Colt bullets vs Johnston and Dows

[Nobody85]

I was pricing some bullet molds for my 1860 army when I discovered how many original Colt bullet molds that have survived. I’ve never shot a basically original colt bullet through my revolver, only Johnston and Dows. It really made me wonder if the US was issuing Colt bullets to troops, or the J and D? Why wouldn’t they just use the bullet designed the the revolver? I think I might know the an$were…

 

[LongWalker]

Not so much the cost of the bullets, but the supply. Yes, J&D (and others) made money providing cartridges to the government, but they got the contracts because demand (particulary in wartime) exceeded the ability of Colt and Remington to supply.