Also known as: port-fire.
| Function | Ignites the vent primer |
|---|---|
| Construction | A slow-burning composition packed in a paper case |
| Handling | Held in a portfire stock or linstock |
A steady flame
The portfire was a paper case packed with a slow, steady-burning composition that gave a hot, reliable flame. Applied to the top of a primer set in the vent, it fired the gun, and its slow burn made it dependable in wind and weather where a loose flame might fail.
Held in a portfire stock or a linstock, it was a standard means of firing before the friction primer allowed a gun to be fired instantly by a lanyard.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- United States Army, Ordnance Department. The Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the United States Army. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1862.
- Gibbon, John. The Artillerist's Manual. New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1860.