The "hat" percussion caps and "wafer pellet primers" apparently both
could be used?

"The shooter could prime the weapon by hand, utilizing a standard
percussion cap on the nipple, or utilize the patented pellet priming
mechanism. [Note: The standard percussion cap was preferred as the
wafer pellet primer often proved too fragile under battlefield
conditions.]"

http://www.berdansharpshooters.com/tactics.html

Which Shaw apparently invented for cannons, used for the Russians,
which is where John Paul Jones went, to help Catherine the Greats
fleet, thanks Smoke. "American Heritage" has the Russian Fleet parked
in NYC and San Francisco during the Civil War because it was thought
with the fleet frozen Europe was about to do a "bad thing" on Russia.
I think Lincoln arranged it the wintering over. There has been some
talk of "technology transfer" while I was working on in the West Point
Foundry Cove, finding the prototype of what became known as the "Swamp
Angel". President Lincoln visited Cold Spring, NY (so did Jules Verne)
and witnessed the firing of 200 or 300 pound shells out of R.P.
Parrott's rifled cannon(s) used in the bombardment of Charleston, SC I
was told.



George Myers