I discussed "front-ignition" loading at some length -- around 1955, 1956, 1957 -- with two of its earliest experimenters and former proponents, Charlie O'Neil and Elmer Keith, whose experiments preceded Rocky Gibbs's, I believe. They'd already sold me on it, through Elmer's earlier writings. But by the time we talked about it, they had dropped it as no longer worth the trouble with the new slower powders.
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<br>The mere presence of the flash tube reduces the capacity of the case and thus alters its interior ballistics in ways not all beneficial. As if that isn't enough, getting the right size of straight brass tubing and fitting it to the cases are forbiddingly difficult. The tube also absorbs heat from the primer flash (cools it, IOW), and the flame is already cooler the farther it travels before it ignites the powder, without the further heat loss from warming the tube.
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<br>So I considered this kind of loading carefully for a long time -- for a long time intended to use it -- but the cooling of Charlie's and Elmer's once-great enthusiasm for it also cooled mine.
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<br>Around Viola, Idaho, there was no place or way for Rocky Gibbs to test or judge his theories in those days the way we'd check 'em out today. I honestly don't know whether he'd be as sold on forward ignition today as he was then.
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<br>I think it's significant that except for Rocky Gibbs and possibly one friend whom I'm not sure about, everyone I've known who has worked with it at great length has abandoned it.
<br> That's enough for me. I have more than enough to do as it is.