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Sam. Colt's Cartridge Works
Colt's Cartridge Works
Hartford, Connecticut

Patents:
Colt & Eley, No. 1324 (England) dated June9, 1855-----"Cartridges"
E.K. Root No. 22,675 dated January18, 1859------"Method of Packing Cartridges'"
Samuel Colt, No. 23,230 dated March 15, 1859----"Packing Cartridges" 

Years of operation:
1855 - 1870

Cartridge case material:
tinfoil or combustible paper.

Comments:
The Colt/ Eley patent covered the tinfoil or paper envelope cartridge, soft packet wrapper, the protective envelope containing the cartridge, and a string or tape to open the protective envelope.
Root's patent covers drilled wooden blocks with a removable top onto which a printed label was affixed, securing top to bottom and indicating contents.
Colt's patent improved upon Root's patent by adding an opening device of either string or wire. When operated, it tore the applied printed label, allowing the top to be easily removed.
The name John R. Tracy, Agent is found on the early tinfoil packets dating from June to October 1855. Tracy oversaw the construction of the cartridge factory, then supervised its operation. When he died from injuries received in a buggy accident, Colt continued using the Tracy labels until the supply was exhausted, but lined through his name, John R. Tracy, Agent. At some date between 1856 and 1858, the Sam. Colt's Cartridge Works style name was simplified to "Colt's Cartridge Works". The new company name can be found on both tinfoil and paper powder envelope packets. By 1858, the tinfoil powder envelope was replaced with one made from paper, but the protective cartridge envelope was still used. The soft wrapper was also retained until replaced by Root's patent in 1859. Waterproofing the packet labels with shellac did not begin until the summer of 1860. Shortly after waterproofing began, the split wooden block came into use, and continued until combustible cartridges were no longer manufactured.

Colt’s Cartridge Works pack of combustible envelope cartridges.

An early scarce Civil War era “Colt’s Cartridge Works” marked pack of “6 Combustible Envelope Cartridges, Made of HAZARD’S powder, expressly for, COL. COLT’S PATENT NEW MODEL REVOLVING HOLSTER PISTOL, 44/100 inch Calibre, address Colt’s Cartridge Works, Hartford Conn, U.S.A.”
The pack has his original wire still on it and it has an excellent body and is still sealed all around. The paper wrap around it is excellent plus and has a very clear label from bottom to top.

Hazard Powder Co.
Hazardville, Connecticut

Principals:
Augustus Hazard, Hazard Powder Company

Patents:
Bern L. Budd & Ogden Doremus, No. 34,724 dated March 18, 1862,------"Treating Gunpowder to Form Cartridges"
Bern L. Budd & Odgen Doremus, No. 34,725 dated March 18, 1862,------"Improvement in Ball Cartridges"
Bern L. Budd & Odgen Doremus, No. 34,744 dated March 25, 1862,------"Improvement in Water-Proofing Cartridges"

Years of operation:
1862 - 1864

Cartridges Produced:
.31 cal. Pocket revolver, wooden block
.36 cal. Police revolver, wooden block
.36 cal. Navy revolver, wooden block
.36 cal. Navy revolver
.44 cal. Army revolver, wooden block
.44 cal. Army revolver 
.52 cal. Sharps carbine
.56 cal. Colt revolving rifle
.58 cal. Rifle musket
.69 cal. Rifle musket

Cartridge Case Material:
Collodion.
(Collodion is a solution of nitro-cellulose in a mixture of alcohol and ether.)

Comments:
Hazard began manufacturing the pressed powder cartridges in 1862. The first package style used for the smaller caliber cartridges was the drilled wooden block with applied label indicating contents. By the end of that year, the soft wrapper came into common use reducing the manufacturing costs. Although not known, it is likely that larger calibers were packaged in cardboard boxes containing ten cartridges in two layers of life. By the spring of 1864, Hazard terminated the production of the pressed powder cartridges.

Hazard Powder Co. wrapped packs of pressed powder cartridges.

Pictured below here are three different packages .44 cal Army revolver pressed powder cartridges. These are wrapped in soft paper with a label that reads: "PRESSED WATERPROOF CARTRIDGES, For COLT'S ARMY PISTOL. Patented March 18, 1862. Manufactured by the HAZARD POWDER CO., HAZARDVILLE, CONN.".
Each package contains six waterproof cartridges, all of them are in excellent condition.
These are Civil War era made cartridges and are rare and difficult to find in any condition.

H.W. MASON
South Coventry, Connecticut

Principals:
Henry W. Mason

Patents:
None

Year of operation:
1865 - 1888

Cartridges produced: 
Cartridges made with American Powder Co. powder:
.31 cal. Pocket revolver - 5 pack
.31 cal. Pocket revolver - 6 pack 
.36 cal. Belt revolver
.36 cal. Police revolver
.44 cal Holster revolver

Cartridges made with Hazard Powder Co. powder:
.31 cal. Pocket revolver - 5 pack
.31 cal. Pocket revolver - 6 pack
.31 cal. Remington Self-Cocking revolver
.31 cal. Pocket revolver, Merwin & Bray
.36 cal. Belt revolver - 5 pack
.36 cal. Belt revolver - 6 pack
.36 cal. Belt revolver, Merwin & Bray
.36 cal. Belt revolver, Horstmann Bros & Alien
.36 cal. Police revolver
.44 cal. Holster revolver
.44 cal. Holster revolver, Merwin & Bray

Cartridge powder not specified:
.36 cal. Colt's and other pistols - 5 pack
.36 cal. Colt's and other pistols - 6 pack
.52 cal. Sharps without caps
.52 cal. Sharps with caps
.52 cal. Musket blanks
.52 cal. Musket Ball

Cartridge Case Material:
"Banknote" paper.

Comments:
The Mason revolver packets are labeled pasteboard boxes which were then varnished. Afterward they were stacked, or bundled with the same paper label that covered the individual packets. By using a printed label as part of the bundle wrapper, the contents were indicated. To give etc e total cartridge count within the bundle (of 6 packages), the number "3" was handwritten in front of the printed 6. 
Mason packages are quite common.

H.W. Mason packages with combustible envelope cartridges.

Left: This as a scarce original H.W. Mason sealed pack of 5 combustible envelope cartridges for a pocket pistol in excellent untouched condition. The pack has an excellent sealed body throughout with no tares or repairs in it. It has excellent markings on the face of it as shown. The label reads "5 Combustible Envelope CARTRIDGES, Made of Am'r Powder Co's Powder, For Colt's or Remington's Revolving Pocket Pistols, 31-100 inch Calibre. Warranted Superior Quality". Scare pack in excellent condition.

Middle: This as a rare original H.W. Mason sealed pack of 6 combustible envelope cartridges for a pocket pistol in excellent untouched condition. The pack has an excellent sealed body throughout with no tares or repairs in it. It has excellent markings on the face of it as shown. The label reads "6 Combustible Envelope CARTRIDGES, Made of Am'r Powder Co's Powder, For Colt's or Remington's Revolving Pocket Pistols, 31-100 inch Calibre. Warranted Superior Quality". Rare pack in excellent condition.

Right: This as a rare original H.W. Mason sealed pack of 6 combustible envelope cartridges for a Colt 1860 Army revolver in excellent untouched condition. The pack has an excellent sealed body throughout with no tares or repairs in it. It has excellent markings on the face of it as shown. The label reads "6 Combustible Envelope CARTRIDGES, Made of Hazard's Powder, EXPRESSLY FOR COLT'S PATENT Revolving Holster Pistol, 44-100 inch Calibre. Warranted Superior Quality". Rare pack in excellent condition.