To Drop Tube or Not to Drop Tube

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mdeland
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Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:47 pm

Re: To Drop Tube or Not to Drop Tube

Post by mdeland »

The curious thing about black powder if you have ever seen it compressed in a clear see through tube is that it actually progressively compacts or compresses. The closer you get to the case mouth the more compressed ( and probably fractured) the grains are. It appears like the drop tube makes a more even progression when compressing a load than would just charging as one would with smokeless.
I still drop tube all my black powder loads, even the duplex.
It would be interesting to see what the effect of vibration would look like in a clear plastic tube as compared to drop tubing.
I tried vibration for a bit but the drop tube seemed to compact it better for me. I suspect powder type effects this as well. My guess is Swiss will drop tube compress better than would say Goex of the same grain size.
This all being interesting but as has been said, in the end only results actually matter but I have found more than once some of this interesting stuff that at the time only seems academic causes the light to come on farther down the road on some tangent subject.
Dennis Armistead
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Location: Payson Arizona
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Re: To Drop Tube or Not to Drop Tube

Post by Dennis Armistead »

Glen, I don't know about velocity change but I know that if I don't drop tube my powder in, it will pour out over the top of the case when loading my match paper patch loads. I use a 28" tube and have never tried a 12".
Dennis
Experience trumps intelligence every time.
TexasMac
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Re: To Drop Tube or Not to Drop Tube

Post by TexasMac »

mdeland wrote: Mon Apr 19, 2021 3:13 pm It would be interesting to see what the effect of vibration would look like in a clear plastic tube as compared to drop tubing.
Mike,

See the following article & scroll down a bit to see the differences in a glass tube.
http://www.texas-mac.com/Using-Vibratio ... owder.html

Wayne
NRA Life (Benefactor & President's Council) Member, TSRA Life Member, NSSF Member, Author & Publisher of the Browning BPCR book
http://www.texas-mac.com
Glen Ring
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Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2019 3:45 pm

Re: To Drop Tube or Not to Drop Tube

Post by Glen Ring »

Excellent Wayne.
There are those that talk, and those that act. Make a choice.
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