Conical bullets "Back Then"

SIGSHR · January 7, 2014, 03:33 PM

The postings about conical bullets today prompts me to ask if they were used much "Back Then".

maillemaker · January 7, 2014, 04:27 PM

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-Rim.../dp/157747015X
http://www.amazon.com/Contribution-H...ref=pd_sim_b_3
http://www.amazon.com/Round-Ball-Rim...ref=pd_sim_b_2
http://www.amazon.com/Round-Ball-Rim...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

Kappe · January 7, 2014, 06:28 PM

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.

Bezoar · January 7, 2014, 07:29 PM

from what ive found out, the commercially availiable cumbustible cartridges by colt used a thin metal foil of some sort.

rodwhaincamo · January 7, 2014, 08:16 PM

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 · January 7, 2014, 10:10 PM

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

January 7, 2014, 03:33 PM	#1
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	Conical bullets "Back Then" The postings about conical bullets today prompts me to ask if they were used much "Back Then".

January 7, 2014, 04:27 PM	#2
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	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-Rim.../dp/157747015X http://www.amazon.com/Contribution-H...ref=pd_sim_b_3 http://www.amazon.com/Round-Ball-Rim...ref=pd_sim_b_2 http://www.amazon.com/Round-Ball-Rim...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

January 7, 2014, 06:28 PM	#3
Kappe Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2013 Location: New Jersey Posts: 149	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.

January 7, 2014, 07:29 PM	#4
Bezoar Junior member Join Date: October 19, 2004 Location: michigan Posts: 578	from what ive found out, the commercially availiable cumbustible cartridges by colt used a thin metal foil of some sort.

January 7, 2014, 08:16 PM	#5
rodwhaincamo Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,246	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 (?).

January 7, 2014, 10:10 PM	#6
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	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