The U.S. 1861 Ordnance Manual calls for percussion caps to be charged with one-half a grain of “percussion powder,” which was a mixture of fulminate of mercury and saltpeter.
Contrary to popular belief, mercury fulminate is not corrosive to iron guns. It works GREAT in percussion guns, but the fulminate was found to turn brass brittle, making it incompatible with modern brass cartridges.
So for experimental purposes I made some caps using the U.S. 1861 mercury fulminate mixture, and tested them alongside modern caps (CCI and RWS). The difference is astonishing. The 1861 caps are ear-ringing loud when snapped off by themselves, and can blow out a candle several feet in front of the muzzle.
I'll try to keep an eye out for more data, this is interesting.
No, I don't plan on making my own
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