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Post by noggy on Jul 30, 2018 8:12:23 GMT -6
Hello, and welcome to a new round of stupid questions!
What number of cartridges for the Springfield did ammo boxes contain? Everywhere I read, "it`s 50 on the trooper and 50 in the saddle bags". The rounds were naturally in some sort of box, not carried loosely. So what size are we talking about? Boxes with 50 rounds in them must be too much/big. 10 rounds too little. 25 a possibility, maybe? 20 doesn`t add up to the 50-50 part. Am I missing something here? Is there some distributed in boxes but a certain number of rounds carried in ammo belts?
I know we have gun experts here som hope someone can answer.
All the best,
Noggy
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Post by Colt45 on Jul 30, 2018 15:02:54 GMT -6
The 50 rounds carried on the body were in a cartridge belt worn around the waist. If you ever get to the museum at LBH, they have a mannequin in period uniform that has the cartridge belt around the waist, so you could see how the typical soldier of the period would have been outfitted. Most likely some of the troopers used a cartridge box or two, but most probably had the cartridge belt.
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Post by noggy on Jul 30, 2018 15:57:16 GMT -6
The 50 rounds carried on the body were in a cartridge belt worn around the waist. If you ever get to the museum at LBH, they have a mannequin in period uniform that has the cartridge belt around the waist, so you could see how the typical soldier of the period would have been outfitted. Most likely some of the troopers used a cartridge box or two, but most probably had the cartridge belt. So standard Springfield ammo boxes would hold 25 rounds? I`m assuming these were military issued ammo boxes after all, not just some random boxes with random amounts of rounds in them? The reason I ask, is because while re-reading Wooden Leg`s story, he mentioned finding two "pasteboard boxes with about forty cartridges." I don`t take every single detail as truths of course, but got me wondering about the specifics of the soldiers` ammo logistics (this surely is not the correct way to put it but I hope it makes sense). All the best, Noggy |
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Post by tubman13 on Jul 31, 2018 9:48:51 GMT -6
When the Arsenal started loading the reduced charge, a cardboard tube was inserted into the case to take up the room. This caused the loaded cartridge to look just like the full 70 grain charged round so a "C" was incorporated into the headstamp. Later, wads replaced the tube and the "C" remained in the headstamp. In 1886, the wads were omitted and the bullet was loaded down into the case to be on top of the powder. This allowed the cartridge to be visually different from the 70 grain charge and the "C" was omitted from the headstamp. The shorter loading lasted until the end of production.
For a few months in 1898, the Arsenal also loaded smokelss powder in the 45-70.
10 and 20 per box was common. There may have been bulk ammo as well. Sorry for the windy answer. I hope someone will give better.
some idea may be found here. www.mcpheetersantiquemilitaria.com/06_ammunition/ammunition_01.htm
Regards,
Tom
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