I find it interesting that the ammunition for the new Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle was the final spark for the Indian Mutiny of 1857. The rifles had a tighter fit than the earlier muskets and used paper cartridges that came pre-greased but, to load the rifle, the sepoys had to bite the cartridge open to release the powder. The grease used on these cartridges included tallow derived from beef that was offensive to Hindus, or lard derived from pork that was offensive to Muslims. One of the East India Company’sRead More