Z9890 .45-70 Merwin, Hulbert & Co.’s Multiball Cartridge
Description: Excellent example of a .45-70 multiball cartridge. In 1879 a board was convened to test multiball cartridges for the U.S. service rifle and revolver, during which four different multiball designs for the service rifle were evaluated. The ammunition was supplied by Merwin, Hulbert & Co., the sole agents for the Phoenix Metallic Cartridge Company, which manufactured the cartridges under H. W. Mason’s U.S. Patent No. 219,491.
Issued on September 9, 1879, to Henry W. Mason of South Coventry, Connecticut and assigned to the Phoenix Metallic Cartridge Company, the patent describes a cartridge designed to discharge multiple projectiles with a single shot. Mason’s design used a tubular carrier made of paper or other fibrous material that held several balls and was combined with a metallic cartridge case containing the powder charge. The tube traveled through the bore with the projectiles, engaging the rifling and protecting the barrel, and was cut with slits so that it would split open from centrifugal force after leaving the muzzle, allowing the balls to disperse in flight.
This example features a waxed paper sabot containing one ogival bullet and two round balls and appears to correspond with Example No. 2 used in the initial trials. Ultimately, the design was judged unfavorable for field use, as testing determined it offered no meaningful advantage over the standard multiball cartridge and that the paper sabot construction would not withstand the rigors of service conditions.
This example remains in very nice condition. The paper sabot is lightly soiled, and the aged copper case shows a few scattered spots. An excellent example of an Indian War–era trials cartridge.
Headstamp: "R / 10 / 79 / F”
Measures: OAL 2.452” CL 2.093” RD .605” HD .503” CM .476” BDaCM .446” Weight 558 Grains
Reference: "The History and Development of Small Arms Ammunition” Hoyem Vol. 2 Pg. 62
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American Civil War Relics &
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