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  • shell casings

    • Artifact ID #: 1188
    • Excavation Unit: 2N 17W
    • Level: None
    • Identification: A spent or used, #11 percussion cap from a blackpowder firearm. Before modern centerfire shells, older weapons used an external source for igniting the powder to propel the projectile. The hammer of a blackpowder pistol, rifle or shotgun, would strike the percussion cap and the resulting spark would ignite the powder in the loaded chamber. The size of this percussion cap suggests it was from a pistol, with rifles using a differently shaped cap. Modern centerfire shells, with a built-in primer, were invented during the American Civil War, and the older blackpowder weapons slowly became obsolete during the late 1800s. Many people still use blackpowder weapons today for hunting and recreation.


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