“Tag: metallic cartridge”

While the .22 Long Rifle wasn't the first self-contained metallic cartridge, it's one of the oldest rounds in existence, and it remains popular today.

Whether in guns themselves or the cartridges they chamber or in optics or other firearm accessories, mechanical and material science innovations are key.

This is the story of how Christopher Miner Spencer developed from boy-aged wood- and metalworker to legendary gunmaker, ultimately spurring a new era in American firearm history.

Initially developed as a dedicated sidearm for the U.S. military, the Colt Single Action Army became iconic as one of the tools that tamed the frontier and embodied the spirit of the American West.

Given the transformational jump from blackpowder to smokeless powder, the .30-40 Krag was a remarkable improvement for a first-generation smokeless cartridge.

Christopher Miner Spencer became known as one of the greatest gun designers of his age, and his Spencer rifle was eventually fielded as one of the most advanced firearms employed during the Civil War. This is how he got started.