The percussion cap was invented about 1813 by Joshua Shaw, of Lincolnshire, England.
Shaw kept this a secret until he came to Philadelphia in 1814, when he applied for a patent for his invention, which was refused because he was an alien to America, and American patent laws forbade granting patents to aliens at that time.
Inprovements were made by Shaw in the composition of the fulminate and methods of manufacture, so that about 1825 the percussion cap had practically been perfected and adopted in place of the flint as the primary means of ignition for fire-arms by rifle makers in America.
In 1846, Shaw was over 70 years old before Congress awarded him an honorarium of $25,000 for his discovery and invention.
[ January 22, 2003, 03:13 PM: Message edited by: Claude Mathis ]
Shaw kept this a secret until he came to Philadelphia in 1814, when he applied for a patent for his invention, which was refused because he was an alien to America, and American patent laws forbade granting patents to aliens at that time.
Inprovements were made by Shaw in the composition of the fulminate and methods of manufacture, so that about 1825 the percussion cap had practically been perfected and adopted in place of the flint as the primary means of ignition for fire-arms by rifle makers in America.
In 1846, Shaw was over 70 years old before Congress awarded him an honorarium of $25,000 for his discovery and invention.
[ January 22, 2003, 03:13 PM: Message edited by: Claude Mathis ]
