In a bit of a rush this morn, but a couple of things;
BTW, good photos Rick!
For a breech like this to work, where wadding cannot pass through the small (narrow) section of the barrel, the mealed powder would have to fill the breech area more or less full, but not compressed much. Very light compression at most.
The other point is that Nitro powder should not be compressed like black powder normally. Many loads for cartridges have the case maybe half full at most.
I Do know what you mean though Stu! Nitro on it's own burns like a garden fire. :-)
I think the term with Nitro powder is it has to be Contained.
As in, a few grains contained in a cartridge case are contained but not compressed, but develop pressure quickly in such a case.
Rick,
I do not know how difficult it would be for your gunsmith, but how about boring out the chamber area with an end mill cutter, and threading the whole chamber for a screw-in breech? This breech would look like a cartridge case with threads on the outside, making the powder area much smaller than at present.
I have read that these Indian matchlock barrels used very heavy charges of powder; Can you figure out How much?
Also, I Think, (Think!) that such powder chambers Must have been used with the newer corned powder as well, as I can't imagine India and surrounding areas continuing to use mealed powder into the mid 19th century.
If this was the case, then such a breech would not be required, but maybe used because it always had been.
When my barrels turn up, I will compare them and see if made same.
If my breeches are made the same as this, and are in good condition, I will be tempted to try one of them out with fairly coarse powder, and see what happens.
Not from the shoulder though!
Richard.
|