Official weight and dimensions (information from Royal Laboratory lithograph circa 1864, reproduced in British Military Small Arms and Ammunition and from The British Soldier’s Firearm 1850-1864).
- Weight (without wooden plug): 813 gn (52.7 g)
- Weight (with wooden plug): 825 gn (53.4 g)
- Diameter: 0.731 in (18.5 mm)
- Length: 1.072 in (27.2 mm)
In 1859 the same cut that was given to the P53 paper cartridge, was applied to the P42 cartridge, suggesting bullets of this date and after will have the incised line down their length. In 1861, a reduction was made to the diameter of the bullet, to 0.731 in, 0.270 in smaller than the bore of the rifle. This was in line with the P53 bullet of 1859, with the same increase of windage, to facilitate loading and allow for the thick beeswax coating around the patched bullet. Also in 1861 the iron cup was substituted for a wooden plug and in 1863 this was changed again to a clay plug (from the List of Changes). The drawing above shows the top of the cavity to be flat, once the wooden plug had been introduced, as in the P53 bullets, rather than the round cavity top. I have not seen any confirmed examples of the 2nd pattern P42 bullet, apart from the possible example below.
P42/Sea Service 2nd pattern, fired
- Weight (without wooden plug): 761 gn (49.4 g)
- Diameter: 0.731 in (19 mm)
- Length: 1.083 in (27.5 mm)
This is potentially a 2nd pattern P42/Sea Service bullet, but only really because of its increased length. There is some distortion to the tip of the bullet, from ramrod damage, which overlays the circle impressed in the same location by the bullet press ejector. Side by side by with a 1st pattern bullet it is noticeably longer. The weight is less than it should be, but note the impact damage which may have contributed to this. The tip of the cavity is rounded rather than flat, however, and it would appear to have been fired by a four groove rifle.
P42/Sea Service rifled musket introduction
P42/Sea Service rifled musket trial bullet
P42/Sea Service rifled musket 1st pattern
P42/Sea Service rifled musket 2nd pattern
