Ammunition crate

[1st New Jersey Brigade]

Greetings. My son and I are looking for a 69 caliber wooden crate to store items in at reenactments. Does anyone have someone who sells them or can make one. We are looking to have one by the Gettysburg reenactment in late June. Thanks

 

[Rhea Cole]

Greetings. My son and I are looking for a 69 caliber wooden crate to store items in at reenactments. Does anyone have someone who sells them or can make one. We are looking to have one by the Gettysburg reenactment in late June. Thanks

I made a set of authentic artillery ammo boxes for Stones River NB. There isn't anything all that special about ammo boxes. Any competent carpenter can build one.

 

[redbob]

Try Trail Rock Ordnance

 

[captaindrew]

I bought a nice one from Blockade Runner years ago. Just had an arsenal stamp on it not a specific caliber. Handy to store gun tools and extra ammo in. Maybe check them out and see if they still offer them.

 

[drezac]

one item to remember. The ordnance manual dimensions for crates ( with a few exceptions) are inside dimensions. This was done since the actual thickness of the wood might vary, so by using inside dimensions they could insure that the items would fit in the finished crate. One of the exceptions was for the boxes used for a traveling forge. since they fit into a limber box like pieces of a puzzle, their dimensions were given as outside dimensions.

 

[johan_steele]

Unfortunately, the people who I would have used to recommend are no longer in business. It isn't that difficult to manufacture an ammunition crate. The ordnance manual has the required dimensions. The trick is the correct paint and stencils... finding those is the trick. I really don't know where to get that anymore. The web has pictures of original boxes of just about every arsenal. But finding them might be a bot of a challenge.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

 

[Rhea Cole]

one item to remember. The ordnance manual dimensions for crates ( with a few exceptions) are inside dimensions. This was done since the actual thickness of the wood might vary, so by using inside dimensions they could insure that the items would fit in the finished crate. One of the exceptions was for the boxes used for a traveling forge. since they fit into a limber box like pieces of a puzzle, their dimensions were given as outside dimensions.

Same is true of the Lego-like boxes in the battery wagon. They had to be loaded in a very regimented way, no exceptions allowed.

 

[Rhea Cole]

I have made artillery ammunition boxes & Sanitary Commission Comfort Boxes. The Sanitarians made their boxes to fit exactly into a standard USMRR box car. Not a square inch was wasted.

Unless you are making museum pieces, there is not much point in going to extremes. Candidly, the USSC box is actually a more practical design. I have used on for years.

The ordinance manual has the formula for making various paint colors. Ranger Jim made up some at one point. It took forever to actually dry. The color was initially was an odd shade of puce. Over time it mellowed into the desired shade… never again.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Unfortunately, the pope who I would have used to recommend are no longer in business. It isn't that difficult to manufacture an ammunition crate. The ordnance manual has the required dimensions. The trick is the correct paint and stencils... finding those is the trick. I really don't know where to get that anymore. The web has pictures of original boxes of just about every arsenal. But finding them might be a bot of a challenge.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

Wow, I am impressed. I had no idea that the late Pope emeritus was a Civil War scholar.

 

[johan_steele]

Wow, I am impressed. I had no idea that the late Pope emeritus was a Civil War scholar.

Poor… people… the Pope is supposed to be one of the people.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Poor… people… the Pope is supposed to be one of the people.

Couldn't resist such a perfect straight line.

 

[Present Arms]

Authenticity has a price. Contemporary photos of boxes are often rare and are unclear. Civil War packing boxes often had complex carpentry including box joints and dovetail joints, and complicated interior features. Parade Rest Displays builds precise replicas of musket packing boxes which interiors that are true to the Ordnance Manual of 1862, but amended to permit repeated use as storage or transportation containers. www.ParadeRest.biz.

 

[poorjack]

Authenticity has a price. Contemporary photos of boxes are often rare and are unclear. Civil War packing boxes often had complex carpentry including box joints and dovetail joints, and complicated interior features. Parade Rest Displays builds precise replicas of musket packing boxes which interiors that are true to the Ordnance Manual of 1862, but amended to permit repeated use as storage or transportation containers. www.ParadeRest.biz. View attachment 464215View attachment 464217

Being a master carpenter I can say that's a very good job. Next, it's southern yellow pine, not a lightweight wood. Put the full 20 muskets in at about 10lb apiece and the crate itself likely coming in at about 20lb and it's not light. Here's a pic of one I made. It's not really authentic per se, but it's designed to hold the muskets I use when doing black powder instruction.

And for something much more refined, a replica Whitworth case with a Parker Hale replica Whitworth. I copied the case from an original with some refinements.

 

[redbob]

Being a master carpenter I can say that's a very good job. Next, it's southern yellow pine, not a lightweight wood. Put the full 20 muskets in at about 10lb apiece and the crate itself likely coming in at about 20lb and it's not light. Here's a pic of one I made. It's not really authentic per se, but it's designed to hold the muskets I use when doing black powder instruction.

View attachment 464571

And for something much more refined, a replica Whitworth case with a Parker Hale replica Whitworth. I copied the case from an original with some refinements.
View attachment 464572

Very impressive.

 

[Present Arms]

Being a master carpenter I can say that's a very good job. Next, it's southern yellow pine, not a lightweight wood. Put the full 20 muskets in at about 10lb apiece and the crate itself likely coming in at about 20lb and it's not light. Here's a pic of one I made. It's not really authentic per se, but it's designed to hold the muskets I use when doing black powder instruction.

View attachment 464571

And for something much more refined, a replica Whitworth case with a Parker Hale replica Whitworth. I copied the case from an original with some refinements.
View attachment 464572

I salute your work!

 

[1st New Jersey Brigade]

Unfortunately, the people who I would have used to recommend are no longer in business. It isn't that difficult to manufacture an ammunition crate. The ordnance manual has the required dimensions. The trick is the correct paint and stencils... finding those is the trick. I really don't know where to get that anymore. The web has pictures of original boxes of just about every arsenal. But finding them might be a bot of a challenge.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

I found someone on Ebay who makes them. He is working on a price, etc for me now.

 

[JackADriscoll]

I found someone on Ebay who makes them. He is working on a price, etc for me now.

Let us know how it comes out

 

[1st New Jersey Brigade]

Let us know how it comes out

Roger.

 

[111thNYSV]

https://www.2ncmi.org/AmmoBoxArticle.pdf I used these plans to build a 58 caliber ammo box and I sent pictures of original stenciled ammo boxes to a stencil maker on Etsy. It came out pretty good.

 

[1st New Jersey Brigade]

I found someone on E-Bay to make me a crate. He even put brass screws in the top. The screws don't go though the top but are a nice touch. Dovetail joints were also added. I chose red as the color from a manual printed in 1861 giving the size and color. The color of the crate is based on the type of ammo and weapon. In this case the unit we portray used 1842 smoothbore muskets with buck and ball. I sent the National Civil War museum an e-mail asking for their help. They were kind enough to respond the next day with an e-mail showing pictures of the manuals cover and the page that has the info for what I wanted. Good people there. The crate cost $88 including shipping. The maker was also very helpful.