Mark, I think you and I were among the small set of field interpreters and reenactors that actually carried revolver cartridge packs in their belt pouches. I remember riding with a cavalry unit in Washington County one weekend, me being an infantry officer interpreter, as their guest. We stopped the mounts after an engagement. I open my pouch, pull out a package of paper blank cartridges, tear it open and begin inserting them into the chamber one after another. They looked at me with open mouths, as they had always preloaded their cylinders ahead of time with flasks, cream of wheat and Crisco. They thought it was strange infantry magic.
Is this Steve? You are correct. Even fro musket cartridges I started before many of the others. In the 70s when most were still using penny rollers to make cartidges, I was rolling them with brown masking paper and bundling in packs of ten,
I'm sure it varied based on mission and when they expected resupply. But, I suspect the vast majority of cartridge packs were actually carried in pockets and saddle bags instead of the issue leather pouch.
An interesting video Mark. I have a similar pouch which holds 8 of Capandball's reproduction .36 cartridge boxes which is great for going to the range on my motorcycle....NOT in this weather though :-)
For the average cavalryman, it was probably less than 24 rounds. Keep in mind, his main weapon was the carbine. There were few extended fire fights with pistols. As I mentioned, the pouches actually got very little use in the field. Most men simple slipped a few 6 round packs in their pockets or saddle bags.
Doug, that might be a good topic one day. The issue is that making the wood block requires special tools, a drill press and X/Y drill press vise, for example, to do it with precision. Most folks will not have access to those types of tools.
Great video ,it helped me a lot!I have 2 questions: a)what about civilian cap and ball carrying on a rig? 2)the cap pouch was a "must" on the belt?Or it could be avoided also? Thank you in advance!
The cap pouch and cartridge pouch were strictly military items. The cap pouch was really for musket caps used on the troopers carbine. Pistol caps would have been lost among those larger caps. Pistol caps typically came included in cartridge packs so would have been used up when loading the revolver. I think the average civilian loaded his revolver before leaving his residence. If he felt he might need to reload, he simply dropped a six pack of cartridges into his pocket or saddle bags. I suspect most folks did not anticipate protracted gun fights where multiple cylinders of rounds would be fired.
I've seen what might be called "cylinder boxes" for carrying spare cylinders. I think it's a reenactor thing because I'm not sure if it was common practice to carry spare cylinders. Do you know if it was ever done?
Cylinder pouches are a modern reenactorism. No such accouterment existed back ten. Also extra cylinders were not issued with revolvers so there was no need fir the pouch.
I think most cavalrymen carried two revolvers on their belt, plus a couple more in holsters across the pommel. In a fight, changing cylinders would take more time than just drawing another loaded revolver.
In the Sisters Brothers western of 2018,they use spare cylinders for their 1851 navys.They have pouches hanged from their rigs,but the whole thing is...fishy, it's not realistic...
They probably didn’t in either package, the troops that carried these firearms probably had a capper in their pouch already with more than enough percussion caps for the job.
Jeff, I don't anyone who is offering patterns. Most of the folks who reproduce the Army revolver pouch do so directly from originals. There are some imported reproductions that are not perfect copies, but are functional and they are fairly inexpensive, around $20-$25.
jason60chev the original Navy pouch had six compartments that each held a six round package for a total of 36 rounds. The reproduction in the video is much smaller than the original
@@MEHubbs Right. That's what you said in the video. I was asking, for the smaller, repro box, if you removed the cartridges from the packet, how many INDIVIDUAL cartridges would each compartment hold? If the compartments go deep into the pouch, it would probably be difficult to get the cartriges out from the bottom. But....if you installed a cloth pull tab, the whole width of the compartment, you could lift them up. Will they lie horizontally in the compartment...staggered? The cloth pull tab could still work....or remove them from the arsenal pack and re-wrap them in a way that several would fit into each compartment and could be retrieved as a unit.
The little import USN cartridge box is not bad for what they cost. The issue is with the interior dimensions. The compartments in the tin are so small that not even a .31 caliber cartridge pack would fit. With the tin removed there is probably enough room to store 2-3 .36 caliber packs. To bad they did not copy the size correctly on this box. it would be a great .36 accessory if they had. I have found one place that make correct copies of this cartridge box. That is Stewart's Saddlery in Arizona. However, they cost about $250!
You might do better to obtain a carbine cartridge box for your revolver cartridges, unless you are gearing up for re-eancting. The carbine box would be roomier and you could, of course, carry more ammo
Rifle and musket cartridges were carried in packs of ten in a leather cartridge box which held two tin insert dividers. They held 40 rounds. Sometimes another 20 rounds were issued at the begging of a campaign and the soldiers carried the 10 round packs in their haversacks untill there was room in the cartridge boxes.
Gene, keep in mind that the revolver was a secondary weapon. The carbine was the primary weapon. They did not expect protracted gun battles with revolvers. Thanks for watching!
Mark, I think you and I were among the small set of field interpreters and reenactors that actually carried revolver cartridge packs in their belt pouches.
I remember riding with a cavalry unit in Washington County one weekend, me being an infantry officer interpreter, as their guest. We stopped the mounts after an engagement. I open my pouch, pull out a package of paper blank cartridges, tear it open and begin inserting them into the chamber one after another. They looked at me with open mouths, as they had always preloaded their cylinders ahead of time with flasks, cream of wheat and Crisco.
They thought it was strange infantry magic.
Is this Steve? You are correct. Even fro musket cartridges I started before many of the others. In the 70s when most were still using penny rollers to make cartidges, I was rolling them with brown masking paper and bundling in packs of ten,
Mark Hubbs yes it is. I saw your videos last night. A very elegant group of presentations. Some of the best I've seen.
👍 Danke fürs Hochladen!
👍 Thanks for uploading!
👍 Very good and beautiful, thank you!
👍 Sehr gut und schön, danke!
excellent video! so what was the "basic load for an army revolver in the civil war? a total of 24 cartridges?
I'm sure it varied based on mission and when they expected resupply. But, I suspect the vast majority of cartridge packs were actually carried in pockets and saddle bags instead of the issue leather pouch.
I would expect they carried as many as they could or they could get their hands on. That's what I would have done
An interesting video Mark. I have a similar pouch which holds 8 of Capandball's reproduction .36 cartridge boxes which is great for going to the range on my motorcycle....NOT in this weather though :-)
For the average cavalryman, it was probably less than 24 rounds. Keep in mind, his main weapon was the carbine. There were few extended fire fights with pistols. As I mentioned, the pouches actually got very little use in the field. Most men simple slipped a few 6 round packs in their pockets or saddle bags.
instaBlaster.
Mark, you going to do a video on creating the packaging?
Doug, that might be a good topic one day. The issue is that making the wood block requires special tools, a drill press and X/Y drill press vise, for example, to do it with precision. Most folks will not have access to those types of tools.
Mark Hubbs I understand about the wood. But you could still do one on the wrapping and the label. Just a thought. Thanks.
Great video ,it helped me a lot!I have 2 questions: a)what about civilian cap and ball carrying on a rig? 2)the cap pouch was a "must" on the belt?Or it could be avoided also? Thank you in advance!
The cap pouch and cartridge pouch were strictly military items. The cap pouch was really for musket caps used on the troopers carbine. Pistol caps would have been lost among those larger caps. Pistol caps typically came included in cartridge packs so would have been used up when loading the revolver. I think the average civilian loaded his revolver before leaving his residence. If he felt he might need to reload, he simply dropped a six pack of cartridges into his pocket or saddle bags. I suspect most folks did not anticipate protracted gun fights where multiple cylinders of rounds would be fired.
I've seen what might be called "cylinder boxes" for carrying spare cylinders. I think it's a reenactor thing because I'm not sure if it was common practice to carry spare cylinders. Do you know if it was ever done?
Cylinder pouches are a modern reenactorism. No such accouterment existed back ten. Also extra cylinders were not issued with revolvers so there was no need fir the pouch.
I think most cavalrymen carried two revolvers on their belt, plus a couple more in holsters across the pommel. In a fight, changing cylinders would take more time than just drawing another loaded revolver.
If it was ever done, it was not done by the military. Cylinder timing was hand fitted, so a spare cylinder had to be special ordered.
In the Sisters Brothers western of 2018,they use spare cylinders for their 1851 navys.They have pouches hanged from their rigs,but the whole thing is...fishy, it's not realistic...
How rare are the Felix Chillingworth made in Greenfield, Mass pistol cartridge pouches?
How did they package primers in the wood type commercial package
They probably didn’t in either package, the troops that carried these firearms probably had a capper in their pouch already with more than enough percussion caps for the job.
Where can you find patterns for these pouches? I have searched high and low with no luck.
Jeff, I don't anyone who is offering patterns. Most of the folks who reproduce the Army revolver pouch do so directly from originals. There are some imported reproductions that are not perfect copies, but are functional and they are fairly inexpensive, around $20-$25.
OK thank you. I guess I will have to buy one from ACW and copy it.
It will be as good investment anyway.
Hello Mark! In the navy pouch.....how many individual cartridges can the compartments in the tin carry?
jason60chev the original Navy pouch had six compartments that each held a six round package for a total of 36 rounds. The reproduction in the video is much smaller than the original
@@MEHubbs Right. That's what you said in the video. I was asking, for the smaller, repro box, if you removed the cartridges from the packet, how many INDIVIDUAL cartridges would each compartment hold? If the compartments go deep into the pouch, it would probably be difficult to get the cartriges out from the bottom. But....if you installed a cloth pull tab, the whole width of the compartment, you could lift them up. Will they lie horizontally in the compartment...staggered? The cloth pull tab could still work....or remove them from the arsenal pack and re-wrap them in a way that several would fit into each compartment and could be retrieved as a unit.
jason60chev loose cartridges wont even fit in the compartments. If you remove the tin completely, I suspect 12-15 loose rounds might fit in the pouch.
Mark: could you tell us what is wrong with the Navy style pouch? (Especially considering I am thinking about buying one)
The little import USN cartridge box is not bad for what they cost. The issue is with the interior dimensions. The compartments in the tin are so small that not even a .31 caliber cartridge pack would fit. With the tin removed there is probably enough room to store 2-3 .36 caliber packs. To bad they did not copy the size correctly on this box. it would be a great .36 accessory if they had. I have found one place that make correct copies of this cartridge box. That is Stewart's Saddlery in Arizona. However, they cost about $250!
You might do better to obtain a carbine cartridge box for your revolver cartridges, unless you are gearing up for re-eancting. The carbine box would be roomier and you could, of course, carry more ammo
Um, there is no link to the kit in the description, Mark....
I flashed the URL on the screen, but removed it from the video description. Alas, ACWKits.com is closing its doors for a while. :(
How would they carry loose paper Cartiges?
Loose cartridges would be rather fragile. But it kept in the 6 round packets they could hold up to travel in pockets or saddlebags pretty well.
@@erasgonehistoricalmolds2400 I was meaning there rifle cartridges. For there muskets
Rifle and musket cartridges were carried in packs of ten in a leather cartridge box which held two tin insert dividers. They held 40 rounds. Sometimes another 20 rounds were issued at the begging of a campaign and the soldiers carried the 10 round packs in their haversacks untill there was room in the cartridge boxes.
@@erasgonehistoricalmolds2400 thank you would love to see a video on this topic. Have a blessed thanksgiving.
Only 18 rounds in a pouch, that doesn't seem like much
Gene, keep in mind that the revolver was a secondary weapon. The carbine was the primary weapon. They did not expect protracted gun battles with revolvers. Thanks for watching!
@@erasgonehistoricalmolds2400 ain't you ever watched the outlaw josey whales? He would go thru 18 rounds just cleaning his guns 😅