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ORIGINAL TIN OF ORCUTT PATENTED PRIMERS – MARKETED
BY THE UNION METALLIC CARTRIDGE COMPANY IN THE 1870’S –
A GREAT RELOADING COMPONENT FOR DISPLAYING WITH A
BUFFALO HUNTER’S GROUPING: The Union Metallic
Cartridge Company, founded in 1867, had been
manufacturing cartridges with the Berdan primer under a
license granted by the Berdan Firearms Manufacturing
Company. On October 24, 1871, Jerome Orcutt and Alfred
Hobbs, employees of UMC, obtained a patent for a new
metallic cartridge primer which was assigned to UMC.
The company began production using this new primer
design, relieving the company of the restrictions and
expense of operating under the license with Berdan.
This first design with a rounded profile was improved
upon, presumably to improve its reliability by
increasing the striking surface of the primer with the
addition of facets resulting in an octagonal shape. A
patent was issued to Alfred Hobbs alone on March 10,
1874 for this improved design. However in the vagaries
which haunt co-authors, patent holders, and human
developments in general, while Hobbs’ name preceded
Orcutt’s in the first patent, and Hobbs’ name appeared
alone on the second patent, both primer designs
descended in cartridge history and in the collector’s
world known as the “Orcutt Primer”. As shown in these
patent application drawings, the primer consisted of a
vertical “anvil” held in place by a crimp in the mouth
of the primer cup.
 
Union Metallic Cartridge Company acknowledged the Hobbs’
and Orcutt Patent on their cartridge packet labels ca.
1872-1873, which helps to date those packets which
include their names in the labeling. It is believed
that the inclusion of their names ended when Hobbs was
granted the second patent in 1874.
It appears that all of the known surviving Orcutt primer
tins bear the same label seen on this tin, which
includes the 1871 patent date, however it has also been
observed that all of the surviving tins - to include
this specimen - contain primers of the later 1874
design.
Measuring 1 ½” in diameter and 1 1/8” tall, this
tin retains both the original upper and lower sections
in full form with no damage and the metal on the
canister retains the majority of the original varnish
finish. The tin lid features the original Union
Metallic Cartridge Company label. There is some
darkening and very minor surface loss to the label,
however the majority of the text is complete and
legible. This tin
contains what appears to be most of the original number
of Orcutt Primers. I did not count them, but the tin is
more than ¾ full.
The sale of reloading components to the commercial
hunters on the frontier is well documented, and this tin
of early primers would be a great addition to a buffalo
hunter’s reloading tool and cartridge grouping. (0126)
$150
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