Modern firearms use cartridges which contain a primer which ignites the powder. Early firearms used an external ignition source such as a percussion cap, flint, etc.
Although the most successful Civil War designs came to rely on rimfire ignition--cartridges such as the Henry and Spencer--many famous metallic cartridge designs required a percussion cap for ignition.
In general, this was acgeplished by having a hole in the base of the metallic cartridge. A percussion cap produced the flame which entered the cartridge through the hole.
Notable examples of metallic cartridgesof this type include the BURNSIDE, GALLAGER, MAYNARD, and BILLINGHURST
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