Gallagher cases

[gemmer]

My Gallagher tubes are drilled 7/64. When loading I cover the flash hole with paper dots (adhesive price dots that you can buy at an office supply store) and go ahead and load. I've never had an issue with ignition and the caps blow right through the paper dots. To clean I use a rotary tumbler with stainless steel pins.

Tried different nipple no change. I've never seen anything like this before. I Put 10 gr of 3F in the case with a wad and the cap blows out the wad and some powder but it doesn't ignite. What I can't figure out is why all of a sudden is this going on? I'm back to thinking it's perhaps a partial blockage in the flash channel.

[clowdis]

If you're getting that much "blow" through the case I doubt you have too much of a restriction in the flash channel. Perhaps another brand of cap may be helpful. Here's why I think the paster on the back of the tube works with the large flash hole. The larger hole allows the powder to leak through and be retained in the case recess by the paster. This is almost like a small priming charge that helps the main charge ignite. All the cap has to do is blow through the paper paster and away you go. Theory at least. Anyway, I don't ever recall having any issues with ignition on my Gallagher.

[gemmer]

If you're getting that much "blow" through the case I doubt you have too much of a restriction in the flash channel. Perhaps another brand of cap may be helpful. Here's why I think the paster on the back of the tube works with the large flash hole. The larger hole allows the powder to leak through and be retained in the case recess by the paster. This is almost like a small priming charge that helps the main charge ignite. All the cap has to do is blow through the paper paster and away you go. Theory at least. Anyway, I don't ever recall having any issues with ignition on my Gallagher.

That's what I've done with a few cases and it seems to work as long as the powder is compressed with a wad. I use Charlie's tubes in my Sharps with curler paper ends, too. I drilled them out with a #41 drill which is a bit smaller than 7/64. I've tried Schuetzen and winged RWS caps and there's no difference. They both used to work fine. That's what irks me. I've had a few misfires here and there, especially on my last few outings, but now, NONE of the cases with the original touch hole will fire.

[clowdis]

One last thought, have you tried increasing the size of the hole in the nipple?

[gemmer]

One last thought, have you tried increasing the size of the hole in the nipple?

It's worth a try. Thanks for all your feed back.

[gemmer]

Drilled out the nipple. No help. I ordered a few new cases and I"ll be interested to see if there's any difference.

[CAGerringer]

I find it strange that you get enough power from your caps to blow out the powder, but not ignite it. Are you sure your powder hasn't been degraded in some way?
Charlie Gerringer
Old Dominion Dragoons

[gemmer]

Me too. I tried Swiss 3F and GOEX 3F. No difference.

[gemmer]

Me too. I tried Swiss 3F and Goex 3F. No difference.

[John Holland]

Gemmer - You said "...the cap blows out the wad and some powder but it doesn't ignite...". The power of the cap exploding pushes a blast of air ahead of the flame. The column of air is pushing the powder and wad out ahead of the flame. It would appear that the flame of the cap is getting diminished somewhere. I would suggest that you remove the clean-out screw and insert a wire into the clean-out hole as far as it will reach. Then mark the depth of the wire, remove it, and lay it across the face of the breech and see if it reaches past the exit hole in the face of the breech where the end of the cartridge fits into the breech. There is a possibility that the interior has eroded past where the flame of the cap is supposed to come out to ignite the cartridge. If that is true, then that's where the flame is being trapped past the exit hole and thereby not able to get out and into the hole in the base of the cartridge.