Do you know what were some of the most common items found in both frontier trading posts and general stores? Not surprisingly, the answer is ammo reloading supplies! Basic components like black powder, flash powder or caps, bullet molds, patches/wadding, lubricant, and other necessities for reloading and maintaining guns.Often, people even manufactured some of these reloading supplies themselves to save money and to be more self-sufficient.
Our forefathers began arriving in North America in the 15th century with more advanced weapons (for that time) and large stores of reloading supplies. The German-made blunderbuss, an early version of the shotgun, was a favorite among early colonists. It featured a flared muzzle and a broad opening for fast and easy loading. Another common weapon was the matchlock musket, which used a match – in the form of a small burning rope to ignite gunpowder through a small hole in the gun’s loaded barrel. American firearms and reloading supplies have come a long way since those times.
Pioneering the American Wilderness
The American tradition of making your own ammunition dates back to the Revolutionary War, and before. In 1776, a crowd of New Yorkers and a group of soldiers lead by General Washington tore down a lead statue of King George II and sent it to be melted into musket balls. In need of reloading supplies, soldiers often melted lead into slugs with hand clamp molds. Pioneers were also hand-pressing bullets at cabin firesides.
From the time of the earliest pioneers, gunsmiths were vital members of small settlements. It was these pioneering and skilled gunsmiths who developed the American long rifle that became known as the Kentucky, Ohio, or Pennsylvania rifle. Of course, the most important feature was the extended barrel with twisting grooves that guided whatever was used as a bullet to spin as it exited the barrel, ensuring a straighter shot and better aim. These rifles were so prized that they were often elaborately carved and decorated with finely etched brass or silver plates.
Without skilled gunsmiths and trading posts for reloading supplies, bringing civilization to the American wilderness would have certainly taken much longer and been much more difficult. In some ways, it’s comparable with the modern reloader’s back to the future solution to get around the national ammo shortage since the pandemic began.
Many other advances in gun technology and reloading supplies occurred between the Civil War and the early 20th century. The Spencer Repeating Rifle Company patented a design at the start of the Civil War capable of repeated firing from a single ammunition load (a favorite of President Abraham Lincoln). Innovations also included rear-loading and breechloading systems from Sharps, Maynard, and Burnside.
Today, the availability of different caliber and bullet types has increased exponentially with a matching availability of reloading supplies. The next time you are ready to place an order, take a moment to appreciate the history of ammunition and the advancements in gun technology along the way.
Titan Reloading is dedicated to helping novice and veteran shooting enthusiasts safely and properly reload their own ammunition every time.Titan Reloading is a Master Distributor of Reloading Supplies & Equipment online. Choose from Lee Precision, Dillon, Hornady, Redding, Mec, & Lyman. For more information and/or to shop our online store please visit www.TitanReloading.com or contact Titan Reloading at 262.397.8819 with any questions.
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