How do I make a good blow tube

[walkswithsticks]

Everything that I read only lightly touches on how to construct a good blow tube.

Some say stick a plastic tube in the chamber. Some indicate a sophisticated device. Some say get moisture in the chamber, others say no.

I want to construct a durable, servicable tool, and I would like to do it right the first time.

Any advice and construction hints?

[OuchHot!]

I've only used one on 45-70 and 40-65. There, I just mildly expanded the neck of a fired case to be snug in the chamber (sort of) and drilled the primer pockect out for a tube. Worked for me but I'm sure there are more elegant answers.

[Don McDowell]

Either call MVA or Shiloh and have them ship you one of the MVA blowtubes.

[e15cap]

Drill and tap a cartridge, screw in a 1/4" pipe nipple, add plastic tubing cut to your preffered length.

[Lizard333]

Not to sound stupid but what is a blow tube.

[Seth Hawkins]

A blow tube is used to get moisture into the chamber to moisten the powder fouling/residue, usually so that the next round can be chambered.

At least that's why I use one. I either use the blow tube to soften the fouling, or I have to run a patch to remove it all. Using the blow tube allows me to remain in position, and takes a little less time.

I bought mine from Buffalo Arms, but the suggestions of the other will work fine. BA uses a standard case, drills out the primer pocket, brazes in a nipple, and attaches a piece of surgical tubing. I think the surgical tubing is best if you can find it.

[powderburnerr]

the best one I ever made was a 50-90- case on one end and a 45-2&7/8 case on the other with a piece of 3/8 copper between , the case seemed to relieve the pressure and let the air flow easier, or so it seems to me, and I like my tube to be at the head of the chamber , to keep the chamber dry , a fire formed case does this well .

[Don McDowell]

That's the nice thing about the MVA tubes, they're machined from aluminum (I think it is anyway, whatever it is if you drop it the case mouth doesn't get bent,if the lid of your range box accidently drops on the middle of it it doesn't turn into an oblong) they're a bit longer than a regular case and they have that rubber oring about half way up to seal the chamber good.

[scrapcan]

here is a link to the mva blow tubes. it will give you an idea of what these guys are talking about. You will have to enlarge the little picture on the right.

http://www.montanavintagearms.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=74

Here are the Buffalo Arms tubes

http://www.buffaloarms.com/Blow_Tubes_pr-3792.aspx

[montana_charlie]

BA uses a standard case, drills out the primer pocket, brazes in a nipple, and attaches a piece of surgical tubing.
I just use a length of surgical tubing ... nothing else attached.
Shove it in till it stops, and blow ...

CM

[Seth Hawkins]

Don - Do you know if MVA makes one for the .44-77 BN?

[Don McDowell]

Seth, sadly they don't list them. I don't know if a call to them would turn one up or not. I sure do like the 45-70,40-65 and 3855 tubes.

[Seth Hawkins]

Yeah. I didn't see it listed. That's the trouble, no, the fun, with shooting these old obsolete cartridges. Maybe I'll get Dave to make one for me.

[shovel80]

Actually, it's not to get moisture into the chamber...but, into the barrel I believe...

Terry

[Seth Hawkins]

True. Right out there where the bullet sits.

[waksupi]

Napa sells blow tubes by the foot. Cut the head off of one of your cases. Heat one end of the hose in boiling water, and work it over the case head end.

Done.

Or you can spend more money on something that does the same thing.

[oldracer]

When I made a blow tube, I used a 45-70 case that was dented at the mouth and then trimmed. I drilled out the primer hole to allow a piece of brass tube to fit all the way through and extend PAST the end of the case so it fit into the rifling area slightly. This prevented any moisture from getting into the chamber and I soldered the inner piece of tube at both ends to seal it. I used a size of tube that I bought at a hobby shop that was just slightly smaller than the ID of the barrel. Hobby shops generally have brass or copper tube in many sizes and the 12 inch piece I bought allowed enough for two setups.

One thing I noticed is the weird green stuff that grows in the joint between the flex tubing and the brass fitting so I clean it after each shooting now!!!!

[Don McDowell]

Seth I think I'll call them tommorrow and see if they'll make some. Otherwise I'll have to build one. I have some 348 brass that were formed for 43 egyptian, probably use one of those rather than the good Jamison brass. Rifle ships next week.

[Seth Hawkins]

Don - it's not a matter of sacrificing a piece of brass. It sounds like the MVA unit is purpose-built to be stronger, like it's milled. My Jamison brass will dent if I look at it wrong, it's so thin. I'd like something a little more robust. That's why I was thinking of asking Dave @ RMC to make one while he has the machine turned on for the brass. He could leave the walls much thicker, and make it a one-piece unit, rather than having to screw-in or solder a nipple for the tubing. Like the MVA unit. Maybe we could get MVA to make a batch for us 44-77 nuts. It seems our numbers are growing.

[Don McDowell]

Seth Daves' brass would be heavy enough to make a good blowtube. I'll call MVA tommorrow and see what they say. I believe there are 4 other 44-77's coming off the line from this batch besides mine.

[walkswithsticks]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. It sounds like there are no wrong answers. Just need to pick one that suits me.

If I understand things right, if I keep the fouling soft enough, the following shot will sweep it out the muzzle with no adverse affect on accuracy.

It is a little difficult to accept shooting from a sooted barrel, but I have learned to heed the council of wisdom and experience.

[Seth Hawkins]

Did someone let out the secret about the Sharps BN cartridges? There seems to be a lot of interest in them lately. I don't care what "conventional wisdom" says about them, I wouldn't trade mine for the world. Well, maybe for a nice engraved #2 Creedmoor Silhouette, with a compass in the stock!

[Don McDowell]

Walswith sticks, when you blowtube, for it to work as it should, you need to be well hydrated, and you need to be blowing air slowly from way down deep in your lungs. It's the heavy moisture moving into the fouling .
If you blow to hard or to fast you may actually make the fouling dry out and be harder.

Seth I think when Jamison responded to the request for the bn brass, and it was properly sized and headstamped , alot of folks took advantage of the grand old cartridges.

[StrawHat]

Here is a very interesting blow tube.

http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1321413935

But, it does get the idea across about how one can be built.

[Tom Myers]

I just use a length of surgical tubing ... nothing else attached.
Shove it in till it stops, and blow ...
CM

Yeah Charlie,

That's what I do too. I've found that if you choose a tubing diameter that is approximately GROOVE size., you can shove it in till it contacts the lands, blow a few breathes and then having softened the fouling a bit, forcefully shove it in a little further into the rifling. The compressible tubing will clear the fouling from the lands and grooves where the bullet will set when chambered and you can use bullets that fit more snugly into the throat for a, potentially, more accurate load.

Isn't it great when great minds think alike?

[montana_charlie]

Isn't it great when great minds think alike?
I just think it's great that people can find simple solutions for simple problems.
Maybe that means we are simple-minded ... no?

CM

[otterdriver]

Only in America! You guys are awesome...

[texasmac]

Hey guys,

When constructing a blow tube keep in mind that it should be designed to limit the amount of moisture collecting on or migrating back along the chamber walls. The goal is to inject moisture into the bore, but not the chamber. Excess chamber moisture is similar to too much lube and can result in stretched or split cases or increased pressure on the breech block. It’s common practice to purchase or make blow tubes that use a cartridge case at the end of the tube. When doing so, to minimize excess moisture accumulating in the chamber, the case should extend the full length of the chamber and should be fire formed in the rifle being shot and not resized. Even better yet, since the brass will shrink some after fire-forming, use a neck expander or a standard loading die to enlarge the neck or mouth until the blow tube case just barely but easily slips fully into the chamber.

Although I've never experienced a completely separated straight wall cartridge case, I have had a couple show signs of thinning in the middle. At the time I was using a blow tube with a full length resized case.

Some commercial blow tubes (MVA for example) are designed with an O-ring located around the center to front portion of the blow tube case to seal and stop air and moisture from being blown back along the chamber wall.

Actually, CM's suggestion, "I just use a length of surgical tubing ... nothing else attached. Shove it in till it stops, and blow ..." is excellent. Since the end of the tube will form a seal at the throat or bore, there's little chance that moisture will collect in the chamber unless the rifle is pointed up.

Wayne

[bigted]

another thing ive learned about the blow-tube is to make it short enough to get the moisture inside the barrel ... not hanging out in the tube like i made...my first attempt was a 12 inch tube which i shortened to 6 inches...now all that condensed moisture drops wind up in the barrel instead of in a low spot in the tube.......years ago i prolly could have drank this condensation as im sure it was 80 proof still...ha...time seems to cure or kill every problem

[mtnman31]

I have a 45-70 blow tube given to me by a fellow site member. I believe he purchased it vice made it. It is nice and well made.

I've made two blow tubes for .43 Spanish. The first was a spent case with the base drilled out and short tube attached. It got squished and subsequently trashed. For the second tube I learned from the first and improved it a bit. First, as was recommended by others, I used a fireformed case. Second thing I did was fill the case with epoxy then drill a hole through it. Kept it from getting damaged as easily.

Bad thing is, I no longer have that blow tube. I think I must have forgot it or lost it last time I took it out shooting. Oh well, time to make another. I guess if I got lazy I could just improvise and use a McDonald's drink straw :lol: I'm sure one of my fellow cheap-skates has tried it some point.

[Jbar4Ranch]

Here are a few I've made - .38-40, .45-75, .45-120, and .45-70 pictured.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/jbar4ranch/BlowTubes.jpg

[otterdriver]

Thanks Jbar! Some great ideas there !

[shooterg]

Look, I've been around some BP shooters enough to know - y'all not blowing, y'all INHALING !

[DoctorBill]

I knew that I should keep those several screwed up 577/450 Martini-Henry brass
pieces that I made from 24 gauge Magtech cases !

I'll use the one in the center.....
http://www.mynetimages.com/1e151b16a9.jpg

Good ones!
http://www.mynetimages.com/c8602068fe.jpg

Just dug that center one out of the plastic bag....

I'll drill out the primer, use a 'Rat-Tail File' to open it up to a large hole, then fit a
copper tube in there out to the end of the neck, and fill the case with Epoxy so's it can't get bent.

You see !

http://www.mynetimages.com/f2e99c6b12.jpg

I actually did not need to solder the copper tube in there...
I ran a bead of hot melt glue around the outside bottom copper tube to seal
it off, then filled the case with 2 hour set time epoxy (with a putty plug in the
copper tube to keep the epoxy out) by dribbling it into the end with a paper
wrapped around the neck to direct the epoxy into the case.

It doesn't look very good, but it fits into the Martini-Henry and will work just fine.

If you save everything, one day you'll have it when you need it.
This philosophy has kept my garage filled to the edges with 'stuff'.

When I die, I want all my stuff cremated with me in one huge bonfire !

"A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of
burnable waste material or as part of a celebration." Wikipedia.

DoctorBill