How Do You Seal Your Arsenal Packs?

[bob 125th nysvi]

This just occurred to me as I was sitting there making up cartridges the other night and setting up the printer to print labels on the Arsenal packs.

Ok, now that I've folded it all together, what makes it stick together? Glue? If so what would be an appropriate era glue? Or is it just twine and should I be using cotton or hemp?

Suggestions and opinions welcome.

[Western Blue Belly]

Duct Tape...I just use a tiny touch of glue with a glue stick, works fine.

[Memphis]

Ken,

Was it popular to use branch color duct tape for that extra edge in authenticity, such as red for artillery, green for sharpshooters, and yellow for, well, perhaps this is beyond the pale.

[TimKindred]

Ken,

Was it popular to use branch color duct tape for that extra edge in authenticity, such as red for artillery, green for sharpshooters, and yellow for, well, perhaps this is beyond the pale.

Ah heck Ken,

Just make the whole cartridge outta duct tape. That way you can reload 'em.....

Respects,

[Rob Weaver]

My understanding also is that the packages were simply tied off with string. I am given also to understand that Federal packages were also shipped without labels.
"A world without string is chaos."

[Western Blue Belly]

Ah heck Ken,

Just make the whole cartridge outta duct tape. That way you can reload 'em.....

Respects,

But what will I then do with my penny rolls?

[Western Blue Belly]

Ken,

Was it popular to use branch color duct tape for that extra edge in authenticity, such as red for artillery, green for sharpshooters, and yellow for, well, perhaps this is beyond the pale.

Of course it was! However one must be very careful to make certain that the Duct Tape service stripe closing pack follows the manuals to the letter. Color and stickability must be spot on which may require a trip to Lowes for your Duct Tape supply rather then the lesser expensive and lesser authentic brands found at Wal-Mart....I really need to go to bed now. I'm putting WAY to much thought into this..!

[Pete K]

To add authenticity I ignore modern child labor laws and make my Eighth grade students roll empty tubes for my pards. Actually, I use it in a series of lessons on labor and working conditions in the nineteenth century. Hands-on economics/history lesson. Many thirteen to eighteen year old girls worked at the Allegheny Arsenal in Pittsburgh (pettite fingers could get the bullet seated well). Of the eighty-four victims killed in the explosion (9-17-62, ironic date?) almost twenty were girls under twenty-one years old.

[TimKindred]

Comrades,

Actually, if you follow the directions from the Ordnance Department and use a bundling jig when putting up the bundles, then all you need for proper closure is the string tied around it. Works like a champ.

One other thing I would strongly suggest to those who roll their own, is to have your messmates over for a cartridge rolling party.

Back in the day, we'd have 6-10 fellows get together with all the materials, and make up 2-3 thousand rounds at a time. With one or two cutting trapezoida, then one or two rolling and tying off tubes, a couple more filling, closing, etc, it goes very fast. Every so often you switch stations so as to not get too tired doing repetitive tasks.

Once you get the rounds made up, then reset everything and start bundling them and stacking in a wooden ammunition packing box.

The arsenals long ago figured out the best way to make up cartridges for efficiency of time and materials.

Respects,

[Kevin O'Beirne]

This just occurred to me as I was sitting there making up cartridges the other night and setting up the printer to print labels on the Arsenal packs.

I've never heard of Civil War-era rifle-musket ammunition packs having labels on them. The wooden crate they came in was labeled--there was no need to label the individual packs of 10 rounds.