrap the cartridge case, powder cylinder and percussion cap tube: Three dowels are required if you use both a .69 cal. and a .58 cal. musket. One needs a wood dowel approx. 8" long turned to a diameter of .57"' for a .58 cal cartridge and a similar length turned to .65" dia. for a .69 cal. For the latter a piece of 5/8" dowel (.625") would suffice. Each of the dowels should have one end perfectly flat. The nose of the .58 type should be formed into the cone shape of the minie ball nose. The nose of the.69 example should be turned into a hemisphere to represent half of the round ball. The dowel, of similar length, for the percussion cap tube is simply a section of readily available 1/2" timber dowel, flat at both ends.

2)

Templates to aid in cutting the trapezoidal paper shapes required: The diagrams below illustrate the range of trapezoids required for both types of cartridge. I've found the best material for these is white rigid polystyrene sheet, lmm thick. This is available from model shops particularly those specializing in model railways. Draw the shapes on the plastic, score the fines thus drawn with a craft knife and break on the score lines. With this material it is not necessary to cut completely through the thickness.

3)

Paper: The best paper I've found to date is available from the Paperchase chain of shops. They have a reasonably wide geographic spread of branches. Call 020 7467 6200 (head office) for details. The paper I use is called "Recycled Paper" and is available in four colours, Plain Kraft (light brown), White Brushwork, Grey Brushwork and Buff. Each sheet measures approx. 25" x 20" and costs 25p. I prefer Plain Kraft as it is a lighter weight than the other three (90gsm vs. 100gsm). Therefore it is slightly easier to fold. The three colours of heavier paper I now tend to use as cartridge packet wrappers with the colours differentiating the calibre of cartridges contained within. For the powder cylinder paper I use the thinnest brown wrapping paper I can find.

4)

Work Surface: I do not have access to a smooth, flat worktable hence I use a work surface placed on the kitchen table. A sketch of mine is show below. It's just a sheet of 18mm MDF with the choking cord and folding box fixed to the surface. The choking cord is two lengths of linen thread twisted together secured at one end to a nail or screw and with a toggle at the other. I use a piece of old toothbrush handle for this. I show a sketch of the folding box later.

5)

Twine and String: I have experimented with many types of twine. Currently I favour a linen thread, in dark brown or natural, or 3-ply crochet cotton. This comes in a pale cream colour which suffices for natural thread. Both are readily available from haberdashers. For tying the cartridge packages I use a natural hemp twine or string. The photographs in FRBTR are invaluable for gauging appropriate thicknesses.

6)

Tools: Cutting mat, craft knife with a supply of sharp blades, a long steel straight edge, a pencil, scissors, toilet tissue for wadding to form the 'balls' and tweezers (! to be explained below!)

7)

Powder Measure: I use a large powder flask with a series of inter-changeable chargers. My flask I believe it is called The "Zouave" model, is obtainable from Peter Dyson (see below). The chargers, from the same source, are 54 grains, 60 grains and 66 grains. These simply screw in to the top of the flask. Peter Dyson & Son Ltd, 3 Cuckoo Lane, Honley, Holmfirth, Yorks HD9 6AS. Tel: 01484 661062 Fax: 01484 663709 Email: [email protected] Web: www.peterdyson.co.uk The particular type of cartridge I make is based on what has been called the St. Louis Arsenal method. I've found this method to be the simplest and I again urge you to read Henion's article in CRRC.

.69 cal Round Ball Cartridges Take a sheet of paper and draw a series of parallel lines 4 5/16" apart, i.e. equal to the base dimension of the cartridge tube template. Cut the paper into strips and then, by using the template, cut the trapezoidal forms. Several strips can be superimposed and cut in one operation.

Similarly prepare the trapezoids for the powder cases. Place the cartridge paper in front of you with its long side to the left (the sloping edge therefore falling to the right). Lay the dowel on the bottom of the paper (edge closest to you) and ensure that the dowel is parallel to this edge. Set the dowel, with its hemispherical nose to the left, in about 3/8" (10mm) from the lefthand edge of the paper. You may wish to make a mark on the dowel coincident with the righthand edge of the paper. This will ensure a consistent lateral position of the dowel on the paper.

Starting at the bottom roll the paper tightly around the dowel to form a tube. Holding the rolled paper snugly round the dowel bring the nose end of the paper to the right and take one turn of the choking cord around the paper's end. The position of the cord should be about 3/8" in from the end of the paper, ie. the same distance as the nose of the dowel is recessed into the tube. With the paper-wrapped dowel held firmly to the work surface pull the choking cord tight thus choking the paper down over the hemispherical end of the dowel. Pull the cord down as tight as you can without shearing the paper off.

Release the choking cord, but retain the dowel within the cartridge case. The paper will remain choked. Take a length of thread approx. 14" long and, with two equal tails, take one turn around the choked end, pull as tight as you can and tie in a single knot. This completes the choking process. Still with the dowel in place, hold the assembly in the left hand as shown in the sketch. Hold the nose firmly between the thumb and forefinger and rotate the dowel whilst applying forward pressure. This action tends to form the nose of the cartridge into a true hemispherical form which the initial choking process does not do completely. Once the hemisphere is formed and with the dowel still in place press the choked paper end back over the nose of the cartridge. Remove the dowel.

Using toilet tissue as wadding, create the 'ball' in the cartridge. It is difficult to specify the exact amount to achieve this. Suffice it to say that when compressed in the nose of the cartridge it should be equal in dimension to the diameter of the ball, ie ..65". The wadding is pushed into the tube with the flat end of the dowel and to do this the cartridge is held in the same position in the left hand as for forming the hemispherical end. The wadding should be tightly compressed, but not so much so that the compression distorts the nose of the cartridge. With the same dowel form the powder cylinder as shown in the sketch below. The cylinder is formed with the flat end of the dowel to the left. When formed, the cylinder should be deep enough to accommodate the . 69 cal smoothbore service load of 110 grains. I've found that a depth of 1 1/2" is adequate for this, but experiment if you wish. Once you have found a satisfactory depth, mark the dowel so as to ensure consistency. Having formed the cylinder, invert the dowel and, with pressure, rotate the closed end on the work surface. This compresses the folds. This complete you may notice small 'ears' projecting beyond the circumference of the cylinder at the folded end. Push these in and over the end, as to leave them projecting may cause them to tear the cartridge tube when the powder cylinder is inserted.

With the powder cylinder on the dowel carefully insert the closed end into the cartridge tube, just a little will do. Then, whilst holding the dowel steady, gently push the tube down over the cyli nder. This removes the danger of pushing the dowel through the folded end of the cylinder if the fit should be too tight. If, in spite of your best efforts, the dowel does penetrate the folded end of the cylinder and this happens when the cylinder is fully inserted, the tweezers mentioned earlier come into play. Nip the end of the damaged cylinder with these, gently withdraw it and start again. Retaining the dowel within the assembly, take the two ends of the closing thread and twist these tightly together. With the thumb. hold the twisted thread against the cartridge and take one turn a round the cartridge approx. .65" from the nose, ie.at a point equivalent to the diameter of the ball. Pull the thread back through itself and pull taut. Separate the two ends of thread, take them in opposite directions around the cartridge and tie in a tight double knot. Cut off the excess thread and the cartridge case is complete.

To fill the cartridge I use the largest powder flask I can find (mine's from Peter Dyson as noted in the introduction). The service load for a .69 cal cartridge was 110 grains. To achieve this I use two shots of the 54 grain charger giving 108 grains which is close enough. Once you have filled the cartridge, tap the nose on the work surface to settle the powder. Pinch the excess tube into a tail as crisply as you can and fold this over at right angles to the body of the cartridge. Having done this press down with the thumb on the end of the cartridge to compress the powder within the tube. Fold the edges of this flap towards each other and crease as sharply as you can. You will need to lay the cartridge fiat on the work surface to do this. This may allow some of the powder to spill back into the folded area. Once the tail folds are complete, raise the cartridge to the vertical and again tap the nose on the work surface to settle the powder. Finally fold the flap back on its elf and down the side of the cartridge. The tail may not lie completely flat against the side of the cartridge, but this is not a worry. The sketch below illustrates the steps in the folding process.

To form a package of 10 cartridges you will require a paper tube to carry 12 percussion caps. This is where the 1/2" dowel is used. I use a .58 cartridge paper trapezoid for this and it is formed exactly as the basic cartridge tube. Wrap it tightly around the 1/2" dowel, choke and tie one end, fill with 12 caps and fold or twist the open end closed. Once I have made the first 10 cartridges I set up the folding box to receive them. One 'L'-shaped side is static, the other can move to accommodate the two calibres, .69 and .58. The sketch below illustrates this. To establish the position of the moveable side, two rows, one on top of the other, each of five cartridges, are placed against the fixed side. The cartridges should alternate head to tail and the paper tails should be trapped between. The other side is then pushed against the cartridge stack till it is tightly compressed. Mark the position of the moveable side on the work surface and, with the cartridge stack removed, screw the side to the work surface aligning with the mark you made and ensuring that the sides are square to each other. Take a cartridge wrapper, 9" x 6 1/2", and place this centrally in the folding box. Replace the ten cartridges as before which should now be a snug fit within the box. Place the percussion cap tube against the end of the cartridge stack and fold the wrapper around the assembly as shown.

Tie the package with twine, one turn lengthways, then one across the width, secure with a small bow knot and cut off the excess twine. It is very important to keep the tying process as tight as possible indeed when you pull the twine tight you will compress the package even more than the folding box managed to do. I'm still rather uncertain about using labels. Therefore in the meantime I use two methods of identification. The first is to use different wrapper colours for the two different calibres. FRBTR (table p.35) states that the wrapper colour for .58 cal cartridges was "ordinary" which I take to mean unbleached natural paper. That for . 69 cal round ball cartridges is specified as "Green". I haven't yet found an appropriate green paper. The second is to make up two simple rubber stamps, "58 cal" and "69 cal" using an appropriate period typeface.

.58 cal Cartridges This process is identical to that detailed above with the exception that the cartridge only needs to be tied once at the nose (take one turn around the choked end, tie with a double knot and fold the end down over the nose of the cartridge). The tissue wadding representing the minie ball should, when firmly compressed, occupy a space of approx. 1", ie. the length of a typica1.58 cal ball. Obviously the cartridge and powder cylinder trapezoids are those required for a .58 cal round. The powder cylinder should be of a depth able to accommodate a charge of either 60 or 66 grains. The service load was 60 grains at the outset of the war. This was increased to 65 grains as the war progressed. I use the 66 grain powder charger to achieve this. I tend to favour the larger load as, without the use of a ramrod to compress the powder in the breach, the extra powder gives a better chance of ignition, particularly with the M1861 Springfield.

General Notes The inclusion of the percussion cap tube within the package gives a rather lopsided effect According to the September 1861 US Ordnance Manual (p.35 FRBTR) the dimensions of a package of .69 cal round ball cartridges should be length 2.6", width 3.1", depth 1.35". It is silent as to whether these dimensions allow for the provision of a percussion cap tube. The dimension for a .58 cal expanding (minie) ball package are 2.6" x 2.9" x 1.15". I confess to a difficulty in getting the package I've made into the lower sections of a cartridge box tin, either reproduction or original. I have attempted to work as closely to original dimensions as possible and yet my packages fit with difficulty. A refinement in the case of a .69 cal round would be to have the flat end of the dowel turned to a concave form. Thus when compressing the tissue wadding with this end it would tend to produce a spherical form to the wadding similar to the original ball. Also, when folding the powder cylinder end the folds would be pushed into this concavity, possibly making the folds more secure and reducing the chance of pushing the dowel through the folded end when assembling the cartridge. I will try this and report as to its effect. In his excellent CRRC article, Jeff Henion notes that sometimes the choking process, even when tightly tied, still leaves a small hole in the nose through which the tissue wadding is visible. He suggests that a touch with a grey felt pen to simulate the colour of the lead ball would disguise this view. In conclusion it may seem that this process requires an extraordinary effort to create an object which is ultimately thrown away. However, my view is that if I dedicate my efforts to achieving the highest level of authenticity possible then such authenticity as I achieve will not be selective. I will attempt to apply it to all aspects of this most fascinating field of study.

MAKING CARTRIDGES

By Patrick Reardon PART 2 - March 2005

Since my first essay on this subject I have attempted to refine and improve my techniques as well as to correct errors and omissions in the first article. 1.0 Errors & Omissions

I neglected to note one operation when rolling cartridge tubes of any calibre. Once the cartridge paper is rolled around the dowel, place the tip of the forefinger into the end of the tube resting on the nose of the dowel before you pull the choking cord tight. The presence of the finger forces the paper out into a consistent "flower" or "rosette". The cartridge can then be tied off as described earlier. Sketch K shows this.

My earlier description of constructing a .69cal ball cartridge was incorrect. In ignorance, I had assumed that the two strands of choking cord at the nose of the cartridge were twisted together and brought down as one strand to encircle the base of the ball. Now, having studied an original cartridge in the collection of The Museum of the Confederacy, it is clear that the two strands of choking cord are brought down individually on opposite sides of the ball (i.e, at 180 degrees to each other) to the base of the ball, each being secured by a half-hitch at that point, i.e. NOT tied together. When both cords are secured, cut off the excess fairly close to the knot. Sketch L below illustrates this.

2.00 Improvements

A. Undoubtedly the greatest improvement is entirely due to Mr. Jim Kanne of California, a fellow enthusiast. Jim recommended a paper which he reckoned was as close to the original in weight and colour as it was possible to get. To prove his point he had the great generosity to send me an original empty cartridge tube so that I could compare for myself. He was absolutely correct! The paper is decorator's masking paper made by 3M I believe and is available in the US in a variety of different roll widths (I now use 18"). Jim's paper demonstrated that my original paper was far too thick. I am now trying to source a similar paper in the UK. Of the earlier papers I recommended, I have retained the 90gsm brown Kraft paper to make powder cases as this thicker material imparts a degree of strength to the cartridge tube.

B. As an improvement to the manufacture of .69 ball and .69 buck & ball cartridges I have found a source for moulded pulp paper balls to simulate both the ball and the buckshot. These I found in an architectural model shop (see details below). The two sizes I use are 15mm for the ball and 8.5 mm for the buckshot. 15mm (.59") is not quite correct for the ball which should be approx. . 625" in diameter. To increase the diameter I wrap the ball in paper tissue (Kleenex) as shown in sketch L. This process is virtually identical to the manner in which round balls were patched for use in muzzle-loading rifles. The 8.5 mm balls (.334") are very slightly oversize for typical buckshot, but they will do. Sketch L illustrates this.

C. Using the pulp paper balls I have now made a reasonable facsimile of a buck & ball cartridge. The first step is to glue three 8.5 mm balls together in the form of a clover-leaf. When dry (overnight) glue them squarely to the nose of a paper tissue wrapped 15mm diameter ball. Insert

the assembly into a cartridge tube, cut off the excess tissue, push home and follow with a powder case. Again, see Sketch L.

To tie the buck & ball cartridge, the process is identical to that described earlier for the simple ball cartridge but repeated, once at the base of the buckshot and once at the base of the ball. The tying process should be carried out with a powder case in place. Sketch M shows the process.

D. Having now had a fair bit of experience in cartridge manufacture I have found it better to glue the end of the powder case closed rather than to rely only on compression. If you refer to Sketch F in the first essay you will see the construction method recommended. Now I add a dab of glue under the flap then fold it flat by pressing it firmly against the work surface. Leave overnight to dry. As I emphasised in the earlier article, frequent reference to "FROM ROUND BALL TO RIMFIRE" will provide the best guide to the appearance of all civil war period cartridges and packages. Source for pulp paper balls: