Here comes my 2 cts. worth.
I have a pretty large collection of cartridges/bullets, some
predating the Revolutionary war, and here is a description of a few.
Actually I think you are both right!
In the early part of the American Civil War,
Some of the .577 / 58 caliber cartridges were
lubricated inside the paper! But it was soon found that the
oils in the lubricant saturated the paper thus contaminating the
powder charge and rendering the cartridge useless.
I am sitting here looking at a .58 Cal.
Gardner paper cartridge from the Charlotte Arsenal. The writing
on the paper packaging says they were produced in 1863.
The Minne' type ball is totally exposed. A paper "cylinder"containing the
powder is glued into the hollow base with the opposing end folded over.
There is no sign of any lubricant.
Next is a .52 Cal. Sharps Cartridge, Manufacture date unknown.
This is a strange creature indeed! The paper tube is actually Tied onto
the last groove on the bullet with string. and the paper is covered with
some sort of fine cloth like linen or silk. Don't know what thats for!
I am also looking at a .45 cal. British Witworth
"Tube Cartridge" It is a Hexagonal shaped heavy paper tube that looks
like it may have been re-usable.
Also no sign of Lube on the projectile Contained within.
The bullet is solid,Hexagonal with no grooves and no hollow base.
I would love to have a chance to fire one of these things, it is beautifully made.
Last but not least is an Enfield paper cartridge from Britain
Manufacture date is unknown. The Rounded conical bullet has no grease grooves either but the paper is stained dark brown with something on the end that contains the bullet? It may have been lubricated by something, I don't know.
There were also paper cartridges that were not meant to be tore open!
The paper was heavily saturated with nitrates and burned quite well on their own!
These were normally used in revolvers though.
Guardian: ---- The bullet you described with the thing in the base probably predates the Civil War. The Early Minne' bullets had a Plug of wood or iron or sometimes Fire Hardned Clay in the base. This was supposed to help the bullet expand into the rifling upon firing. It was found that the ball worked just fine without it so they stopped using them. And on one point you are right,
the grooves in the Minne' ball are designed as scrapers, that is why they angle foreward with the sharp edge facing foreward. Upon firing the bullet expands and fills the rifling grooves, The scrapers remove the fouling from the previous shot as the ball moves up
the bore. But, I don't believe that having them lubed would stop them from accomplishing this. I personally put a dab of "Crisco" on the nose of the ball just before ramming down the bore, The inertia of the ball leaving the powder charge does the rest. This may not be the correct way,
buy it seems to work pretty well. I never could keep "debris" of one form or another from getting stuck to the balls when I pre-lubed them. Nothing like taking out a bullet for loading and the dang thing looks like it is covered with navel lint! I have seen several people do what you
said concerning filling the hollow base with lube and it does work, (I have even seen it recommended in a couple of books) But that puts a LOT of grease in the bore! I would hate to clean that rifle!
