october 2019 G&A 73a combination front sight/bayonet stud and
Lovell spring catch. Interestingly enough,
while the 1851 could handle the Pattern
1842 bayonet, a new pattern was autho-
rized in 1851 with slightly different socket
dimensions and an altered zig-zag channel.
P51 cartridges were carried in a
double-flapped leather cartridge box fitted
with tinned liners to contain cartridges/
cartridge packets. It was slung on a wide,
white buff-leather cross belt. (The belt for
the Rifle Brigade was black, as were all the
Brigade’s belting.) Percussion caps were
initially carried in small lined pockets
sewn into the soldier’s tunic, but when a
waist belt was introduced in 1850, some
units (not all) attached a small leather
pouch to the belt, making the caps con-
siderably more accessible.
The bullet style adopted for the P51
was considerably different than that of the
French model. It was sugar-loaf shaped,
slightly tapered and smooth, and lacked
the cannelures of its Gallic forebear.
Weighing some 680 grains and having
thick walls surrounding the central cavity,
it was fitted with a dish-shaped iron
expanding plug or “culotte.” The bullet
was secured base-up in its paper cartridge.
To load the rifle, the soldier bit off the
rear of the packet and poured the powder
charge of 2½ drams (or 68 grains) down the
barrel. He then inverted the cartridge and
inserted the bullet, paper and all, into the
muzzle then tore off the remainder of the
envelope and rammed it home. Lubrication
was effected by means of grease on the
portion of the cartridge that surrounded
the bullet. Unfortunately, the .690-diameter
of the bullet was so tight in the .702 bore
that after a few rounds of loading, it became
difficult, thus negating some of the Minié’s
advantages. Still, accuracy was superior to
the old model, and soldiers were routinely
able to keep shots on targets aimed at 200
yards distant; often either farther.
One problem that appeared early on in
the loading process was the fact that the
tapered configuration of the bullet often
resulted in rounds being loaded cocked at
a slight angle, thus affecting accuracy. A
second pattern bullet with parallel sides
was later introduced as a replacement.
Manufactured by contractors and
inspected and gauged at the Tower, pro-
duction on the Pattern 1851 began apace
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