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Hello all,
Anyone have any experience in making the paper pulp bags for Percussion caps as seen in English Ammunition? Descriptions I've found seem to make it out like they were basically stretched into shape like Felt, but I haven't seen any reproductions of this. Or I could just be completely wrong. Seems like these were packaged in tin containers or boxes, and were issued separately from the arsenal pack.
Second Question is, in the attached picture of a pack from Selma, there looks like there's a cap tube of about the same shape, but in the same sort of paper as the cartridges- anyone have any insight as to how the CS copies of English ammunition were packaged with caps?
***Found on another Forum***
An extract from BRITISH MILITARY PERCUSSION CAPS ~ “Intriguing time capsules”
Cap Containers
After cartridges were made up into packets of ten they were packed in quarter barrels (Fig 13), each barrel contained 70 packets of Enfield rifle cartridges or 75 packets of artillery carbine cartridges. A tin of caps (Figs 16, 17, 26), containing 1050 or 1125 respectively, was packed in with the cartridges. Ammunition for Field Service was packed in boxes with sliding lids containing 44 packets of cartridges and a tin of 660 caps. Cartridges for Sea Service were packed in half sized metal lined cases, 1,600 cartridges per case, with the caps stored separately in stone jars, each jar containing 1000 caps (Fig 23). Other types of small arms ammunition was issued in differing quantities per quarter barrel or case.
The packing of caps was done in at least two slightly different ways. Prior to c1859 caps were rolled into packets of 25 (Fig 21), then three of these packets were rolled together into one larger parcel of 75 caps (Figs 20, 21), which was secured with twine.11 75 caps were required for 60 cartridges at that time. These parcels were inserted into zinc cylinders (Figs 16, 17, 24 ~ 26) or boxes of various sizes which were themselves packed into quarter barrels or cases of ammunition, depending on the small arms and the service for which they were destined.
After about 1859, 15 caps were packed in a pulp bag (Figs 14, 15, 18), the required number of filled pulp bags were then, as above, placed inside a zinc cylinder (Figs 16, 17, 24 ~ 27) or zinc box. Generally cylinders were used for Land Service while flat boxes were for Field Service. For example, 70 bags of caps filled a tin of 1050 caps, the requirement for a quarter barrel of 70 rifle cartridges (one bag of 15 caps per one packet of 10 cartridges).
The pulp bag manufacturing process itself is quite interesting and was the same process by which seamless pulp bags for some cannon cartridges were made. Rags were cut into 4" squares, dusted in a reel by machine and boiled in an alkaline solution of quicklime and carbonate of soda which cleaned and whitened the fabric. A series of processes followed which reduced it to a watery pulp to which resin and alum was added. Next a frame with moulds of hollow perforated tubes, each mould the size and shape of the bag required and each covered with a woolen cover, was plunged into a vat of the pulp mixture. Tubes were used to suck air from the moulds, drawing the water through the mould but leaving a layer of pulp adhering to its cover. A second pulp coating was applied to that section of the bag which was required to be thicker. The single coated section was needed to allow twisting to secure the bag’s contents when filled. The bags, still on the frame, were plunged into a bath of animal size, after which the mould covers, with their pulp bags, were removed from the frame and steam dried. After being thoroughly dried the woolen covers were removed by hand from inside the pulp bags.12
Anyone have any experience in making the paper pulp bags for Percussion caps as seen in English Ammunition? Descriptions I've found seem to make it out like they were basically stretched into shape like Felt, but I haven't seen any reproductions of this. Or I could just be completely wrong. Seems like these were packaged in tin containers or boxes, and were issued separately from the arsenal pack.
Second Question is, in the attached picture of a pack from Selma, there looks like there's a cap tube of about the same shape, but in the same sort of paper as the cartridges- anyone have any insight as to how the CS copies of English ammunition were packaged with caps?
***Found on another Forum***
An extract from BRITISH MILITARY PERCUSSION CAPS ~ “Intriguing time capsules”
Cap Containers
After cartridges were made up into packets of ten they were packed in quarter barrels (Fig 13), each barrel contained 70 packets of Enfield rifle cartridges or 75 packets of artillery carbine cartridges. A tin of caps (Figs 16, 17, 26), containing 1050 or 1125 respectively, was packed in with the cartridges. Ammunition for Field Service was packed in boxes with sliding lids containing 44 packets of cartridges and a tin of 660 caps. Cartridges for Sea Service were packed in half sized metal lined cases, 1,600 cartridges per case, with the caps stored separately in stone jars, each jar containing 1000 caps (Fig 23). Other types of small arms ammunition was issued in differing quantities per quarter barrel or case.
The packing of caps was done in at least two slightly different ways. Prior to c1859 caps were rolled into packets of 25 (Fig 21), then three of these packets were rolled together into one larger parcel of 75 caps (Figs 20, 21), which was secured with twine.11 75 caps were required for 60 cartridges at that time. These parcels were inserted into zinc cylinders (Figs 16, 17, 24 ~ 26) or boxes of various sizes which were themselves packed into quarter barrels or cases of ammunition, depending on the small arms and the service for which they were destined.
After about 1859, 15 caps were packed in a pulp bag (Figs 14, 15, 18), the required number of filled pulp bags were then, as above, placed inside a zinc cylinder (Figs 16, 17, 24 ~ 27) or zinc box. Generally cylinders were used for Land Service while flat boxes were for Field Service. For example, 70 bags of caps filled a tin of 1050 caps, the requirement for a quarter barrel of 70 rifle cartridges (one bag of 15 caps per one packet of 10 cartridges).
The pulp bag manufacturing process itself is quite interesting and was the same process by which seamless pulp bags for some cannon cartridges were made. Rags were cut into 4" squares, dusted in a reel by machine and boiled in an alkaline solution of quicklime and carbonate of soda which cleaned and whitened the fabric. A series of processes followed which reduced it to a watery pulp to which resin and alum was added. Next a frame with moulds of hollow perforated tubes, each mould the size and shape of the bag required and each covered with a woolen cover, was plunged into a vat of the pulp mixture. Tubes were used to suck air from the moulds, drawing the water through the mould but leaving a layer of pulp adhering to its cover. A second pulp coating was applied to that section of the bag which was required to be thicker. The single coated section was needed to allow twisting to secure the bag’s contents when filled. The bags, still on the frame, were plunged into a bath of animal size, after which the mould covers, with their pulp bags, were removed from the frame and steam dried. After being thoroughly dried the woolen covers were removed by hand from inside the pulp bags.12
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