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Originally Posted by Pukka Bundook
A very nice thread gents,
I have just enjoyed the last few new comments.
Steve, In translation we may well have lost the true meaning of how Akbar had the barrels tested. A full Chamber sounds more sense than a full barrel!
This also begs the question, Why a chamber would be constructed so large that it was (apparently ) common to only half fill it.?
Loading these chambered barrels appears to have taken longer, and why they were continued in use after corned powder I do not know.
We do read that some Very high quality powder was produced over there, So I for one can't come up with a good reason for what we find today.
Stu,
The powder you used years back would be coarse, like 1F or 2F I would imagine. 4F is priming powder for matchlocks and such, and would more or less detonate in a barrel if used as the main charge.
Regarding air space, a small airspace in a cartridge is completely fine with black powder, Some International shooting friends load in this manner, but please do not give me grief about it, because I do not! :-)
Steve, again if I may,
Trying your cow dung yesterday worked very well. The toradar went off like a rocket. :-)
It packed nicely in the chamber so appears to be very cheap form of wadding! (Here on the farm, that is!....Dried, Not fresh stuff LOL!)
I would Really look forward to us having some kind of a competition for these old arms!
We Do have an annual shoot here on the farm, and I did use mine a little last year. We also shoot European style matchlocks, my latest creation being a short snapping matchlock based on one of Michael T's beloved guns.
If anyone would like to come up (or down) to Alberta in late June, please just drop me a line, you would be more than welcome! (Victorian theme really, but we sneak other things in!)
To try an old arm, I usually tie it to a saw horse and fire it remote with a long string.
At the time of trying the toradar barrel yesterday, I also tried a lovely little Persian barrel, it is very promising though may need the touchhole re-piercing, as it is Much too high and flashed repeatedly.
All the best,
Richard.
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