PaperCartridges Shoots the Pritchett Bullet
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- Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
- The Pritchett bullet and it’s cartridge for the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle-musket is being “re-discovered” by black powder shooters around the world. In this video, we discuss what the Pritchett bullet is, it’s history and development, and why the Pritchett is becoming increasingly popular. I also have a few things to say about the amazing life of R. T. Pritchett, the young gunsmith who developed this iconic bullet.
Please forgive any choppy editing or background noise… I am still deployed and conditions are not, shall we say, ideal for editing video!
For a much fuller and more detailed discussion of the rifle-musket, the importance of the dangerous space, and the paradigm shift in tactical thought that the rifle-musket started, the book “The Destroying Angel” may interest you: www.amazon.com...
And for more than you ever wanted to know about the Enfield cartridge (with a history of the development of rifle-musket ammunition in general), see “The English Cartridge” here: www.amazon.com...
www.papercartr...
Cant wait till we're all together again, firing our favourite bullet over that little green field we all know and love.
Not America 🇺🇸
Gun makers during war: "I'm rich!"
War ends: "I am immediately completely destitute."
The smart ones "I'm gonna make hunting rifles!"
I didn’t realize until recently that the Pritchett was actually used some during the American civil war, because I’ve never seen it portrayed in movies. It seems like a better system than the minié.
Yep I remember seeing some dug up ones at civil war battlefield museums.
criminally underrated channel. Now I need a Pritchett mold.... the loading in and of itself was the selling point!
Except for “educational purposes” I have not loaded a Burton/Minie in a decade! The Pritchett really is a joy.
In the same boat. Had an 1861 and 63 Remington, just got two P53 Enfields yesterday so now I'm trying to find a mold lol.
Any recommendations on makers?
Great history combined with technical information. What’s not to like!👍
Just got to comment again,
THANKS!!!.
Have now made 4 moulds on a lathe, recon I have got it spot on , lovely rifle engagement. Holes in each other at 500 yards,..
well on a good day I get a ten shot group of 40 mm.which is one large hole..that's about my eye limit.
Original rifle ,two wraps of baking paper,lubed with 50/50 olive oil and beeswax.sniff of engine oil..
Just got to thankyou for the inspiration to design and make my own moulds .its been so satisfying getting a far better result than anything commercially available. And boy these puppies blow over my wild bullocks. And these are really big bad ( you don't want to miss) animals.
Regards from the antipodes.
At last a clear and correct appreciation of the bullet. Bravissimo Brett. Her’s proper job m’luvver, as we say hereabouts.
Some part in it’s renewed fame must be the internet which has allowed a worldwide exchange of information on it and access to copies of original sources.
Outstanding video Brett. I look forward to purchasing more of these excellent cartridges for my P58.
great job on this video! Paper cartridges makes the best British historical content videos on YT next to Britishmuzzleloaders and capandball!
What a great History! It makes me want to take my musket with some Pritchett bullet and send them down range! I would believe that Eras Gone might have such a mold? Thanks Kindly and Thanks for the fine Shootin ! Many Blessings! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania
Always a perk in the day when Paper Cartridges drops a new video.
Interesting. I recall seeing a Pritchett bullet in a souvenir collection of pewter cast "Civil War" bullets I bought in Gettysburg a while back. The booklet that came with the set didn't call it a Pritchett, but rather an "Enfield" bullet, and completely neglected to mention the paper patch. Of course, it also called the Burton bullet a Minié ball. Touristy oversimplifications ftw.
Well done. This was an interesting video from beginning to end - I didn't even look at the clock once!
Great video! Have a safe deployment and Godspeed.......always!
Последний раз видел такой самодельный патрон в детстве, в середине 80-х. Мужики брали меня на охоту. У одного деда была подобная винтовка, с царским клеймом. Все мужики над ним посмеивались. Спасибо за видео. Вспомнил детство. Из России 🇷🇺 с любовью!)))
I said it before and I will say it again: This channel deserves way more subs.
Another interesting video. Not many channels dive into the history of the bullets itself used in our beloved smoke poles. I hope that one day, somebody loans you guys that Sharps for the "vs Whitworth" video.
Would also be cool to one day see some more Lorenz videos, including 500 yard shots ;). We all can dream.
I hope you and your men stay healthy! Keep up the great production!
In the process of buying an original Lorenz right now. Sadly has a bad bore, but I plan to send it off to get re-lined.
@@papercartridges6705 That's very cool. Is it the Infanteriegewehr or the Jaegerstutzen? Either way it's very cool.
Just put an order into NOE for a .459 mold that uses a pin to create a hollow base which looks very similar to the Pritchett projectile. I’m going to use it in my .457 air rifle as I expect the “skirt” of the projectile to possibly expand and engage the rifling. Plus the rifles twist rate favors longer projectiles and the hollow base will produce a lighter slug and provide higher velocity than a solid projectile of the same length. I hope it will be a good performer.
The problem with that is it was the explosion and heat of the gunpowder that would cause the expansion.
@@oldiesaregoldies3511 - that seems to probably be correct. However, I’ve not recovered a projectile and measured the diameter of the rear skirt To determine if any expansion occurred. But that said my air rifle likes the 290 grn projectile. Getting little over 900 fps with it.
I thought you were obsessed before, but you have his oil portrait!? Hope to see you at the Alberta shoot this year, I really want to go after years of watching. I also bought two of your books. They should be here in a few days!
I bought it from an art dealer in California, about 20 miles from where I lived. How the portrait of Pritchett ended up in Ventura, California is a mystery, but I suppose as a Calvinist, I can say it was predestined?
LOL! The music made famous by 2001: A Space Odyssey did it for me. I've barely set foot in the black powder sphere of shooting but your video is an inspiration. Well done! Great info... and I nearly spat my beer out all over my screen!
Also Sprach Zarathrustra- Strauss
Thanks. History has many trails to follow and your history is a trail for many to follow,
Excellent work! Brilliant! Well done! Huzzah!
A very satisfying viewing experience. Well done.
Now you've got me wanting a Pattern '53 Enfield (repro) and a Pritchett mold (or swage). Being able to load a muzzle loader that easily after as many as 100 rounds is revolutionary!
It’s a game changer. I never want to shoot a Minie ball again.
@@papercartridges6705 Do you have a piece (up or planned) on making the Pritchett cartridge? Looks simple enough, but there are always some little details, like getting it to break clean at the ogive...
nice , i just found a mushroomed out bullet on the shore of campbeltown loch in scotland with the detector and i new it was different to the mini ball and had no idea about the history so thanks for the education !
That was awesome! Thanks for sharing brother!
You MUST do a video on what is needed to cold form these bullets. It's all I want for Christmas!
I found the video of great interest as I had an Enfield and Pritchett mould. Back in the 1980s there was little to no mention of the combination, certainly the mould. Without knowing the proper cartridge preparation, I sensed something different about it and still preferred the Enfield to the Springfield. Those were the days before the Internet and your video.
The Pritchett was all but forgotten until about 20 years ago.
Christ, thank you for having an actual Enfield cartridge, a proper one. The amount of times I've gotten into arguments with old salts who swear blindly and with great anger that the Enfield was not shot paper patched, despite me showing them the plans of the 3 patterns of cartridges we used to use and me shooting my P1853 with these cartridges
So cool love the p53 Enfield
Excellent, informative video! Thank you.
It is amazing that the Pritchett bullet wasn't more widely used in the U.S. during it's heyday. I would consider the Pritchett method of loading much superior up to to advent of the brass case.
Hello and thank you for this video, from your friends in the South Australian Volunteer Military Force ;)
Interesting, nice and with a very personal, human twist. Congratulations!
If/when I get an Enfield guess I'll have to go along with this bullet.
what a damn flex at the end good lord
Àmazing what is Forgotten and Relearned!
very interesting- thank you!
Glade I found this!!!
Thank you!
You really need to look into attending a North-Souh Skirmish association match sometime, we hold our bi annual National matches in Winchester VA in the spring and fall. Next month the Deep South region will be holding a match in Eva, Tennessee, a bit closer to where your located.
Excellent!!!
Very interesting, thank you
Really enjoying your videos, just order three of your books.
Oh good! I use the money to buy more silly hats. Glad you enjoy the videos!
@@papercartridges6705 I don’t have a muzzle loading rifle but do have a cap and ball .44 revolver. My BP rifle is an 1874 Sharps .45/70 using home cast 510g Lyman bullets.
Imagine arming the Queens army and then furnishing the Queen's palace. Thats an unparalleles achievement in Britishdom
Nicely explained. I just read your books.😊
Thanks! I’ll use your money to buy more silly hats.
Excellent video in every respect !
I’d be really curious to see this cartridge compared to some inline muzzleloaders, I don’t think the gap will be all too big.
Great video very educational, I couldn’t find any Pritchett mould anywhere,is there something similar that I can use to make paper patch bullets
For my 58 cal Enfield
Sir, I am an Indian and I have a question to you. The 1857 Mutiny in India was caused due the bullets of Pattern 53 Enfield Rifle cartridges. It was lubricated by lard and tallow fats. In your video, you have shown it tearing it with hands. But the soldiers at that time were tearing with their teeth. Why did they need to tear it with their teeth? As you know Pork is 'haram' in Islam and Cow is sacred to the Hindus. I want to know why on earth do they need to use their teeth to tear off the upper part of the cartridge. Any clue?
I covered the 1857 rebellion in a long chapter in my book “The English Cartridge.” After the rebellion in India, the British manual of arms was changed from biting the cartridge with the teeth, to simply tearing with the hands. Biting the cartridge with teeth was an unnecessary routine, leftover from the days when soldiers used flintlock muskets. It was easier to bite open the cartridge in order to prime the pan on a flintlock. By 1857 with percussion guns this was not necessary but the manual had not been changed. The official change was made in 1858 for India and 1859 for the rest of the British Army.
Burton bullets are often found all over the battlefield. Pritchett bullets are often found in graves.
'THIN RED STREAK TIPPED WITH A LINE OF STEEL'.
at 8:03 still wonder whats country was that uniforme of the man frome the foreground, the blue uniforme
First time I shot a rifled musket was my father’s armi sport reproduction of the enfield rifled musket at age 13 shooting a Pritchett bullet. I hit a large pumpkin almost dead center with it from 25 yards away
I have a question if you don't mind! I understand that the Enfields sold to the CSA and other places often included a mould to pour and cast your own bullets with every 10 or rifles purchased, and also to be sued at distant outposts of the British Empire. I am very curious to know more about these bullets.
As I understand it, the historical bullets from the armory were all swagged using presses like your corbin die system, and had the perfect semi sphere nose from the compression system rather than a snipped tip you often see from cast minies.
What size were the minies coming from the moulds, did they have the same dimensions as the undersized .550 that came from the factory? If so, did they expect the men to make their own plugs for the bullets in camp? With the undersized ball, did they also have to perfectly make cartridges to utilize the paper sabot to make the bullet actually work? Just thinking about it I assume they gave the guys in the field a mould that was closer to the first generation Pritchett to be more friendly in a low supply area like a campaign camp rather than the later generation Boxer but I could be totally wrong.
Thank you for all your incredible research and hard work on this topic, we are incredibly lucky to have you doing all this! Just ordered all your books on Amazon btw!
I love British Arms. I don’t have any muzzleloaders, but I have a SMLE Number I mark III, a Webley MKVI, a Webley MKIV, and a Sten MKII SMG. Great firearms. Rule Britannia!!
I basically don’t shoot my modern stuff anymore, muzzleloaders are just more fun. And the rifle-musket can still shoot with decent accuracy out to 400+ yards, which makes them even more fun.
@@papercartridges6705 What do you think about the modern inline muzzleloaders?
Well done you sir
I would like to see a movement to start referring to these different variants by different names. The "Pritchett" is mostly not an expanding ball. It "bumps up" mostly by compression. I feel this bullet is sufficiently different from the Hay and Boxer bullets that we should work to correct the modern nomenclature of calling any smooth-sided bullet a "Pritchett" bullet. They function quite differently from plugged Enfield bullets.
I gave up trying to win that battle. What bothers me more is calling Burton bullets “Minié balls.” You’re right of course, the original Pritchett expands on the inertia principle, while cup/plug bullets are gas action expanded. Since they all look the same externally, they all took the same name, Minie and Pritchett. I look at it kind of like how every battle ship after 1906 was called a dreadnought, even when there was only one actual HMS Dreadnought and it was obsolete in a decade. But everyone kept calling the ships dreadnoughts anyways as a convention.
@@papercartridges6705 I think I'm going to continue to refer to the compression Enfield bullet as the Pritchett and plugged Enfield bullets as Hay (.568) and Boxer (.550).
This argument is going to gain more relevance if I push this in N-SSA circles because Pritchett bullets, having no plug, are not "compound ammunition" and thus only fall afoul of the paper patching rule. It will be important to be able to distinguish between plugged and non-plugged Enfield bullets.
@@stevensheldon9271 hi ,I am a tad confused about the pritchett and its use of base plugs.i thought they had no plugs in the hollow base,but I see Brett is using hardwood plugs in his video ,minnie verse pritchett..
I have a custom mould and don't really want to bother with plugs..
Regards from nz.
P.s. I have metal detectored many land war battles areas here and found a massive selection of round ball sizes but only one 3 grooved minnie..seems like the British were using lot of round ball amo in 577.....
@@benrobertson7855 Hi Ben! First, let me preface this by saying all of this was laid plain to me by Brett Gibbon's fantastic book, "The English Cartridge". I highly recommend it. It is only about $12 on Amazon.
OK, so here is the general gist of the evolution of the P1853 ammunition as I understand it. There is only one "Pritchett" bullet, and any bullet that uses a plug is NOT a Pritchett bullet. The first bullet for the Pattern 1853 Enfield was the Pritchett. It was a smooth-sided bullet with a very shallow cavity in its base. While there was probably *some* expansive effect by this hollow cavity, the Pritchett bullet is essentially NOT an expanding ball bullet. Rather, it is a compression bullet, like the Wilkinson. It grows in diameter by compressing axially along its length. Unfortunately, it was soon discovered that given the tolerances in the sizing dies for the bullets (.566-.568"), and the tolerances of the bore of the muskets (.003"), it was possible to have a bullet that was so undersized compared to the bore that it could not grow enough in diameter to properly take up the rifling, and accuracy suffered.
To fix this disaster, Hay decided to switch to the design already used in the Pattern 1851 musket - a smooth-sided bullet with a deep cavity and an iron plug. Initially these iron plugs were hemispherical but it was discovered that they would not reliably stay oriented in the cavity and so expansion was unpredictable and sometimes the plug would even fall out of the bullet in flight, possibly peppering friendly troops being fired over their heads. So they switched to a conical iron plug. Hay implemented the same solution with the P1853 bullet, and so the second bullet was a .568" diameter, smooth-sided bullet with a deep cavity and conical iron plugs. Very quickly the iron plugs were discarded in favor of boxwood plugs which were found to be superior to the iron cups.
In conjunction with experiments with only pure beeswax for lubricant, it was discovered that a .568" diameter bullet was simply too large to be able to be reliably loaded in combat conditions with ammunition that had been subjected to the extremes of global transportation of the day. As a result, Boxer presented a radical idea (though a similar action had already been done with the P51 bullet) to reduce the diameter of the bullet from .568" to .550" - an eighteen thousandths of an inch reduction in diameter! Many people thought this was doomed to failure, with suggestions that the bullet would fall out after being loaded. Tests concluded that this was not the case. So the final bullet was again a smooth-sided bullet with a deep cavity, and it had a boxwood plug to start with. Later they switched to clay-fired plugs as boxwood was expensive and supplies were difficult to come by.
Like you, I too was confused for a long time by the "Pritchett" nomenclature. But make no mistake, there are 3 distinct bullets for the Pattern 1853 musket. The Pritchett, which is a compression bullet, and then the .568 Hay bullet (iron/wood plugs), followed by the .550 Boxer bullet (wood/clay plugs), the latter two being expanding ball bullets with expansion being forced by the use of the conical plugs which act like a wedge driven into the bullet.
It is my opinion as historical aficionados of the 1853 musket that we should endeavor to call these 3 bullets by their proper names - Pritchett, Hay, and Boxer. Each of these bullets is radically different from each other, with the actual Pritchett being radically different from both the Hay and Boxer bullets. They all represent important evolutions in the Pattern 1853 musket ammunition, all driven by combat experience with the arm.
US troops can count themselves lucky they never faced well-trained British line infantry regulars in the early to mid-1860s. What an amazing life he led!
CSA's armed forces had a lot of inadequacies but they were not so poorly drilled that British line infantry would have seen so much worse of a misfortune.
It would have been a MAD battle and the British Army couldn't afford fact
Average virgin Minnie Ball fan vs average chad Pritchett Bullet enjoyer
You should email a copy of this to the NSSA...
Would enjoy trying the Pritchett in one of my rifle muskets. Got one stuck Minie' in my Mississippi rifle which was loading nicely for a couple dozen rounds then it just locked up halfway down. Pulled the breech plug at home later and cleared it but lesson learned, now will not load more than 10 rounds or so without swabbing the bore. I don't think the N-SSA approves rounds sent down with paper...so...no go there?
The N-SSA doesn’t allow paper patched bullets. That’s perhaps the main reason I’ve never joined.
I notice you keep your left hand close to the lock plate when I hold mine like that I get powder blasts on my hand and pieces of it get embedded and get infected in my fingers does this happen to anyone else?
They never had the idea to put the primer in the base of the bullet and have it needle fired?
They could had gotten rid of half of the loading process, by ramming the entire cartridge down🤗 Even the much later Chassepot took to a much quirkier method of setting off the primer.
I know this isn't the point in your video and I tried looking it up and I can't find anything concrete. What are the four Chevrons on your arm?
Very fine demonstration!! One Question: What was the lube used for the Pritchett cartridges
Based on the various shots of the cartridges, it looks like the wrapped cartridge was dipped in a common black powder lube like beeswax/mutton tallow or similar. You could use a pretty hard formula (more wax, less tallow) because this doesn't need to be applied to the bullet grooves.
Sir, I am an English owner of a Parker Hale 3 band Enfield. I am looking for a copy of the Loading, Shooting and Maintenance manual (a yellow booklet) that was supplied with this rifle. Can you help please?
Really wish someone made pritchett type bullet molds for other calibers.
You could always make your own? I am seriously considering turning up a swaging die for .50
@@jimmcfee3488 I don't have the equipment necessary to do that, and you shouldn't just assume people do.
Hence the question mark, but you can take it anyway you like BTW@@Divenity I made a die yesterday and swaged out twenty in .460 to try in my hawken so it can be done.
👍👍👍
Donde puedo comprar un molde para fundir este modelo de bala ?
Is there any advice how to use/make some pritchett style cartridges for the springfield 1861 or the 1854 Lorenz ( pedersoli ) ?
I like how fast and clean they go to load, would be very nice...
Check out the channel Britishmuzzleloaders. There are a few good videos on how to make the Enfield cartridge there.
Sorry? Were you using the 'easy-glide' .550" Pritchett, or the earlier .568" in your cartridges? And did you use a boxwood plug as prescribed, or something else?
I shoot both .568 and .550, and use wooden or kiln fired clay plugs. Boxwood cannot be sources so I use a hard sugar maple instead.
What kind of paper do you suggest for the paper wrapping? When I’ve seen pictures of original Pritchett cartridges the paper covering the bullet is a yellowish color. Was the paper wrapping over the bullet lubed? If so with what?
A very thin typewriter paper is the closest modern equivalent to the original paper. They were dipped in beeswax at the bullet end, which is probably the end with the yellow color you describe.
Old fashion bullets required lubrication. That's not something I've never heard of before. And I know animal tallow was easy to come by since it was often putting candles and other forms of waxed items. So that's kind of interesting. Could you send me a link of the specific kind of animals they would use for the ratios.
Bullet lubricant was almost always mutton tallow.
@@papercartridges6705 and was it just smeared on the paper patch bullet paper? Or was it a large amount slid down the tube?
Are the minie and Pritchett bullets interchangeable? Like can I put a Pritchett in a 1861 Springfield or vice verse?
Yes, generally speaking. The difference of course is that the Pritchett is always paper patched. But I shoot Pritchetts in my 1861 Springfield just fine.
@@papercartridges6705awesome! When i get a percussion cap rifle I'll get some pritchitts
strange to come across my UA-cam but with large bore air makes me think
It was not the Thin Red Line. It was The Thin Red Streak
It was actually both; Russell used both terms in his reports, and it was thin red line that stuck in popular memory.
Is anyone making a modern mold for Pritchett bullets
NOE makes a .550 and .566 version.
How would you compare the Pritchett/Hay/Boxer to the Type 2 Williams. The Pritchett is obviously still superior for a number of reasons, I guess I am just curious how far behind the Pritchett family you would say the Williams is?
I think the Williams would probably be more “accurate” in terms of group size. The downside was it’s complexity and cost. I’ve had very good results with my Type II Williams bullets, but I haven’t compared it side by side to a Pritchett. That sounds like a future project!
@@papercartridges6705 happy to put the bug in your ear. Stay safe out there!
Whats the paper you use for the outer wrapper and the label? Heck Id be curious for all the different kinds of paper you use
I use green masking tape that I stamp with the label, and the paper is 9lb 100% rag onion skin typewriter paper from the 1980s. (Esleeck onion skin)It’s out of production and hard to find now. There is wood pulp 9lb onion skin that works, just not quite as good.
Interesting. In the mid nineties my dad won a large lot at an auction for $1.
Among this lot was about 150 pounds of this exact paper. It sat without use for many years before it went in the trash.
If only i would have known....
people in the 21th century : man , that a nice rifle the accuracy is damn good
some 19th century yankees in the field hospital: dang it man , this thing hits harder than the minie bullet that was wounded me last week
👌🤝
Where did yall get the mold from?
These were made by compression in a hydraulic swage die.
music overkill
pritchett bullet fly at same theory as air rifle pellet
Ball size???
@tacfoley no english
i couldve done without the royal talk at the end. prince andrew is a prime example of the royal family
Why would swaged bullets be gyroscopically stabilized? I didn't understand this comment. Swaged bullets are no more uniform than a good cast bullet imo, so I can't make any sense of the comment.
It’s like the conversation about milling, forging, and casting metal. There’s nothing saying that any other process can’t be as good as another if done right. However, swaging leads to a more consistent projectile for mass production where casting is hit and miss at the start and can be all over the place quality and weight wise. Same thing with sizing, seating you don’t need to size compared to casting.
Старинная Русская пословица гласит: "пуля - дура, штык - молодец".
Yet in 1842 British were outgunned and defeated by Jazeil Rifle and its simple ball bullet in Afghanistan.
Ditch the music, please.
What the hell was even that! Was he a 19th century transgender! That photo of him as The Girl With The Pearl Earring is bizarre! Not to mention the photographer’s name was Cuming!
What's not to like ? The too loud and completely unnecessary " background noise "
I was deployed overseas when I made this and there is no location on the base I was on that did not have diesel generator noise.
Screw guns and the people who make them