Paper Cartridge info

[Msolander]

Hello Muzzleloaders!

I have been looking for information on paper cartridges for round ball and patch. I shoot a round ball .50 Hawken cap rifle at the moment, but will later be upgrading to a flintlock smooth bore in the future.
My question is what type of paper is most commonly used to form the cartridge? I have seen many tutorials on how to make them, but a lot of them don't mention the type of paper. I have heard of laid paper or even packaging paper have been used.

 

[azmntman]

well....for patch and round ball thats all ya need (and powder). Not sure what you'd do with the paper? I sometimes use regular copy paper to cut up n make easy to tear and pour quick loads but the paper dont go in with the patched ball. When ya get yer smoothie its a different story. Good luck

 

[Msolander]

From what i understand, civil war muskets put the whole cartridge down the barrel and they were not smooth bore muskets. Would I not need a patch in the cartridge if I was going to just put ball and powder in them?

 

[Zonie]

I guess having a powder charge and ball wrapped up in a paper cartridge might be handy but with rifled arms the ball needs to have a cloth patch to be accurate.

I mention that because you mentioned the Civil War guns using a paper cartridge.

Those guns were shooting a Minie' Bullet which doesn't use a cloth patch.
The bullet is loaded directly into the bore. Grease in its grease grooves lubes it and if the paper cartridge wrapper is used at all it would be as an extra wad rammed down on top of the bullet to keep it in place. (This is usually really not necessary.)

Getting back to the patched ball.
The patch must be lubricated. If it is lubricated before wrapping it inside a paper cartridge the lube will soften the paper and cause it to fall apart**.
If I wanted to make paper cartridges for use with a patched ball I would recommend just wrapping the powder load and ball in it.
To load it I would tear the powder end of the paper, dump the powder down the bore, strip the paper off of the ball, get my lubricated patch on the muzzle, place the ball in the center of it and use a short starter to get the ball started into the barrel. Then ramming the ball down to the powder charge I would stick the paper in my pocket. (I don't like people littering up the countryside.) :grin:

** I once lubricated several of the paper patched bullets I shoot in my Schuetzen several days before shooting it.
During the several days the bullets lay there waiting to be shot the lube caused the paper to soften and swell.
When I tried to load these, the paper jacket stripped off of the bullet at the muzzle making them totally useless at the time.

 

[tenngun]

You can get a bullit board or loading block. All it is is an hardwood board with holes drilled in it. A .50 takes about a 9/16 hole. You patch your ball and store it in the hole.Then you can carry powder in paper tubes, or some sort of small solid tube with a closed end. You tear off the bottom of your paper and dump the charge. You can discard the paper or run it down. Then put your board with the pre patch ball over your bore and run that down.
Another trick is to have a solid tube. and start a patched ball in one end. Dump a powder charge in from the other then plug. To load unplug, dump powder then ram ball home through the tube.
Paper cartidges were used on military rifles. We can not prove loading blocks were used before the middle of the 19th century. Loading in one pre done hard tube is a moderen invention.

 

[Msolander]

My area of interest is Rev War, so I have a cartridge box for that period, but no brown bess atm, so my best bet would be to use a solid paper cartridge with ball and powder in it and lubed patches (depending if I need them, haven't tried paper cartridge with this gun yet). Normally after one or two shots with the current Hawken I shoot, I run a clean patch down the barrel to clean it.

 

[varsity07840]

Patched round ball ammunition for U.S. rifles(not rifled muskets)such as the 1841 Mississippi was provided in paper cartridges. I used to load the traditional way with ball block and
and horn but now I use cartridges for all my hunting arms,
for patched balls or minies. They provide the fastest reload and eliminate the accessories usually needed for loading.

Duane

 

[nkbj]

The hollow based bullets were used both ways in the mid 1800's. The United States adopted the system of paper cartridges holding the powder and the hollow based bullet having lubricated grooves on the exterior.
The British Empire used a different system with the paper cartridge being made such that the paper patch around the hollow based bullet was torn away from the thicker paper tube holding the powder and the powder was dumped in (the tube discarded) followed by the bullet with its thick paper jacket. When you look at recovered battlefield relics some of the .577 bullets don't have lube grooves. That be's them.

I'm looking forward to making the British service loads for my 1853.

 

[crockett]

1776: I think the drill was to take the cartridge and use your teeth to rip open the top, remove the Minnie and then pour the powder down the bore, crunch up the paper for a wad and run that down the bore, then ram the Minnie, then cap the nipple. I think you were supposed to do that in 15 seconds or the like.
The paper is a good question. These rounds were stored in a leather belt pouch/container/box which had flaps that really didn't keep out a driving rain. The paper must have received some sort of water proofing and been sealed- which would explain ripping off the top. The other issue is if these cartridges changed from the AWI to the Civil War.
And, as said- not suitable for a Hawken- I assume you are thinking ahead and the musket.

 

[varsity07840]

1776: I think the drill was to take the cartridge and use your teeth to rip open the top, remove the Minnie and then pour the powder down the bore, crunch up the paper for a wad and run that down the bore, then ram the Minnie, then cap the nipple. I think you were supposed to do that in 15 seconds or the like.
The paper is a good question. These rounds were stored in a leather belt pouch/container/box which had flaps that really didn't keep out a driving rain. The paper must have received some sort of water proofing and been sealed- which would explain ripping off the top. The other issue is if these cartridges changed from the AWI to the Civil War.
And, as said- not suitable for a Hawken- I assume you are thinking ahead and the musket.

I must respectfully disagree. A U.S. Musket cartridge was torn open by the soldier' s teeth. The powder was poured down the bore and the minie was removed from the paper wrap and inserted in the bore and rammed home.The paper from the cartridge was not used as a wad over the powder or over the
minie.

Duane

 

[Poor Private]

Contrary to what have said. Paper cartridges were used with both minnie balls and round ball. And the round ball were not patched. They also use cartridges for buck and ball. The paper was not to be placed in the barrel, since the ball was in a seperate section of the cartridge. step you loaded in 9 steps per the manuals.
1-load
2-Handle cartridge
3-tear cartridge
4-charge cartridge
5-draw rammer
6-ram cartridge
7-return rammer
8-prime
9-shoulder
and from this is ready, aim, fire.
Step3- tearing cartridge is the prepatory for pouring the powder down the bore in step 4. And to disengage the ball from the cartridge to drop/insert the balldown the bore.steps 5,6,7, are for nserting ramming and withdrawing the rammer. No-where in the manual does it say insert paper. And notice the manual says ball(doesn't define wether minnie or round). This is the proceedure used by both sides for loading th weapon. Wether you use Hardy, Casey, or any other manual.
I took this information directly from "HANDY-BOOK FOR THE U.S. SOLDIER"
Title page is a longy.
THE HANDY-BOOK
for the U.S. SOLDIER,
on coming into service,
containing
A COMPLETE SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION IN THE SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER.
with a preliminary explanation of the FORMATION OF A BATTALION ON PARADE, THE POSITION OF THE OFFICERS, &c.&c.
Being a first book or introduction to the Authorized-U.S. Infantry Tactics
Philadelphia:
J.B. Lippincott & Co. 1961
pages 32-35.
Now to answer the question the original poster asked!
What comes closets to period paaper used in cartrides is the 3M unbleached painters paper what you buy in places like Home Depot, Menard, Lowes and paint stores. The kind you use to tape off edges, trip , and windows. comes in rolls and is only about 4 inches wide.
But what I found that makes a good paper cartridge is you go to your local discount store like Family Dollar, Dollar General and buy those pads of paper for kids to use for drawing or dodleing. The pad I have in front of me is 60 pages of 9"x12" unbleached paper. cost me a buck I think. You can usually get about 300 or more sheets used for cartriges(usually a years worth of reenacting). I make myself a form and cut around it with a utility knife. I have been reenacting and making my own cartridges since 2000. And never have been questioned by the stitch counters. Then follow the directions that you can get on utube, or other places.
Good Luck.

 

[Poor Private]

Sorry about all the underlining on my previous post. It's early for me. :rotf:

 

[crockett]

So the paper was just tossed aside after the powder charge was poured?

 

[TFoley]

So the paper was just tossed aside after the powder charge was poured?

Yes, there was no fine for littering a battlefield - it was, by all accounts, quite an untidy place, especially afterwards.

tac

 

[varsity07840]

So the paper was just tossed aside after the powder charge was poured?

In the case of minies in a rifled musket, yes. In smoothbores with round balls or buck and ball, the paper was rammed down over the charge as a wad.

Duane