Cartridge boxes for carbines?

[OregonBill]

I see a lot of cartridge boxes designed for the .58 and .69 minie-firing muskets. What did the fellows fielding Smiths, Maynards, Merrills and other such carbines carry their cartridges in -- and what quantity of cartridges, typically?

[Muley Gil]

Well, this may sound like a smart a** answer, but they carried their rounds in a cavalry carbine box. It was smaller than a musket box and attached to the belt, rather than hanging on its own sling.

Here is a link to the Blockade Runner site. Go down about 1/3 the way and look at # 30:

http://www.blockaderunner.com/Catalog/catpg11.htm

[Mike McDaniel]

Carbine cartridge boxes carried 20 rounds. Some Skirmishers will get a modified block and use it for musket...with 16-17 rounds.

[OregonBill]

Gil, Mike, thank you.

[mississippian_1861]

Just to throw a little chaos in to the discussion, some C.S. Cavalry units, particularly in the west, used standard infantry accoutrements. For example here are several ordnance requisitions from the 51st Alabama Partisan Rangers during the late summer of 1862. Note they got both infantry and cavalry gear. Other units got just infantry gear. These records were found in the service record of Col. Morgan, the commander of the regiment.

Received Aug. 2nd 1862 at Oxford Ala, (from Selma Arsenal)

160 Cavalry Sabers
160 Saber Belts
700 Cap Pouches
700 Waist Belts
368 Cavalry Cartridge Boxes
332 Infantry Cartridge Boxes
7000 Buckshot Cartridges

Received August 1862 at Oxford Ala.

100 Sword Bayonets and Scabbards
100 Enfield Rifles
4000 Enfield Rifle Cartridges cal .58
500 Rifle Round Ball Cartridges cal .54
500 Hall's Rifle Cartridges cal .54
300 Dragoon Pistol Cartridges
1602 Colts Pistol Cartridges (Navy size)
12 1/2 lb's Rifle Power
7000 Sporting Caps
72 lb's Buckshot

Received Sept 3rd 1862 at Oxford Ala

1000 Buck and Ball Cartridges cal .69

[Dheisey#7003]

I saw a specialized carbine box in one of the Lord's encyclopedia editions. I am not 100% sure if they are correct, but I do know post war, that they did modify civil war accoutrements for use with other weapons. Stephen Dorsey's book goes into detail about them.

[Historyhunter-2007]

I see a lot of cartridge boxes designed for the .58 and .69 minie-firing muskets. What did the fellows fielding Smiths, Maynards, Merrills and other such carbines carry their cartridges in -- and what quantity of cartridges, typically?

If you are interested in a carbine cartridge box a little closer to you C&C sutlerly in Emmett Idaho carries them.