1855 Tape Primer

[Busterbuttonboy]

Folks
Currently i have little time to research this to the extent i would normally due to school work so i will preface it and pose it to information we might collectively have.
We have made posts in reguards to the 1855 belt, analyzed a photo last year (which is now no longer) in which we saw the use of an 1855 belt with a regular two rivet scabbard instead of sword bayonet frog. We've discussed where and when the arms would be appropriate and Curt has graced us with some production numbers. 47000 before 1860 and 12k out of Harpers Ferry from 59 to 61 i beleive.
Recently with James River's new website update i noticed with keen interest they offer an 1855 Rifle, type 1. This provoked some questioning from me in reguards to the initial thought process on behalf of the war department. Did they create or write provisions for the tape primers? Where they to be carried in the cap pouch? Impliments Pouch? Are there any printed regulations or directions to those actually issued the tape primers? Are there any pre-early war photos to back this up?
Most Respectfully
Drew Gruber
14thNJVI
"Buttonhat Boys"

[Hargis, G. 5 A-1]

Re: 1855 Tape Primer

On the subject of tape primers ...
What sort of boxes (dimensions, color, and count per box) were they shipped in?
How were the tapes packaged? (individually, packs of five or ...)
How many shots per roll?

Glen E. Hargis
Rackensacker Mess
Co. A, First U.S. Inf. (faux)

[Busterbuttonboy]

Re: 1855 Tape Primer

Glen an All
Attached are some images of tape primers and their packaging.
Interesting question ive never sought to answer but alas heres some light shed on that. Also attached is an interesting early maynard lock on an Nippes 1816 conversion.
Most Respectfully
Drew Gruber
14thNJVI
"buttonhat boys"

[Hargis, G. 5 A-1]

Re: 1855 Tape Primer

Glen an All
Attached are some images of tape primers and their packaging.
Interesting question ive never sought to answer but alas heres some light shed on that ...
Drew Gruber
14thNJVI
"buttonhat boys"

Never thought to ask before ...


It looks like the rolls have 40 plus a few more shots worth (enough for a cartridge box load of "40 rounds" with a few more for misfires and cone clearing)
The rolls seem to have been wound around a square mandrill (perhaps to avoid damaging the ... do we call the fulminate of mercury spots "caps" as we do with today's cap pistol fodder?

Here's yet another question ...
What is the rate of fire when capping is eliminated?

(One of the things I really like about this forum is the part where we look into matters previously unconsidered — well things that I had not thought about before)


Glen E. Hargis
Rackensacker Mess
Co. A, First U.S. Inf. (faux)

[Busterbuttonboy]

Re: 1855 Tape Primer

Greg
Again excellent question. Ive set aside some major time this week out of my study schedule, pulling away from my museums and documentation to focus on the maynard, but ive pulled little with my time. I hope someone can dig into their library to help us out.
Drew Gruber

[Hargis, G. 5 A-1]

Re: 1855 Tape Primer

Since we last spoke, I was visiting a chum who had, since I last visited his arsenal, acquired a Harpers Ferry 1855 Rifle. Inside the brass "patch box" was a "figure eight" cut-out containing a screw-on-the-muzzle globe sight and a hole containing a spare cone.
Gee, I said, I thought this would be a good place for spare tape primers.
Well, said he, opening the iron patch boxes on a few '55 rifle-muskets, and pointing out the ROUND recesses therein, he said these clearly were intended for a primer tape package.
The rolls he examined, by-the-bye, contained 50 priming spots.

YET ANOTHER QUESTION

Last night I was fiddling with a Green Carbine lock (from a piece sold to Her Majesty’s government) and notice a disconnect lever that stops the drive wheel from advancing a primer when the hammer is cocked. (Right handy if you wanted to just clean out the cone.) Do the '55s have such a feature?
(My timing was bad, since I made THIS discovery AFTER the visit alluded to above.)