Old time cartridge boxes

[mtnman31]

Just for fun I decided to make a few old replica cartridge boxes. I wanted something to add a little character to my gun rack. I don't like the idea of the +4$/box some of the commercial manufacturers want. I looked at the design of some authentic old boxes on-line and tried to create something similar (including the antiquated spelling of caliber). The boxes were constructed in the same fashion as originals - paper and glue. I guess they didn't have laser printers back then:-D so the labels aren't exactly correct. The rectangular box is for 45-70 shells and the square boxes still need a label made up. The label was made on the computer and was the most challenging part. Maybe that is just because I was trying to make due with the programs I had available to me. Obviously, the labels were made to suit my fancy and not to be historically accurate. I had to look extensively for some appropriate clip art pictures and fonts to use, though that search turned up some pretty interesting websites. Anyway, the fruits of my labor are pictured below.


8758

[Meatco1]

I think you did a pretty darn good job!!

Richard

[John F.]

VERY nice!! I hope you will post pics of your future efforts!! I have been wanting to find some "period" style .32-20 and .25-20 boxes for a long time...

John

[Bigjohn]

Be right handy at a Western Action Match!

Good work,

John.

[Just Duke]

Very cool. Any chance of getting the pattern and pics form you. I can pay shipping.

[Johnw...ski]

What a neat idea.

John

[jhrosier]

Nice job!
I would be very interested to see how you made the boxes.

Jack

[Bret4207]

Anyone know where you can get programs that run the older styles of printing? For my business stationary, cards, etc I want something that looks like it came from 1940, something friendly yet masculine and traditional.

[legend]

mtman,nice job they look great!
any more in your future?

[Baron von Trollwhack]

That's SUPER Mtnman 31. There is a fellow on the Shilo forum Making custom Sharps cartridge / load boxes for your info.

Yours are very nice With the clip art. Ever think of Making the labels to fit current production sizes of boxes for 30-30, 308, etc with load data & bullet info blank which would cover over the factory print ? I would buy some from you in support of your efforts. good for you. BvT

[JeffinNZ]

Nice work! One of our local shooters who is passionate about authenticity does similar with British colonial loads.

[BCB]

mtnman31,

Nice...I would sure like to get something like that for the 45LC cartridge...BCB

[TRX]

!Muy excellente!

[Buckshot]

..............Way cool! :-) I'd toyed around with doing something similar off and on over the years. If you look at many of the old labels you'll find them printed on paper of an almost 'Tissue Paper' type weight. In addition lables were on blue, red, orange, and green paper. Most were glued on and not all were very straight. Your labels are correct for a military use as they weren't interested in catching anyones eye. And idea would be to also soak your paper in tea and/or coffee first. Then after drying run them through the printer.

As JeffinNZ mentioned, I too made up some 'packets' of 577 Snider ammo. It seemed the paper they used was light but strong, and reminded me very much of the bags used in the more fancy deptartment stores to place your purchases into. In fact the paper I used was from a Macy's store. I just asked for a couple bags. They were very light blue and had faint watermark like parallel pinstripes. Anyway it appeared to be the right weight and 'Crinkled' just right :-)

I didn't have any waxed twine so just used your generic cotton kite string. Some old packets I'd seen had ink stamps on them for the info. Those rubber stamp and ink pad type sampings. I sure wasn't going to have Kinko's or Staples make then up so had bare naked paper packets of 5 rounds tied up with twine.

Yours look very good, and it appears you had some fun making them up, too!

.....................Buckshot

[mtnman31]

Thanks all for the compliments. To answer a few questions - the boxes were made from the cardstock backing of a large desk calendar I had. The paper wrap was some kraft paper that had been used as packing material (not quite as thick as a paper shopping bag). I got a lot of great information from a variety of websites but two that I'd really suggest checking out are:
www.oldammo.com Lots of interesting info on old ammo and history - some serious ammo collections on here.
Secondly, a webpage by "Rattlesnake Jack". http://members.memlane.com/gromboug/ - it has a nice selection of old fonts as well as clip art that was all openly shared.

I am by no means an ammo collector, I was just looking for something different to do. I am in no way interested in trying sell or mass produce anything. it was just something to pass a little time.
45-70 box dimensions (bottom) - 6-3/16"L x 1-1/4"W x 1-3/4"H The box top's dimensions were just over an 1/8" larger than the bottom to allow for a nice slip fit. The cartridge dividers were sized to fit into the box roughly 1-1/8" wide by 2" tall. The center divider was 2" tall by 6-1/8" long.
The square box (without the label) was just 3" all around with the same 1/8" added to the top's dimensions.
The kraft paper was glued on and apllied in the same way you'd wrap a christmas gift box.
I used Microsoft Publisher to set up the labels and once I finished the labels converted them to PDF to print. Conversion to PDF was only done because I used the nicer laser printer I have at work and don't have publisher on my work computer. The publisher program is not the greatest and I was not that proficient in its use either.
Anyone with some scissors, ruler, and a little glue can make these. Notice I didn't say patience was required. They were very easy; the most tedious part was the label and the cartridge dividers in the 45-70 box. I'd definitely be interested in seeing other people's creations.