Description
Peters .38 Revolver Ball Cartridge Box – Original year of 1911 Ammunition Box
This Peters .38 Revolver Ball cartridge box is an original early smokeless powder ammunition box labeled for 20 caliber .38 revolver ball cartridges for Colt’s Double Action Revolver. The printed panel identifies The Peters Cartridge Co. of King’s Mills, O., and it also lists the powder type, muzzle velocity, and 1911 lot information. As a result, it stands as a strong period ammunition box for collectors of early 20th century revolver material, cartridge packaging, and Colt-related accessories.
Peters .38 Revolver Ball Cartridge Box
The side panel carries unusually good detail for a period cartridge box. It reads 20 Caliber .38 Revolver Ball Cartridges and specifies use For Colt’s Double Action Revolver. It also notes Smokeless Powder, a stated muzzle velocity of 775 + 25 feet per second, and Dupont’s Bull’s Eye Powder, Lot No. 52 of 1911. The manufacturer line reads Manufactured at The Peters Cartridge Co. with King’s Mills, O. below, followed by Class 47, Division 3, Drawing 17. Taken together, those printed details give the box far more character than a generic label.
Construction / Configuration / Pattern
This is a period paperboard cartridge box made in the long rectangular revolver ammunition format used for boxed pistol cartridges in the early smokeless era. The tan outer body carries dark printed text in a clean bordered panel. The label identifies the cartridge type, intended revolver pattern, powder, muzzle velocity, powder lot, maker, and classification data. That amount of information is one of the most appealing parts of the piece, because it preserves the exact commercial language and technical presentation used by an American ammunition maker in the 1911 period.
Historical Context / Provenance / Development
Boxes like this help place early cartridge collecting in its proper time. By the early 20th century, smokeless powder had become a defining part of modern ammunition development, and makers increasingly highlighted that fact on their packaging. This box does exactly that. Rather than simply naming the caliber, it advertises Smokeless Powder and even gives a stated velocity figure. That reflects a period when ammunition companies sold performance, consistency, and modernity through their printed labels.
The connection to Colt’s Double Action Revolver also matters. It ties the box to the large civilian and service market for American double-action revolvers at a time when Colt remained one of the dominant names in handguns. That wording gives the box a direct connection to the revolver culture of the period, not just to ammunition in the abstract. For collectors, that kind of specific labeling often makes an otherwise simple box much more appealing.
The 1911 powder lot reference adds another layer of period value. It anchors the packaging firmly in the pre-First World War era, when American cartridge makers were balancing older revolver traditions with newer smokeless loadings and more modern ballistic claims. In that sense, this box is more than a container. It is a printed record of how ammunition was described, marketed, and classified during a formative stage in American cartridge history.
Condition
This box shows age and storage wear consistent with an original period paper item. The printed panel remains readable and still presents well for display. Edge wear, softening, and minor staining are present, which is typical for surviving ammunition packaging of this type. Even so, the main side text remains the real strength of the piece, because the maker information, cartridge designation, powder statement, and 1911 lot reference still read clearly.
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