what causes a tube cut cigarette rolling machine to jam up halfway through the crank

Gentleman,

Delight thank Pecker Skillman from Randolf Mess for sharing his article on the making of Sharps Rounds:

Know when to Roll them, Know when to Fold them' http://www.berdansharpshooters.com/Making_Rounds.pdf
Making Sharps Cartridges 101
by Bill Skillman

After the Sharp Shooters received their 'Berdan contract' NM1859 Sharps rifles, the men required cartridges that were standardized for pulverization charge, bullet size and weight. Standardization was essential (and still is today) to ensure that the ammunition volition perform with consistency and accurateness on the target range or battlefield. An inferior cartridge will cause the men to miss their targets and lead to a loss of confidence and battlefield efficiency.

During the actions of July 2nd near the Slyder Farm, Sgt. James M. Matthews (2) reported; "Our ammunition was poor and consequently could non do as good service equally we wished. Capt. McClure, John Wade, Joh Allen James Bradbury were wounded & Rounds, Mose, Boynton & Ladd are missing." At the opposite cease of the second USSS skirmish line the Michigan Sharp Shooters suffered merely 4 men wounded in the same fight, with none missing; and they had Col. Wm Oates entire battalion (15th and 47th Alabama) chasing them up Large Round Peak! Information technology is not known from Matthew's business relationship if the armament he complained bitterly near was the older 'cutting tail' type cartridges.

The differences between the 'cut-off tail' advocates and the 'flat base' supporters reflects the stages of evolution of the original Sharps cartridges. Until 1860 the Sharps Visitor produced paper or linen cartridges which featured a strip of material or 'tail' at the base of each cartridge. The tail allowed the shooter to grab the cartridge and insert information technology into the breech hands. By cartoon the loading lever upwardly, the sharp edge of the cake face sliced off the paper tail to betrayal the pulverization. This type of cartridge was used in all of the Sharps weapons until merely prior to the Ceremonious State of war.

However, the 1860 Ordnance trials exposed serious weaknesses in the 'clip tail' cartridges being used in the New Model 1859 carbines. While targets at 100 and 200 yards were struck every time, accurateness dwindled considerably beyond that range. At 500 yards nearly none of the bullets hit the target. The Ordnance officers determined that the 'clip-tail' cartridges caused pulverization to be lost, thereby reducing the charge and range of the ball. 2d, the same excess powder spilled into the working parts of the gun and caused a rapid fouling. While the Sharps was clearly superior over the majority of the breechloaders submitted for inspection, something had to be washed to address the poor ammunition operation.

Richard Lawrence, engineer for the Sharps Burglarize Mfg. Company went dorsum to the drawing board and produced a amend cartridge. He eliminated the paper case and protruding 'tail' and replaced it with a varnished linen casing with a new flat base of operations; now when the breech was closed the cartridge remained intact. When the Ordnance officers fired the Sharps carbines with the new 'flat base' cartridges, all of the shots struck the 100 and 300-yard target and nine of ten shots struck the 500-yard target. They also noted that previous issues of fouling was significantly reduced. The Sharps carbine was selected for the U.S. Cavalry with over eighty,000 being manufactured during the State of war. Hiram Berdan ordered 2,000 modified NM1859 rifles for his U.S. Abrupt Shooters; over 6,000 armed forces rifles were likewise manufactured. It was considered the all-time and nigh widely distributed breech loading weapon system of the State of war.

The standard military Sharps ball was .56 caliber (though the bore was designated .52 caliber) and weighed 475 grains. The .56 size was necessary, as the diameter of the grooves were as not uniform equally the lands (ridges). This caused the Sharp Rifle Co. to design a bullet that would compensate for the deviations. The bullet they adult had most of the ball .53 inches in diameter, simply 3rd band was 3/1000th larger. This immune the smaller diameter of the ball to pass hands upwards the barrel while the slightly larger ring was forced into the rifling to impart the stabilizing spin. Unlike the hollow-based projectiles used in the rifled-muskets of the period, the Sharps ball had a solid, apartment base of operations.

The bullets fabricated by the Sharps Burglarize Mfg. Company (and their contractors) were what are chosen swedged assurance. Dissimilar the tiresome procedure of molding each ball individually or in batches, the Sharps Visitor used mass production to ensure the bullets met the consistency standards. Get-go, lead was cast in molds to form long, circular bars. Once cooled these round bars were sent through a rolling car to further reduce their diameter to roughly ½ inch. Adjacent the bars were sent through a cutter that chopped them into one-inch long 'slugs'. The 'slugs' were brought to machine presses operated by women, young girls and boys. They would feed the slug into the printing (shaped like the Sharps bullet mold) and by activating a pes lever the press would close and exert tremendous pressure on the slug, transforming it into a Sharps bullet. By releasing the lever, the new bullet would popular out and exist placed into a tray for inspection. The bullets would be passed along to be lubricated and and so at the final stage, exist inserted and secured to the linen cartridge.

Unless you ain a tool and die shop, it is unlikely that you will be able to recreate the automobile-pressed Sharps bullets. We either have to buy our own molds and lead, or rely upon others to mold Sharps bullets for us. I purchased 200 rounds from Dixie Gun Works a few years back and notwithstanding haven't used them up. Winston O. Smith (ane) institute that he had the best results shooting bullets that were .003 larger in diameter than the bore. Yous can decide the exact depth of your burglarize'due south groove by taking a well-greased ball that is slightly larger than the bore and insert it into the chamber until it grabs the rifling. Using a wooden dowel and mallet GENTLY tap the bullet into the rifling to start it down the bore. As resistance lessens you can push the ball by manus the length of the barrel. Using a micrometer, you measure the impression left by the grooves to determine the size mold you will need. If bullet grooves are undersized gas will escape and ruin accurateness. If you take a friend who works in a tool and dice shop, they could make a sizing die. The sizing dice will correct any imperfections created during the molding process.

To shoot accurately, you accept to use pure lead to brand the bullets. I take read a few NSSA accounts by CW rifle-shooting experts who use cycle weight pb or other mixed metals. While this might work fine for gravel pit plinkin' or taking deer at under 100 yards, I wouldn't recommend using 'harder' lead. I am content to stick with using pure lead, so if my groups are wandering all over the target I know that information technology is not due to the bullet.

Most U. S. Sharp Shooter reenactors accept never sent a real live bullet down the butt of their Sharps rifle. I think this is unfortunate for a couple of reasons. Until you lot 'live fire' your Sharps you cannot appreciate the accuracy of these rifles that made them then popular among the USSS and any other soldier lucky enough to be issued i. On the other paw, it as well reveals your own capability every bit a marksman. I have fired 10 shots offhand into a 3x3 pes paper-thin backstop at 100 yards only my groups still exceed the 50-inch string. It is humbling for somebody who knows so much near the Sharp Shooters like I do and not be able to see the original qualifications. So when I see reenactors get irate after taking a hasty shot at a Reb at 100 yards away and the culprit doesn't 'take a hit', I am more than inclined to side with the Secesh. You actually don't know what kind of Sharp Shooter yous would brand until you spend time on the range shooting live rounds at various distances, seasons, and wind weather.

With your bullet supply at present completed we need to call back of lubricating information technology. Mr. Smith (and I) use lamb suet that is rendered pure. This is all-time done when the wife is out of the house or on the lawn propane grill, as information technology tin can be very evil-smelling endeavor. Put the suet into a pot and add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. As the suet begins to melt, utilise a spoon to skim off the scum. Pour off the grease into a stonemason jar surrounded by warm water until the process is complete. For lubricating the bullets, I then take 2 tablespoons of suet and add one tablespoon (for about 10-15 bullets) of pure beeswax into a microwave rubber loving cup and microwave them until melted. I set the bullets upright (on their base) on an aluminum foil covered cookie canvass in rows. I and then use a coat each bullet using a hobby paintbrush dipped into the melted lubricant. When the lubricant becomes congealed you lot pop the cup/lube into the microwave and reheat the solution dorsum to a melted state. A second, and simpler, approach is to simply take the bullet and dip the tip into the lubricant and then remove. But be careful, the lubricant is hot and can coat your fingers just too as the bullet if yous are not vigilant! I so popular the cookie canvas/bullets into a convection oven set at 250 degrees for about 2-4 minutes until the lube becomes soft and begins to run off the bullets. Remove the tray and allow cool, the bullets should have a prissy sheen to them and are slippery to touch. You lot can return the leftover lubricant 'wafers' back to the mix and reuse them.

Finally we come to the most important part of our project, construction of the newspaper cartridge. If you lot ask a USSS reenactor what sort of medium they utilize to industry their rounds from you will detect a bewildering range of newspaper employed: onion skin or 20 pound cotton fiber typing paper, newspaper, examining tabular array paper, newspaper, art paper, Post-it notes, beauty shop roller papers, adding machine record, 3M drywall paper, toilet tissue, coffee filters, Zig-Zags, the list goes on and on.

Essentially a expert Sharps cartridge should possess 2 qualities: one, it should be completely consumed past the explosion of the powder; and ii, there should be no 'afterglow' particles or ash left behind in the chamber or barrel. An afterglow could spell real trouble if you inserted a fresh cartridge on superlative of it.

To address the outset requirement (having the cartridge completely consumed), some comrades make a 'super saturated' solution of potassium nitrate to treat the paper before rolling cartridges. Taking a pan of hot water, you lot go along dumping and stirring in tablespoons of potassium nitrate into the solution until no more can exist dissolved. Permit the solution cool and and then pour into a cookie canvass (an 12x18x 3/4 inch model). Have sheets of 20-pound cotton wool-typing paper and fix them into the solution and wait for virtually five-20 minutes. Remove the sheets and hang them from a handy clothesline or lay out on a flat surface in the sun to dry. If crystals form on the dried paper y'all can brush them back into the solution. For those of you who want nitrated paper but abhor the mess, Dixie Gun Works sells pre-nitrated 8 ½ x11 sheets.

This brings us to the adjacent step of 'rolling your own'. Again, in that location are as many ways to whorl cartridges every bit at that place are USSS reenactors out there. But they basically break downward into two basic styles: the early on Sharps "cutting off tail" version, and the CW era "apartment base" blazon.

Non as well surprising, the issues that nosotros confront on the reenacting field with our Sharps rifles is non dissimilar the predicament faced by the Ordnance officers of 1860. While the 'clip off' tail blanks are easy to make, the excess powder tin pose a problem for burglarize and operator akin. I have constitute two major problems with this way of cartridge:

1. When closing the breech the block cuts the 'tail' off the cartridge to betrayal the powder. During this process the cake border pushes the cartridge paper upwards equally information technology slices off the exposed 'tail'. The crimped paper at present can act like a 'dam', blocking or deflecting the flame emitting from the internal cone. This prevents ignition of the pulverisation resulting in a misfire. Unremarkably a couple solid whacks with the palm of your hand will milk shake enough grains of powder loose (between the dam and the rest of the cartridge) then a second cap will explode the accuse.

2. Pulverisation from the cut off tail drops out into the block's upper groove. Since the cone (nipple to you xx Century boys) is situated at the right side of the block, an exploding percussion cap could 'melt off' any pulverization lying in the groove. It is essential that the shooter first accident off the granules, or plow the rifle hammer side up and shake off the excess pulverization, before firing.

iii. While a very rare miracle, I have seen one Sharps carbine with a shattered wood fore stock split after grains of powder had accumulated betwixt the butt/receiver and the wood mortise. An errant spark ignited the accumulated powder causing an explosion. Historically, this phenomenon was discussed at length in a round distributed by the CSA Ordnance when their re-create of the Sharps carbine began experiencing the same trouble. Unlike soldiers on campaign, we reenactors should exist thoroughly cleaning our Sharps weapons right later each drill/tactical/scenario to minimize whatsoever potential 'blow up'.

While we are talking virtually these shortcomings of the 'prune tail' cartridge I want to take a moment to address misfires. It is absolutely essential that you treat any misfire (failure of the cap to ignite the powder charge inside your Sharps) as a potentially unsafe situation. When I was at Jackson 4 years agone, I experienced a misfire with my Shiloh. A couple of the flat-base rounds I was using were a bit too long for the chamber and I was clipping off the cigarette paper base when raising the cake. After a 2nd cap failed to ignite the pulverization charge I decided to loosen upwardly the powder by speedily working the lever and opening and closing the block. Merely equally the block was closing a jet of flame of a sudden 'whooshed' back out of the bedroom. I was in a land of daze as the odor of 'burnt dog pilus' wafted up and the sleeve of my new Sekela blouse sported a 6-inch long black-orange scorch marking. I deduced that the concluding cap had acquired a piece of the cartridge paper to smolder. With the sudden exposure to air the newspaper glowed hot and the loosened pulverisation ignited. Fortunately I was lying decumbent with my face and trunk away from the open chamber, but that was my very first—and I hope my concluding, accident in reenacting. Needless to say, even this old veteran learned a valuable lesson- NEVER OPEN THE CHAMBER IMMEDIATELY Afterward A MISFIRE! This is why nosotros repeatedly stress correct firearm handling and safety in Co. B. If yous feel a misfire during a tactical or scenario, we have NCO'due south trained to safely articulate a jammed or malfunctioning burglarize. If you burn 2-3 caps and your rifle still will not fire yous shout "JAM" or "MISFIRE" and the NCO will take you off the line and articulate the rifle.

The original Sharps 'Improved' cartridges that were used by the USSS were made from linen that was varnished to impart an simple form of waterproofing, and besides helped consume the cartridge. The 'base' was made from the inner lining of sheep intestines, Smith refers to this as 'gold beaters foil'. I spent 3 years perplexing numerous Sharps experts trying to observe out what 'goldbeater's foil' was. The original Sharps cartridges were relatively fragile, which was why the Pattern 1862 Sharps cartridge box contained a pair of forest blocks in the upper tin can compartments that were drilled to hold 20 cartridges upright. I have learned that a few fellows out east have made a limited supply of linen rounds for their living history presentations, just for our purposes on the reenacting field this would be overkill.

Before I begin, I know my boyfriend Sharpshooter audience but since these manufactures become posted on the web from time to time I must country the obvious: …NO SMOKING AT Any TIME DURING THESE PROCEDURES and Simply Apply Blackness POWDER FOR MAKING SHARPS CARTRIDGES!!!!

Materials: Elmer'south glue stick, Elmer'south liquid glue, hobby paint brush, scissors, tube forming stick (½ inch-interior-contumely tube from Ace—add i-ii turns of packaging tape to obtain the proper chamber diameter for your personal Sharps), base of operations forming stick/base (ane/2 inch solid rod-either metal or wood), cartridge paper, brass powder flask with 60 grain or adjustable spout, 1x1 inch single ply tissue, cigarette rolling papers (1x1 or 1x1 ¼ inch).

Forming the tube.
• Take the paper and roll around the sometime 1 ½-1-¾ times. Cutting the paper to leave 1 inch extra paper and swipe the leading edge with Elmer'southward glue stick. Finish rolling the newspaper frontwards to form tube and slide off the onetime. Since my 30mm tape is on a roller stand this procedure is fairly fast and easy.

If y'all are only learning how to do this, be sure to brand a few 'experimental tubes' of varying bore to run into which ones best fit the sleeping accommodation of your burglarize. They must non be too small (or they can be propelled up the barrel and jam); or too big that they cannot fit into the sleeping room. I purchased a spare gas sleeve some years ago to deed as my cartridge 'gauge' for both alive and blank rounds.

Forming the Base.

• Remove the cigarette papers from package, cut along the fold, fold the two halve in half and cut again. This will give you four 1x1 inch bases.

• Center a 1x1 inch cigarette paper over old stick (the base of operations stick/quondam must exist pocket-sized enough to let the prepared cartridge tube to slide over information technology and the cigarette paper. I use a ½ inch aluminum former that came with a Dixie Sharps rolling kit; I fit the former into a forest platform and so it stands upright -this keeps my hands complimentary to perform other operations. Crimp the edges of the cigarette paper down effectually the old.

• Have a prepared tube and use a paintbrush with diluted Elmer'south liquid glue and apply the paste effectually the last ¼ inch of the tube. Then slide the tube over the crimped cigarette newspaper/erstwhile until it is flush with the end of the tube.

• Another approach is to insert the tube and when it is half way down the former, brush the diluted Elmer'southward around the interior of the tube. Then push the tub dwelling.
• Slide the tube the residual of the way until the base fits flush with the end of the tube. Before removing from the one-time, use your pollex and forefinger to gently press the circumference of the tube to ensure that the glue and cigarette paper adhere (otherwise powder will leak out from between the gaps later).

• If you observe that the tube does not release from the quondam there is a build up of glue on the former. Use clammy 3M pad and run it around and over the erstwhile and then dry. This tends to happen more when y'all are doing a 'run' of cartridges and the glue stick glue is still soft enough to adhere to the former (after being re-wetted by the paintbrush).

• Remove the tube from the dowel and set aside to dry out.

Loading & Finishing the Blank Cartridge:
• Stand the case upright on its base and carefully cascade lx grains of FFG or FFFG black pulverization (I use a Zouave powder flask) into the tube.

• Take a piece of tissue (1x1 is fine) and insert information technology over the powder using a ½ inch wooden dowel. Gently seat it onto the powder, tamping the powder downward in the process. This makes for a solid, compact cartridge. Merely Apply A Wood DOWEL—metal tin can create static electricity and ruin your day.

• Gently crimp the sides of the example inwards to run across in the centre of the cartridge. I starting time with the side closest to me, fold to center; then fold in the contrary side. When the four sides are folded over, I take the wooden former and firmly printing them into place. This leaves a 'crimp' only like you lot come across on the top f shotgun shells. This step takes a bit of practice and I recommend you lot first practice this procedure on rounds filled with corn meal instead of valuable black pulverization. Notation that I glue the edges down at this stage-information technology tends to make the paper too difficult to work, sticks to the tissue, gets into the pulverization—it's a big mess. I've already been in that location so you don't have to.

Finishing Live Rounds (and Fillers)
For those making live cartridges, this stage of your task is much easier. Taking the lubricated bullet and GENTLY insert it into the height of the round. GENTLY twist and slide the ball downward until it comes into contact with the powder charge. This is where you find out if the paper you used to make the casing is too thin, it will inevitably tear during this procedure.

You can employ reduced loads of powder. The Wisconsin NSSA Sharpshooters (Co. G 1st USSS) apply reduced charges between 45-50 grains. Since they are shooting targets ranging from fifty-100 yard the reduced powder charge provides the advantages of decreased fouling and recoil. A filler of corn meal is used to recoup for the excess space/reduced powder charge. Too, for more accurate shooting, Terry Phifer (Co. B. second USSS) recommends a disk punched out of a waxed cardboard (from juice boxes) or .l caliber Wonder wad felt inserted between the base of the bullet and powder charge.

Please note that this practice (fillers) might non be allowed past some reenactment organizations. John Carey informed me that the USV has restrictions of NO FILLER of whatever kind added to the blank Sharps rounds. The rationale is that the corn meal might go damp enough to form into a projectile. Also, large 'tamp-ins' of tissue or paper towel can exist propelled from the barrel and smolder on the field, not a good situation if your are fighting in bone-dry out grass or timber. I came shut to burning upwardly a portion of the newly dedicated Malvern Hill battlefield subsequently ii of my 'Michigan" rounds spewed out glowing tissue paper that landed in the tinder dry wheat field back in 1996. And so a discussion to the wise--before you start to industry any blanks be sure you showtime check with your Company Ordnance NCO. If you are going to an out-of-country event, make sure that your officers clarify this point before you leave home!

Notes almost 'rolling' paper:

During the first v years I made cartridges using a curl of ii ½ inch wide 3M drywall record newspaper. I made up a modest stand and inserted the roll on the protruding spigot. That allowed me to roll, cutting and glue each cartridge without having the spool running all over the counter in the procedure. Because the paper is off a roll, it is already inclined to resume it'south former shape (cylinder)-making it easier to piece of work than 'flat' newspaper trapezoids. 3M paper is a lightweight, stiff, brownish colored paper that you lot find in the drywall section of hardware stores. The paper'due south length is a bit likewise long for flat base of operations cartridges, I usually added filler to take the place of the bullet. I used corn meal; toilet tissue or another filler that immediately disperses once it leaves the muzzle (once more, review cautions about filler/reenacting organizations/condom concerns). However, I have evolved and now make rounds that have well-nigh no filler in them whatsoever. They are significantly smaller in height (lucifer the aforementioned superlative as the original flat based round sans bullet.

I now buy the 30mm calculation car tapes in bulk from Staples. You will detect these rounds are shorter than the chamber is long. However, if you make them the correct diameter there should exist no problem with them sliding loose. The few times I had a thinner-than-normal cartridge, that would slide downward the chamber until it engaged the rifling. If I couldn't get it to burn down, I'd slide in a second round; the resulting 'BOOOM' is guaranteed to turn heads on the skirmish line! The proper diameter volition cause the cartridges to be slide easily into the chamber but exist snug enough and so that if yous enhance your rifle vertically the cartridge will remain in identify. If you tap the barrel of the rifle smartly with your hand, the cartridge will pop out. Different the infantry coming in off sentinel and having to discharge their pieces, a smart Sharpshooter will conserve his ammunition.

Is the industry of apartment-base process long and tedious? Yep it is. However, I can usually knock out 60 rounds before an event to add to my Ordnance stores. On winter evenings I will concentrate on performing one part of the cartridge structure. I may gyre out 2-300 tubes ane night. Gum in the cigarette paper bases another. Then finish pouring powder and crimping the blank cartridges closed later. I an typically crank out 60 blank rounds in ane ½ hours from kickoff to terminate. Considering the sun sets at 4 p.m. and the Atmospheric condition Channel is cheerfully predicting blizzard atmospheric condition information technology is not an unpleasant way to laissez passer an evening in the Great White North.

By comparison I have seen fellow Sharp Shooters arrive in camp, sit downwards on a campstool with a tin can of powder between their feet and crank out100 'twist tail' cartridges for an afternoon battle. The twist tail cartridge is infinitely easier to industry. In this regard, you 50 need sparse pape for this style of cartridge, thick or stiff paper tears and be too hard to twist. Besides, a longer piece of newspaper is required due to the twist 'tails'.

• Identify paper around quondam stick, curlicue i ½-2 times to form a tube.
• Gum the edge (½ to ane inch) and stop rolling (the NY USSS use Mail service-It notes, which has the advantage of pre-glued edges).
• Keeping the example on the one-time, push the paper forward ½ inch and twist it closed. Now flatten to twisted tip by pushing it down onto flat surface (or gluing airtight). Remove tube from onetime stick/tube.
• Cascade 60 grains of powder into tube.
• Compression the tube airtight-simply backside the powder charge.
• Flatten and bend newspaper strip at a correct angle from cartridge.
• Flatten paper, run a mucilage stick over both leading edges of 'tail'.
• Fold leading edges inward. Curve tail on right bending to cartridge.
• Youre 'clip tail' cartridges should await very similar to muzzle-loading cartridges, except the diameter is thinner.

If you utilize coffee filters as papers all yous have to do is cut into 3 inch squares. Roll out and glue to make the casing. Twist one finish closed. Pour 60 grains of pulverisation into the tube, pinch closed and twist off the other end. This manner you tin can use either end of the cartridge and it wll fire; simply the fastest way yet I've seen to make a cartridge.

Decision (for now)

The evolution of the Sharps rifle and its ammunition continued well beyond the Civil War. By 1874 the Sharps Burglarize Mfg. Company had altered the percussion system to take contumely center fire cartridges. The sturdy and undecayed toggle block activeness tolerated an increasingly diverse and powerful array of cartridges that were used by buffalo hunters, Creedmoor marksmen, Indians and frontiersmen alike.

I have attempted to provide the reader with suggestions on how to recreate both blank and live armament for our modern Sharps reproductions. The ii cartridges reflect the development of the Sharps cartridge. Both of them piece of work finer, but I have found that the 'flat base of operations' rounds perform much better in my rifles—both Italian and American. I would highly recommend that the reader experiment with both types of rounds to decide which ane performs with the greatest reliability with their burglarize and and so stick with that circular. The flat-based round is the nigh accurate for our USSS impression, and I have found that the increased attending to detail in manufacturing the flat based round is well worth the endeavour when you can take to the skirmish line and know that your rifle will perform as it is intended.

I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Bill

Sources:

Coates, E.J., McAulay, J. D. Civil War Sharps Carbines and Rifles. Thomas publications, Gettysburg, PA 1996

Davis, Dan. Co. G. 1st USSS email correspondence 2001.

Richardson Round Tabular array: Soldiers in Greenish. The Civil War diaries of James Mero Matthews, 2nd U.Southward. Sharpshooters. Sandy Pointe, ME 2003

Smith, Winston O. The Sharps Rifle. Morrow & Co., New York, NY 1943

See attached photos of original Sharps ammunition, pasteboard ammunition boxes and how well the flat based cartridges shoot.
WES

Original Sharps ammunition parcel opened for inspection. Note the percussion caps rolled in old newspaper. The package is opened past pulling the fastened cord to tear the newspaper wrapper. Each packet contained 10 cartridges and 12 percussion caps.

An original Sharps armament bundle every bit was issued to the Sharpshooters. Notation the 'flat based' cartridge featuring the varnished linen tube, gold-beaters skin base and .52 quotient ball.

A page from The Sharps Rifle by Winston O. Smith. This shows how he manufactured his own 'apartment tailed' cartridge. The base of operations can be cigarette paper or other lite-potent material. The 2d picture shows how the paper is formed over the rod prior to inserting the tube. Picture #3 shows the tube being started over the base of operations. Picture #4 shows liquid glue (I use diluted only TACKY Elmers) being applied by paint brush around the inner diameter of the cartridge. My preference is to 'paint' the glue effectually the inner tube BEFORE fitting it over the onetime and pushing it into place. I and so gently squeeze around the tube to ensure that all of the base adheres to the tube. Otherwise powder can leak out of any openings.

The proof is in the shooting. 'Jeff Davis' sports 4 shots to the caput, 5 in the breast and 1 in the upper arm. 100 yards off-hand using a Shiloh Sharps and 'flat base of operations' cartridges. Note the three 'line shot' misses above his head that would have created havoc for the start rank infantry. These rifles volition shoot merely as deadly and true today equally 145 years ago.

_________________
David Rider
(Private/Webmaster)
U.s.S.S. Forum Owner
Company "C" second Regt. U.S. Sharpshooters

http://www.berdansharpshooters.com

perrysoogniny.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.berdansharpshooters.com/usssbb/viewtopic.php?f=96&t=72

Share this post