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Old July 6, 2010, 07:26 PM   #32
davem
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Join Date: October 4, 2004
Posts: 458
Well to me at least the cigarette paper seems pretty cheap. On the gutta..whatever. I ran across Sam Colt's original patten at a local depository of patten records but as I said I couldn't quite remember all the details. I know that Colt started with tin- the percussion cap was powerful enough to burst through the tin but the residue in the chambers was excessive so Colt switched materials. I think there was a small wad of some sort behind the bullet and over the powder. I also recall that explosions at the plants making these cartridges did occur on several occasions- pretty much wiping out the work staff.
And.... although seldom used, there was a very small amount of combustible cartridges used in the Civil War for muskets. The Yankees used them and at the first fight the Rebels couldn't figure out how the Yankees could be shooting so fast BUT (if I recall correctly) the fouling was again bad and they were never used much.
PERSONALLY I would NEVER use a combustible cartridge in a musket. A cap and ball revolver is different because you can look in the chamber to see if there is any fouling (i.e. embers) but such can't be done on a musket.
AND.... I do a certain amount of buckskinning and there are references to mountain men rubbing some powder on a rag and using such with a flint and steel to start a fire so the use of powder in that capacity seems historically valid to some degree.
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