Definition
A unit that uses paper to combine some ammunition components in advance for easier transport and use, with a structure distinct from a metallic cartridge case.
Paper cartridges use paper as packaging or as a component to make ammunition supplies more standardized. Their specific forms vary with the firearm's construction and ignition system. Not all paper cartridges should be treated as the same kind of complete ammunition with its own ignition device.
Paper cartridges in the Smithsonian Institution's collection associated with John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry provide a clear example from 1859. This is only the date of an artifact confirmed in this review, and does not mean that paper cartridges originated in 1859; their earlier history requires separate verification.
The evidence reviewed here is insufficient to establish whether corresponding terms occur in historical Chinese texts or what structures those terms describe. Unverified historical synonyms are therefore omitted for now.
Principles and impact
Problems solved
- Made ammunition components easier to package, carry, and supply in standardized form.
Principles
- Paper serves as the carrier that holds ammunition components together.
Improvements
- Combined some ammunition components in advance for easier transport and supply.
Significance
- Illustrated the development of ammunition from separate components into preassembled units.
History and applications
People
Not recorded
Organizations
Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company
Events
Surviving paper cartridges associated with the 1859 Harpers Ferry raid
Applications
Packaging and supply of firearm ammunition
Limitations
- Different paper cartridge structures perform different functions, and paper itself cannot match the sealing performance of a metallic cartridge case.
Upstream and downstream relations
Upstream
No direct upstream relations recorded
Downstream
Sources: Unspent cartridge from John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry