percussion caps

[andrewwareham]

I write historical fiction, most popular so far is 'Poor man at the Gate' series. While researching the introduction of the percussion cap in the 1820s I discovered the contents to be fulminate of mercury, sodium chlorate and ground or powdered glass. Why the glass?

[Tab]

Glass made a good container for the fulminate of Mecury. If I remember rightly this was discovered by a dentist