Hahn Tube Troubles

[P.Altland]

I've tried the brown tubes a number of times but have problems with them leaving the barrel consistently. After hearing from a teammate how the new white tubes turn to confetti, i decided to give them another try. Today was first test and not a single tube left the breech. I used my normal charge of 35 gr 3f, a cardboard disc and topped with c.o.w to fill tube. Anybody else experiencing this issue? Any ideas for a remedy? I've attached a pic of every tube after shooting. Each one had to be pulled from the breech.

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[Mike Stein]

What's the chamber ID vs. unfired casing OD?

[gemmer]

I've tried the brown tubes a number of times but have problems with them leaving the barrel consistently. After hearing from a teammate how the new white tubes turn to confetti, i decided to give them another try. Today was first test and not a single tube left the breech. I used my normal charge of 35 gr 3f, a cardboard disc and topped with c.o.w to fill tube. Anybody else experiencing this issue? Any ideas for a remedy? I've attached a pic of every tube after shooting. Each one had to be pulled from the breech.

2634

How about deleting the COW filler? I think Charlie says you don't need it.

Duane

[Greg Ogdan 110th OVI]

You may need more power (Like Tim Taylor said). The Sharps shooters in my unit all use 50r of Goex FFg. Several use Charlie tubes with no trouble. Side note, this load works in the Sharps rifle also, whereas the lighter load may well not. Hope this helps and, of course, just my $.02.

[jonk]

One of my teammates finally gave up on Charlies' tubes for that reason. I personally don't use them, my gun came with several thousand hand rolled ones, good for years of skirmishing.

Naturally bullet selection and chamber length matter a lot. My gun will only run 38-39 gr of 2f; that's all the chamber will take. Very short throat. But in your case, it sounds like you could try running more.

If you don't want to roll your own from nitrated paper, you are kind of stuck with using what Charlie makes. But you might encourage better combustion too, by trying more powder as I said, or trying another brand of powder, or even (re?)nitrating a pile of his tubes. Not sure how they'll take that or if they'd unroll, but would be worth trying with a few to test.

[Charlie Hahn]

May I ask you to call, 410-208-4736? I do recommend no filler as it causes the tubes to not exit and with the size of the chamber serves no purpose other than gumming up the works. The white tubes perform better with a light coating of shellac on the inside to make the paper more brittle, but is not always needed.Personally I use it all the time. I doubt you have a small chamber as I have seen very few of them, it is either .62 or .55 diameter the smaller is more difficult to clear.

As with everything I provide, tubes, springs, tumblers, etc all come with cash back if they do not perform.

Charlie Hahn

[Jim Mulligan 7288V]

I use 37g 3F and a vegetable wad:
460" diameter, ideal for .45 caliber rifles, .500" thick fibre wad, 500, by Circle Fly Wads
Never a problem.

[Steve Weems]

This thread reminded me of a old team mate of mine who shot a Shiloh Sharps using paper
cartridges he made from the Funnies section of the Sunday section. He must have shot
thousands of rounds with little problems. He believed the funnies burned more completely
than the regular pages. I test shot it once with no ignition problems and little residue.
Mr. Hahn's tubes must be a major time saver compared to rolling your own.

[P.Altland]

My chamber sleeve is cut to .570 ID. I have several team members shooting them without fail in Shilohs, be it Carbines or Rifles, but they just won't function in my Garrett. I appreciate your guarantee Charlie, but obviously not a problem with the product. Every tube splits. They just won't leave the chamber. Next time i'll try the shellac trick and see how that works.

[Charlie Hahn]

Okay, the sleeve can be changed to the .62. But for the short test, just leave out the COW. Then add the shellac after that. Also, what glue to you fix the card board disc with?

Also, is your gun modified from stock?

Charlie
410-208-4736

[P.Altland]

The gun has a two piece chamber sleeve with "o-ring". The block has the original gas check plate, but i make it a semi solid block by filling with High Temp RTV. Works great. I have zero cutting and zero fouling, but i normally shoot loose powder with plastic Shell Tubes. As for the tubes, i didn't glue the cardboard disc. It is the same as the ID of your tubes. I just layered it on top of the powder to prevent the COW from mixing. Glued the ringtail ball to the tube with nail polish.

Not giving up yet. I'll try the shellac next. R&D time means range time and that's never a bad thing. "A bad day at the range beats a good day at........."

[ms3635v]

I use Charlie's tubes in my Shilo (Farmingdale)carbine with 45 grains of GOEX 3F, no filler, and a Moose ringtail. The tubes disintegrate and leaves the barrel completely with no problem.

[Charlie Hahn]

You should add a drop of glue on the card wad. Elmer's, DUCO, and thing but the expanding type. Leave to the COW and I think you will see a big difference.

Charlie

[rkel870]

I think I found the answer, I too had trouble with the white tubes. When I first used them, I used 38 gr 3fg Goex and a Moose Christmas tree bullet. Never a problem, once I got the right nipple to set them off with. A field expedient was drilling out the nipple until it fired ( thanks to John and Joel) , then I found that S&S Firearms sold what they termed as a "Sharps" nipple. Never a hang fire or stuck tube. Then I switched bullet lubes. Initially I was using an equal mix of "Bore Butter" , Crisco and beeswax. A little "runny" on really hot days but okay overall. No glue or shellac, all the tubes exited without a problem everything went off fine. The bullets stuck in the tube with a friction fit only. Then I got "smart" and switched to half and half beeswax/Crisco. Probably not one of my better ideas. All of my tubes looked like yours. I was on the line digging them out with a Leatherman. Switched back to original formula. So far 75 rounds without a hang fire or stuck or partial tube in chamber or bore and breechblock moves up and down. The only thing left is just a weird reddish colored ashlike residue in the chamber. Try a "looser" lube, it seemed to work for me. Again my present load is 38 FFFg Goex, no filler or wad, a Moose Christmas Tree, no shellac or glue just the white tube, powder, bullet and lube. Good Luck!

[steel reserve]

I shoot a Shiloh Robinson with 45gr 3-F, a fiber wad and Charlie's white tubes with the tubes turning to confetti every time. I'm very satisfied with them.


I've tried the brown tubes a number of times but have problems with them leaving the barrel consistently. After hearing from a teammate how the new white tubes turn to confetti, i decided to give them another try. Today was first test and not a single tube left the breech. I used my normal charge of 35 gr 3f, a cardboard disc and topped with c.o.w to fill tube. Anybody else experiencing this issue? Any ideas for a remedy? I've attached a pic of every tube after shooting. Each one had to be pulled from the breech.

2634