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Thread: Gallager bullet question

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    bpshooter is offline
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    Gallager bullet question

    I own an original gallager carbine and i want to know what diameter bullets i need for it can some one help! what rb and conicals can i use ?

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    ms3635v's Avatar
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    Original Gallager's were 50 caliber. The range of diameters ran from .518" on the small size to .535" on the largest size. The average bullet diameter seems to be between .520" to .525". These diameters are referenced in Dean Thomas's book, "Round Ball to Rimfire", part 2, pages 54 to 121.
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    Gallager bullet

    I have been using the Rapine "Smith" mould that makes a .516 to .517 dia. bullet. This is a pointed bullet with 2 grease rings. I then size it down to to .515 to fit snugly into the brass cartridge tube. I am using 30 grains of 2 f and enough filler to almost reach the landing that the bullet seats on. Do not compress the load. I also opened the brass cartridge flash hole to .062" dia. to help ignition. Bullet shoots better than I do. (Don't need any teammates commenting on that!)

    Hope this helps
    Jim

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    bpshooter is offline
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    i guess what i have now wont work then ?

    i have 535 rb and a have a few of these conicals a guy sent me
    http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product...oducts_id=1285

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    ms3635v's Avatar
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    Those conicals are .54 caliber and too big...these bullets were meant to be used in an Erma Gallager reproduction.
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    Quote Originally Posted by ms3635v View Post
    Those conicals are .54 caliber and too big...these bullets were meant to be used in an Erma Gallager reproduction.
    ok thanks for the info! so what rb can i use i seen ppl use rb out of them also were can i find the right conicals for my original ! can i use these conicals ? http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product...oducts_id=1349
    Last edited by bpshooter; 11-05-2014 at 04:25 PM.

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    You could check the mould charts from Lyman, RCBS, etc., or you could go to Moose Moulds website. They have a good selection of conicals in sizes .515" to .525" that can be used in Smiths, Maynards and would work in your Gallager. They have a roundball in .535" but thar may be too large.
    Mike Santarelli 03635V, Adjutant
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    It would be most helpful if you knew the exact diameter of your barrel. About any machine shop of size could tell you within seconds with the proper gauge and I doubt they would charge you. THEN,,,,you can buy the proper mold to properly fit your barrel.
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    Hallo!

    Often with Period ammunition, it is a "nominal" that can vary a bit. For example, in theory, Gallagher Poultney cartridges had a .525, 374 grain conical bullet with 50 grains of powder.
    But the metallic cartridge used a .520 CB weighing 435 grains with 60 grains of powder.
    Yet, when looking at original cartridges, while .525 is the most common, there are also .532 or .518 varying between 428 and 596 grains.

    The very first Gallagher submitted to the Ordnance Board in January 1861was .54. Some where between January and August when a preliminary order for 200 was given, the bore had been reduced to .50.

    I don't remember the rifling twist rate of a Gallagher. It may (or may not, likely not, maybe) stabilize a round ball well enough to shoot accurately. (A reverse problem we see in Italian repro revolvers where they changed the rifling to better shoot round balls at the accuracy expense of the more Period conical bullets.)

    I would think that since a breechloader squeezes down the oversized bullet, that in theory a round ball could be the same size as conical (unless maybe the chamber front/barrel rifling is "sensitive" to conicals.

    I myself would skip round ball, but would suggest that you can try various round ball sizes. You can order cast RB in different sizes from muzzleloader shops, such as the Log Cabin Shop in Lodi Ohio. They come in 25 or 50 ball poly bags. A bag o' balls is cheaper than a mould, especially if your gun does not shoot RB well enough.

    Curt
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    Married to a descendant of Senator John Sherman's wife

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    If I was thinking about shooting another Gallagher (I shot an Erma years ago), I would start by slugging the bore. Based on the bore diameter, see if a slightly oversize (.002") bullet will fit in the cases that you have. You can determine this with a dial caliper. Also, think about how you are going to get the bullets in the case. I had a Gallagher that used the brass cartridges that are available today, and they were a pain to load without some kind of a loading tool. I had a relined Erma Gallagher that I could shoot .515" bullets out and these worked fine in the brass cases that I had. Now if I had needed to shoot .525" bullets, I would have been in trouble, as the case walls on the brass that I had were quite thick. If anyone out there has any of the original brass cartridges from the CW, it might be interesting to know what the bullets mike out at. I checked online and I found some Gallagher cartridges that were brass and some that were cardboard. I am figuring that whoever is machining the brass cases, used an original case as a model and perhaps the bullet diameters in the brass cases are more consistent than the ones in the cardboard cases.

    Just for the record, if you want to shoot original CW cartridge carbines, the Smith and the Maynard probably have the best selection of empty cases that you can use for reloading and shooting these guns. Gallagher's are far less common.
    Jim Wimbish

    Member of NSSA since 2000



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