"Shotgun shell color" Topic

What color was the body of shotgun shells in the late 1800's? What were they made out of?

Thanks

Jake

Most likely an off white to a lighter brown/red brown with a brass/copper base. I'm going by the couple of 30's era shells I have in my cartridge display so older ones could be different but I doubt they changed much up to that point.

I've made a little google and this is what I found, hope it helps.

picture

picture

I like the pictures, but can't help but wonder, are those good colors, or are they antique cartidges and therefore aged and colored differently then if they were "new".

Either way, you guys have given me some good starting points. I guess in 28mm a tan/off white would work.

Jake

Its a "kraft" color – natural unpigmented pulp paper color.
any tan or light brown will do nicely.

Is the one in the second picture brass? I know that shotgun shells at one time were brass and you reloaded your own.

There is a Gun Muesam Curator in my gaming group I'll ask him later when he comes over. From what I've see over at the musam though they were made of light to dark brown paper like a fire work and some were made completely of brass.

pigmentedminiatures.com

My dad collected shot shells for years…the old ones were in fact brass…you did your own reloads. So, I'd paint them all brass.

Oggie

Depending on which era of the 1800s you are doing, some cartridges were all brass the others were the craft paper cartridge which is a tan/brown color as depicted in the pictures. I've seen both types, and with the advent of the paper cartridge, the brass cartridge fell out of favor fairly quickly as most did not want to reload their own shotgun shells.

Gentlemen, thanks for the help. As cool as red shot shell look in a bandolier, I will refrain. And now when my gunfighters get delivered (and then painted) they will be more authentic looking.

Jake

Some early shotgun shells were brass – often using the same Boxer system that caused so much trouble for the British in the Martini-Henry rifle. But the paper-bodied shells were an awfully lot cheaper (less than half, and often less than a third the cost), so most folks opted for paper.

And I know that while the earliest paper casings were uncolored like the one in the picture, the red and green casings came in fairly early (1870's) because I've seen them in period ads. Blue and yellow were probably equally available – the color depended on the manufacturer and sometimes on the load.

Most of the shotgun casings of that time were actually made of paper…

Many, you guys totally beat me to the punch.

Based on my research, and depending on when they were made, they would be brass or natural pulp paper.

Might I suggest using metallic brass ones for your figures? It could add a dramatic touch and make the figures even more imposing?

rmaker: Do you any info on those color ads you mentioned? I would LOVE to see some to correct what could be some holes in my research library.

Hi

In fact, reloading everything in the field was pretty normal in the period. When I took up shooting my period antiques, I also bought the field tools to do it.

The paper cartridges did have a problem with failure. Some complaints of reaching for a failed cartridge, and some instances of loose powder causing problems!

Besides shotguns, however, papercartridge was common in early breach loading rifles as well. One complaint about the ACW Sharpes carbine was the fussynes of the breach cutting the rear of the cartrige and the failure of the cartridges in the box. Civlians not dealing with the factory versions, had an interesting solution to the problem.

All this probably beyond your needs.

Rocky