earl43
Jr. Member
- Jul 13, 2013
- 64
- 60
Gomez and Mills Patent - The "Multi-ring" Sharps By Dean S.Thomas (as originally published in Roundball To Rimfire Volume 2) | ||||||||
Located in the Case History File of Patent No. 21,253 is a report dated April 30, 1858, from Major William H. Bell to Colonel Henry K. Craig. Bell had been directed by Secretary of War John B. Floyd to try the Safety Fuse Train Cartridge of Edwin Gomez and William Mills of New York City. One hundred rounds were fired from a .52 cal. Sharps carbine. The components of the cartridge weighed: | ||||||||
Powder - 35 grains Paper - 15 grains Ball - 460 grains Total of Cartridge - 510 grains | ||||||||
Bell reported the characteristics of the powder, a description of the cartridge, and the results of firing. When compared with firing another Sharps carbine with black powder, Bell observed that the Gomez and Mills cartridges: produced little or no muzzle flash; the intensity of the report of detonation and smoke were one-half; the heating of the gun barrel was very considerably less; fouling was very much smaller; penetration was about 15% better; and they never missed fire even when laid in water for two to five minutes. When Bell was completed with his task he reported the facts only and made no recommendation. Undaunted, Gomez and Mills applied for a patent on June 26, 1858, and were rewarded on August 24, 1858, with Letters Patent No. 21,253 for an Improvement in Cartridges for Fire-Arms. The patent drawing clearly illustrates a multi-grooved ball to the bottom of which the cartridge was tied with string. To learn about the intricacies of producing this cartridge, the reader is encouraged to read the patent specification. | ||||||||
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What success, if any, Gomez and Mills enjoyed in marketing their novelty is unknown, but specimens of these cartridges have not come to light. The bullet design, however, was adopted by an unidentified manufacturer to make typical, "old model" style, paper case cartridges for 90, 60, and 32-bore Sharps sporting rifles. Specimens: | ||||||||
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