Also known as: quill tube, quill primer.
| Function | Carries fire from the vent to the charge |
|---|---|
| Construction | A quill or paper or metal tube filled with priming powder |
| Ignition | By portfire, slow match, or friction |
An older primer
The quill primer was a small tube, in its original form a goose quill and later paper or metal, filled with a fine priming powder and pushed into the vent of the gun. Lit from the top by a portfire or slow match, it carried the fire down to the main charge.
It was an older method that the friction primer largely replaced, since the friction primer could be fired instantly by a lanyard rather than requiring a separate light applied to the vent.
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.