No. 85.] 437 



and another important feature of this business is, that it gives em- 

 ployment to females mostly, and is a dry, light, and pleasant labor. 

 All of which is respectfully submitted. 



HENRY L. NORRIS, ? ^ ... 

 S. T. ARMSTRONG, ^ committee. 



JVew-York, Ociober 20th, 1844. 



REPORT ON COLT'S CARTRIDGE. 



The undersigned having been appointed by the American Institute 

 a committee for the purpose of testing and reporting their opinions 

 in relation to the invention and the practical use of Mr. Samuel 

 Colt's vvrater-proof cartridge, submit the following report : 



That for the purpose of fully testing the cartridge, they met, on 

 the 16th inst., on Governor's Island. The gun selected was a brass 

 six pounder, — the inventor of the cartridge loading the piece. The 

 gun was fired forty-five times with the ordinary percussion lock and 

 wafer, — a priming wire, or pricker, not having been used during the 

 firing. Fifteen rounds were fired in four and a half minutes, with- 

 out sponging the gun or serving the vent. The gun was then exam- 

 ined and sponged, and was found to be in a fit situation to proceed 

 with the experiments. Ten rounds were again fired in two and a 

 half minutes, — when, for the purpose of testing whether any deposit 

 had been left in the gun which would ignite a cartridge, one was 

 driven home, and allowed to remain one minute and a half, — when 

 the experiments were resumed, and eighteen rounds fired in five 

 minutes. The forty-fifth cartridge was then driven home, and allow- 

 ed to remain five minutes, for the purpose of testing if the heat of 

 the gun was sufficient to melt the foil, or cause a discharge. We 

 however became well satisfied that any number of cartridges might 

 have been fired with similar results. Several musket cartridges, 

 which had been under water for three weeks, were examined by us, 

 and the powder found to be fit for immediate use. A musket cartridge 

 was covered with dry powder — and the powder burnt without injury 

 to the former. 



The result of the experiments have fully satisfied us, that not 

 only great economy of labor and time is saved, by the use of Colt's 

 cartridge, but the danger to those in charge of the gun greatly di- 

 minished. We believe also, that it can be packed with greater ad- 

 vantage and with more safety, than any others we have seen. The 

 cartridge can be introduced with great advantage for musketry, and 

 the heavy cartridge-box be dispensed with., Armies, too, after ford- 

 ing streams, will find their ammunition ready for immediate use. 



One advantage the cartridge possesses, is that, in the use of them, 

 the time of sponging the gun, picking and tending vent, is gained, — 

 and at least one-third more discharges from the battery can be made, than 



