The history and development of the bullets and cartridges used in the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle-musket
Williams Patent "Cleaner" cartridges for .58 or .577 caliber rifle-muskets, Type II, 600 grains, .574" diameter. The Williams bullet has a controversial reputation. Even though its inventor, Elijah Williams, proposed it as a more accurate rifle bullet, this unique projectile's ability to clean the fouling from a dirty barrel has given it the nickname "the Williams Cleaner." Tens of millions were made for U.S. Army service, and to identify Williams cartridges, the paper was often dyed blue and these historically correct cartridges are also dyed using a period process. At 600 grains, the Williams delivers enormous energy and the base plug ensures rapid, full expansion.
Please call or email if you have any questions. I enjoy talking to my customers!
EVERY product sold here is made one at a time, by hand. I ship most orders in 72 hours but occasionally may take a little longer. I appreciate your patience and understanding. I'm just one guy with an old dachshund (and he doesn't help much).
brett.gibbons@papercartridges.com
(805) 218-2214
.44 Johnston & Dow conicals for cap and ball .44-caliber revolvers. Cast on Eras Gone mold, they are 217 grains and sized at .46" so they will beautifully seal the chamber of your cap and ball gun. This is the bullet you want to use for Civil War era historically correct shooting! I have a very limited stock of bullets I cast in 2020 before I deployed. $16 for 50 bullets plus shipping to US addresses only.
Colt Cartridge Works conical bullets for .36-caliber cap and ball revolvers, cast on the wonderful Eras Gone bullet mold. I have very limited supply on hand, which I cast back in 2020 before I deployed. $12 for 50 bullets, plus shipping to US addresses only.
Minie Cartridges for .58-cal and .577-cal rifle-muskets. The most common cartridge used in the American Civil War, by far! These contain a 495-grain Burton-style Minie ball sized to the historically correct .574" for easy, consistent loading. The bullets are also lubed with the 1860's composition of beeswax and real mutton tallow. Just fill with powder, and you're ready for the range. Click here for more information.
UPDATE: As of 25 November 2021, I have returned from deployment and am working on returning products to the site. Thanks for your patience and I am exited to get back to work!
A few observations about making and shooting historically-accurate cartridges in the P1853 Enfield.
Updated February 2018
Enfield Cartridges for .577 or .58-caliber rifle-muskets. Now available with .568 and .550 bullets. Perfected for the British Army in the late 1850s, the .568 version was quickly adopted for the Confederate Army. Millions were imported through the blockade or made in Confederate arsenals. Each cartridge has the historically correct swaged Pritchett-style bullet. Just add black powder and you're ready to go! Click here for more details about our Enfield cartridges.
.550-inch Pritchett bullets, compression formed. 530 grains, for .577 or .58 caliber rifle-muskets. These are swaged (like the historical bullets) and not cast, forming perfect bullets that perform wonderfully in rifle-muskets like the P1853 Enfield and 1861 Springfield. These bullets are exactly like the originals in every specification. If you want to shoot your .577 Enfield rifle the way it was intended, then these are the bullets to use! Click here for more information.
Sold out as of 2 December 2021, available again soon!
Minie (Burton) bullets for .58 and .577 caliber rifle-muskets, 495 grains, sized to order. Cast on Lyman 575213OS mold. The infamous "Minnie ball" caused the majority of battlefield wounds during the American Civil War. Available unsized, or sized to .5765" or .574" as adopted by the U.S. Army in 1862, to allow easy and consistent loading. Available pre-lubricated upon request. Click here for more details.
Swaged paper patch cylindrical Whitworth bullets, 530 grains pure lead, for .451" rifles, diameter .442". The historically-correct Whitworth bullets are exact recreations of the originals made for the British Army (and imported for the Confederate Army). They were designed at the Royal Arsenal to work perfectly in the hexagonal Whitworth bore. Because they are swaged, and not cast, they are perfect in weight and size. Warranted to be within +/- one grain of 530 grains! I can paper patch them for you upon request, to about .450" diameter. Packaged exceptionally carefully for shipment, to prevent damage.
.44 Kerr cap and ball revolver bullets. Cast on the Eras Gone mold. Personally, I find this to be the best bullet for my .44 C&B's and because it is a heeled bullet, it is easy to load, even in revolvers with small frame cut-outs. $16 for 50 bullets plus shipping to US addresses only.
Price includes USPS Priority Mail shipping to US addresses
Ten Rules for Enfield Cartridges
Best practices for making your own Enfield cartridges for the P1853 rifle, and a few tips for troubleshooting if your Enfield cartridges don't seem to be working.
Authentic Paper Cartridges.Making historically correct black powder bullets and cartridges, since 2008.