Powder Stiffener in .69 US Cartridges?

[maillemaker]

I am trying to learn how to make US .69 cartridges for round ball, buck and ball, and expanding ball.

The 1850 US Ordnance Manual only provides dimensions for a single trapezoid for the round ball or buck and ball cartridge. Page 245:



I assume that one single trapezoid is used as an outer wrapper, and there is no inner tube for the powder.

The work, Reports of Experiments with Small Arms for the Military Service (1856) page 114-115, gives dimensions for an inner wrapper, outer wrapper, and stiffener, for expanding balls:



I assume for this expanding ball cartridge the .69 expanding ball cartridge contains an inner powder chamber made up of an inner wrapper and stiffener just like the .58 expanding ball cartridge prior to 1861.

The 1862 US Ordnance Manual does not provide dimensions for any internal powder chamber components.

I'm assuming that the round ball and buck-and-ball .69 cartridge is exactly like the 1850 US Ordnance Manual and has no powder chamber and thus only uses a single trapezoid.

Is the 1862 .69 caliber expanding ball cartridge simply made up of 2 identical trapezoids like the .58 expanding ball cartridge? I would assume so.



Thanks in advance,
Steve

[maillemaker]

What I have sorted out is that the 1855 "Ordnance Manual" is not actually an ordnance manual at all but is "Reports of Experiments with Small Arms for the Military Service, United States War Department, January 1, 1856"

This report shows a version of the .69 and .58 caliber expanding ball cartridge that contains an internal powder chamber, which consists of an inner wrapper and a stiffener. This powder chamber is contained in an outer wrapper, with the bullet.

The 1861/1862 US Ordnance Manual shows a simplified design for the .69 and .58 expanding ball cartridges, both of which now utilized a single piece of paper to form both an inner wrapper (to contain the powder) and an outer wrapper to contain both the bullet and the inner wrapper.


The 1850 US Ordnance manual shows dimensions for .69 smoothbore ball, buck and ball, and buckshot cartridges. There is no mention of dimensions for any internal powder chamber.

Is there a version of the US Ordnance Manual in between 1850 and 1860?

Steve