Interestingly enough, when Samuel Colt first offered prepared cartridges for his cap and ball revolvers, he used foil and not paper!
From "A History of the Colt Revolver From 1836 to 1940" by Charles Haven and Frank Belden ...
"The paper cartridges used with Colt revolvers were developed during the middle to late 1850s. At first made of metal foil, they were improved until they consisted of a bullet to the base of which was attached a charge of powder contained in an envelope made either of goldbeater's skin or of paper impregnated with saltpeter so that it would be consumed by the fire of the discharge.
"Some of the English skin cartridges, and the early American foil cartridges, were contained in another wrapper of heavy paper, which was torn off to load the cartridges into the revolver.
"The latest American way of putting them up was in boxes containing the right number for one load of the cylinder of the model that the cartridges were made for. These boxes were a block of wood bored with hole for the cartridges, wrapped in paper and varnished to keep out moisture.
"A string or wire running around the outside of the block but inside the paper was pulled to tear the paper and open the box. Some of the cartridges were put up in cardboard boxes with all the cartridges together in one compartment, but this system was not as good as the wood block boxes because the cartridges were apt to be damaged by striking together in the box while they were being carried.
"Colt, in conjunction with Colonel Hazard, who made Hazard's Powder, made cartridges at the Colt Cartridge Works, which was a part of the Colt factory, bu some distance from the other buildings, for safety.
"They were also put up by a number of other makers, among them Eley of London, D.C. Sage of Middletown, Connecticut, and Robert Chadwick of Hartford, Connecticut."
An 1867 flyer distributed by Colt lists the cost of paper cartridges, in amounts of 1,200:
36-100ths of an inch Calibre ... $18.00
44-100ths of an inch Calibre ... $22.00
This book also shows, on page 116, boxes of combustible cartridges of .31, .36 and .44 caliber.
The authors note, "Colt appears to have commenced the manufacture of combustible envelope catridges of metal foil circa 1856 ... Apparently, the use of cartridges with cap and ball revolvers was not widespread until after 1860."
Interestingly, the book also contains the reprint of an article that appeared in "United States" magazine in March, 1857. In that article, the author writes:
"Another of the numerous inventions of Colonel Colt is the Metallic Foil Cartridge, a contrivance that always insures dry powder to the possessor.
Tin foil, cut in the required shape, is formed in an inverted cone, which is charged with gunpowder. The ball is oval, with a flat end, to receive the edge of the foil.
"On the cone and ball being brought together, the joint is closed by pressure. They are then inclosed (sic) in paper wrappers, so arranged that this covering can be instantly removed when the cartridge is about to be used.
"The whole operation is completed so perfectly that the cartridge is entirely impervious to water, as by experiment they have repeatedly been fired after having been immersed for hours.
"Owing to the peculiar shape of the bore of the nipple in Colt's firearms, the fire from the percussion caps readily penetrates the foil, without pricking.
"They are manufactured in a building ... about half a mile south of the armory. Nearly the whole labor here is performed by females, about 30 of whom were at work during our visit."
I don't understand the "peculiar shape of the bore of the nipple" the author refers to. I have seen old, original Colt nipples and they had round holes in the nipple. Perhaps someone else can explain.
Somewhere I read, and not too long ago, that Samuel Colt was dissatisifed with the quality of the foil made in America, which he used in his combustible cartridges.
It seems that the American foil had too many fine holes in it, from which powder leaked. So, at greater expense he obtained foil made in Germany, which was said to be of highest quality. The problem was solved.
I wish I could find where I read that. I'll keep looking.
Frankly, the prospect of making cartridges from foil intrigues me. In Sam Colt's day, it would have been TRUE tin-foil, made of tin.
Today, our tinfoil is usually aluminum. I wonder how well aluminum foil would work?
Anyone know of a source of REAL tin-foil, sufficiently thin to be easily pierced by the flame of a cap?
Sounds like a good, little project here.
