Stopped by the old armory museum in Harrisburg and their display of early percussion cap mechanisms is incredible.

The way they had the progression laid out from 1820 to 1850 really shows the rapid tinkering that went on. Anyone know a good modern reference book that covers that specific era of ignition development?

4 comments

4 Comments

hannahcraig1mo ago

That rapid tinkering phase is so cool, and I wish I knew a good book for it.

carr.abby1mo ago

Yeah that display is amazing, but the timeline is a bit off. The real crazy tinkering started earlier, like with Forsyth's scent-bottle lock in 1807. By 1820 they were already past the first big wave. @hannahcraig, if you want that early chaos, look at the transition from flintlocks. Books on "percussion era" small arms usually cover it, but you have to dig for the 1810s stuff specifically. That's when every gunsmith had a wild new idea every Tuesday.

troychen1mo ago

Honestly that "wild new idea every Tuesday" thing is so real. Tbh you see the same pattern now with phone chargers or social media apps, just way faster. Ngl it makes me wonder what old gunsmiths would think of us having the same chaos but over months instead of decades. That early trial and error phase is always messy but it's where the good stuff comes from.

shanec6129d ago

Reminds me of a guy at a gun show who had a whole case of just weird transitional percussion conversions. Like a flintlock musket with a tin can percussion cap system nailed to the side. @hannahcraig, that's the kind of crazy you're looking for, stuff that never made it into books. People were just strapping anything that could spark to their old guns.