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Thread: Black Smith Tube Material

  1. #1
    brimorse is offline
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    Black Smith Tube Material

    Greetings All,

    Does anyone know the exact name of the material the black Smith tubes are made of? Just curious...

    Best regards,

    Brian

  2. #2
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    Re: Black Smith Tube Material

    Brian
    If you are talking about the newest black tubes that are sold the maker says they are rubber (I think it is silicone rubber). If you are talking about the black tubes that have been sold for the last 15 or 20 years they are made out of Polyethylene. Polyethylene is the same material that they use to make milk jugs. Polyethylene is about the cheapest material that can be used in injection molding. The Polyethylene distorts and swells as you use the tubes. The flash hole also enlarges with each and every shot.
    The best injection molded tubes were the old white nylon tubes that were sold years ago. They stopped making them because they lasted too long (God bless capitalism).

    Joe Plakis Jr, (the older Joe Plakis)
    Hampton Legion 00302v

  3. #3
    Scott Culver is offline
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    Re: Black Smith Tube Material

    Joe, the white tubes shattered when they got cold, so every material has limitations.
    Scott Culver
    McGregor's 2nd Battery

  4. #4
    Southron Sr. is offline
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    Re: Black Smith Tube Material

    I got several hundred of those "white" Smith tubes. Approximately 1/3 of them had to be scrapped after the first time they were used. I considered them JUNK.

    Maybe I got a "bad batch" but I will never buy another white Smith tube.

  5. #5
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    Re: Black Smith Tube Material

    The original White tubes were from Mike Yeck and they were Nylon. They lasted forever. After Mike stopped selling them someone came out with white tubes they were polyethelene and yes they were no good. I still have about 100 of the old Nylon tubes - the problem with them was the flash hole enlarged.
    I put metal inserts in them and they are still shootable.
    Joe Plakis Jr
    Hampton Legion

  6. #6
    Joe Plakis, 9575V is offline
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    Re: Black Smith Tube Material

    There are two types of White Smith tubes, the cheaper of the two is just made of the same milk jug material and has all of the same issues as the black tubes. The other white tubes were glass filled nylon, those where the good white tubes.
    Joe Plakis XXVIII
    Middle-Atlantic Region
    SAC
    9575V

    "Great leadership does not mean running away from reality. Sometimes the hard truths might just demoralize the company, but at other times sharing difficulties can inspire people to take action that will make the situation better." John Kotter

  7. #7
    musketjon is offline
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    Re: Black Smith Tube Material

    If you can find some made out of Delrin, that's the way to go.
    Jon

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