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Early Cartridge Technologies: Linen Cartridges
A few weeks ago, we began to study an early form of cartridge: the paper cartridge. Where we left off, paper cartridges had advanced to the point where the paper was treated with chemicals to make it...
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Early Cartridge Technologies: Tinfoil Cartridges
In our last post, we studied linen cartridges. In today's post, we will study cartridges made of a more exotic material: tinfoil. Yes, there really were tinfoil cartridges made at one point.Tinfoil...
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Early Cartridge Technologies: Skin Cartridges
In our last post, we looked at tinfoil cartridges, which was one way to make cartridges more resistant to water. In today's post, we will look at another material that was also used to make cartridges...
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5.56mm vs. .223 Ammunition Revisited
Many months ago, we studied the differences between the 5.56mm. and the .223 cartridges. In that article, it was mentioned that the dimensions of the 5.56x45mm. NATO cartridge and the .223 Remington...
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High Quality Winchester Model 1873 Rifles
A long time ago, we studied lever actions and one of the most famous lever action weapons was the Winchester Model 1873 rifle.Winchester Model 1873. Click on the image to enlarge. Image courtesy of...
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Famous Guns: Lucretia Borgia
Take a look at the two rifles in the image below:Click on the image to enlarge.The one we are going to study today is the one at the bottom. "Wait a minute", the reader says. "The rifle at the bottom...
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The FitzGerald Special Revolver
Here's wishing the readers of this blog a very happy and successful 2016. In today's post, we will study a particular type of snub-nosed revolver in history, with some very interesting and unusual...
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Effectiveness of Old Firearms - I
When this blog first started, we talked about the accuracy (or rather, inaccuracy) of old firearms, especially those of the muzzle-loading variety. Back in the day, military commanders would line up...
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Effectiveness of Old Firearms - II
In our last post, we looked at some tests done against many early firearms, mostly arquebuses and muskets. While we studied some of the tests, it might be a good idea to actually present some of those...
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Effectiveness of Old Firearms - III
In our last post, we looked at a study done in Graz, Austria, that compared mass-produced soldier weapons from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries against modern weapons used by soldiers today. In the...
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Effectiveness of Old Firearms - IV
In our last post, we looked at a series of penetration tests done in Graz, Austria, to weapons from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, compared to modern weapons. But what about accuracy, the reader...
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What is a Tompion?
Back in the day of flintlock firearms, keeping weapons operating in the rain, snow and mud was an important matter indeed. For instance, soldiers could be told to advance to a specific battlefield...
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What is a Cows Knee?
In our last post, we studied tompions which are devices that were invented to keep the muzzle of flintlock firearms safe from rain, snow, mud etc. However, the muzzle isn't the only part of the...
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Pommel Bags
In our last couple of posts, we studied devices that people used to protect key parts of flintlock weapons from being exposed to wet weather, namely tompions and cows knees. Today, we will study...
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What is a Saltpeter Man?
Back in the early days of firearms, the propellant used was black powder. One of the components of black powder is a substance called saltpeter (or saltpetre, in British spelling). Saltpeter is more...
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The History of Saltpeter - I
In our last post, we looked into the specialized profession of Saltpeter Men. Which brings us to another important topic of study, to which we will devote a few posts: the history of production of...
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The History of Saltpeter - II
In our last post, we studied the components of gunpowder and noted that the key one was potassium nitrate, whose source was from saltpeter. As we noted earlier, the other components of gunpowder were...
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The History of Saltpeter - III
In our last post, we studied one of the techniques of producing saltpeter. We did promise there that we will study another method using niter beds. But, before we dive into that topic, let's cover a...
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The History of Saltpeter - IV
In our last couple of posts, we saw the basics of saltpeter extraction and also an insight into the bacterial and chemical processes involved. As we saw previously, it was the job of saltpeter men to...
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The History of Saltpeter - V
In today's post, we will look at the early history of saltpeter production in the US.When the early colonists from England arrived in the US in 1620 and established a colony in Plymouth, Massachusetts,...
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