Gemmer, there is so much that is unknown about this bullet. I dont think there are any surviving bullets to tell us how they were loaded or the original intent. I just copied the bullet as it was historically. I'm also looking forward to seeing the paper patch results.
The bullets themselves turn up on battlefields. They are often identified as "shotgun slugs" used in the very many double guns that were shouldered and carried to war. Nonetheless, it appears that these were manufactured on imported machinery in Raleigh North Carolina for use in smoothbore .69 caliber arms, of which there were many in seceding states. The Eras Gone By mould produces a dead-ringer for the "Type II" variant. The cartridges were apparently manufactured in the State Institute for the deaf, dumb, and blind. No one has produced a cartridge yet, so of course there is some speculation as to how the cartridge was constructed. As yulzari has demonstrated, bullet base down cartridges were relatively common in French, Austro-Hungarian, and British usage... U.S. Model 1855 cartridges were a bit complex, what with three pieces of paper of different sizes, like the British Enfield cartridge, but with the bullet faced forward. By 1861, U.S. cartridges were two identical paper tubes, one holding the bullet and forming the exterior sleeve, the second forming the powder cylinder behind the bullet. By 1863, the cartridge was simplified further by eliminating thread or string to tie off the front.
At war's outset, there were a number of cartridge styles in use in the South, but over time a marked preference for Enfield types emerged in the secessionist CSA states.
I just fired a bunch of smoothbore .670 Alox-lubed round balls through my original Model 1842, and it gets seriously difficult to load past the fouling after a dozen or so shots! The issue round ball was .643" or .65 of course, not .67. I'm thinking that if the NC "Nessler" seals the windage interior to the bore with its skirt, it might scrape it clean. The paper patch, if used, might have helped with sealing the bore and assisted with fouling too. Certainly it will be higher velocity too. I'll have to make more bullets and get out to test these back to back with the round ball. I figure it might do to make a large target frame for an "area target" and count hits like tests of yore... It would be fun to try on a large metal target too... But that might have to be at closer ranges.
