A photo of Irish Made ammunition

harmoniums

The Kavanagh one is really cool, it's probably from the 20s.
The Irish Metals one was manufactured in Galway up until the 70s I think under contract for Eley in the UK

snipe02

never even knew there was irish made ammo thats really interesting

Chiparus

Are the worth anything?
I think I have a few of the Galway cartridges lying around.

rabbit assassin

I love these old Irish cartridges I know a place where theres a box of "Emerald" cartridges. Also made by Irish Metal Industries. Really really cool !!!

Boiled-egg

There class, heard of the Irish metal ones but never saw one. I think they were produced across from the cathedral in galway, by the canal. Think it's NUIG boat club now. Not sure though.

Vegeta

Thanks for sharing harmoniums, really enjoy these threads

Grizzly 45

Think the G&K shells were made to order for them by Eley??

harmoniums

Yep grizzly, they are a vanity shell made for G&K by eley

Feisar

Did anyone here tell of early Irish reloading?

Probably another one of my Dad's tall tales but it sounds viable. Apparently done way back in the day.

Take a fired shotgun shell, flatten the primer where the firing pin stuck.
Make a paste from old type match heads and put a blob on the primer area.
Make up some gun powder from sulfur charcoal and saltpeter and put in the shell
A bit of cloth for packing
Melt led and pour through a sieve to make shot

Not sure how the cartridges were closed, how were the old paper ones finished?

Nearly wasn't going to post this for fear of getting laughed at but was hoping someone can confirm?

firefly08

Some related info and more pics of Irish Metal Industries ammo in this thread

cookimonster

Feisar wrote: »

Did anyone here tell of early Irish reloading?

Probably another one of my Dad's tall tales but it sounds viable. Apparently done way back in the day.

Take a fired shotgun shell, flatten the primer where the firing pin stuck.
Make a paste from old type match heads and put a blob on the primer area.
Make up some gun powder from sulfur charcoal and saltpeter and put in the shell
A bit of cloth for packing
Melt led and pour through a sieve to make shot

Not sure how the cartridges were closed, how were the old paper ones finished?

Nearly wasn't going to post this for fear of getting laughed at but was hoping someone can confirm?

My Granadfather had a Damascus barreled shotgun with a hand full of brass shells that where reloaded. As a child my father used to reload them and use them in a home made cannon

rowa

I remember being in garrnett and keegans in parliment street when i was young , the owner had his rolls royce always parked out side , i think they only did higher end stuff. They did have the biggest selection of fishing flys i have ever seen.

cookimonster

rowa wrote: »

I remember being in garrnett and keegans in parliment street when i was young , the owner had his rolls royce always parked out side , i think they only did higher end stuff. They did have the biggest selection of fishing flys i have ever seen.

On a Saturday you could do the rounds; first ABC then across to Garrnet & Keegans, down to Rory's and then back across to Watts. It always stuck in my mind the fact that Garrnet & Keegans where established so long in Parliament St and then went wallop so quickly after moving to Grafton St

323

Feisar wrote: »

Did anyone here tell of early Irish reloading?

Probably another one of my Dad's tall tales but it sounds viable. Apparently done way back in the day.

Take a fired shotgun shell, flatten the primer where the firing pin stuck.
Make a paste from old type match heads and put a blob on the primer area.
Make up some gun powder from sulfur charcoal and saltpeter and put in the shell
A bit of cloth for packing
Melt led and pour through a sieve to make shot

Not sure how the cartridges were closed, how were the old paper ones finished?

Nearly wasn't going to post this for fear of getting laughed at but was hoping someone can confirm?

As a kid had thought the same of one of my dads stories when I found an old shotgun shell reloading press in the garage. Said it was used when he was a kid, guessing around the WW2 to early 50's.

moby30

I have a box of eley grandprix no.7 16 gauge cartridges at home. I'll stick up a few photos later. I have them a good while and only recently took them out to show a friend and noticed the were made by Irish metal industries at earls island Galway.

recipio

Didn't Kynoch have a factory around Arklow which made munitions for WW1.? I know they closed when independence became a reality at the end of the war.

Grizzly 45

Feisar wrote: »

Did anyone here tell of early Irish reloading?

Probably another one of my Dad's tall tales but it sounds viable. Apparently done way back in the day.

Take a fired shotgun shell, flatten the primer where the firing pin stuck.
Make a paste from old type match heads and put a blob on the primer area.
Make up some gun powder from sulfur charcoal and saltpeter and put in the shell
A bit of cloth for packing
Melt led and pour through a sieve to make shot

Not sure how the cartridges were closed, how were the old paper ones finished?

Nearly wasn't going to post this for fear of getting laughed at but was hoping someone can confirm?

It can be done allright.,The match heads are/were the "strike anywhere" type,that are becoming very hard to get anymore.Its an absolute PITA to do,but if you have nothing but time...:pac:

The BP that you would have out of that could be rather hit or miss,its more like "serpentine" that was used inthe time of matchlocks.It really needs to be graded and pressed in a rather dangerous process using machinery.:eek:

Sealing it,use either liquified parafin wax or cardboard rounds cut to the size of the ID of the shell.

rowa

cookimonster wrote: »

On a Saturday you could do the rounds; first ABC then across to Garrnet & Keegans, down to Rory's and then back across to Watts. It always stuck in my mind the fact that Garrnet & Keegans where established so long in Parliament St and then went wallop so quickly after moving to Grafton St

Yeah i remember abc in mary's abbey well as my late father made and supplied all the sea fishing weights there , he used to deliver on a saturday afternoon normally , i remember lilly the owner and bobby well, both nice people and both long gone.
Dublin was a much more interesting city fishing/shooting wise, before all the celtic tiger bs killed it with boring glass and steel buildings and shoddy apartments etc, no shops to have a gawk in apart from rorys.

Grizzly 45

Watts Bros on the quay was always to me a major stop and shop point anytime I was up in the big city since I could shoot or fish.My parents knew I was easily bribed to trapise around Dublin with them if I could go to Watts.That was another shop that went from "Mild to Wild" in their gunroom stock.Always remember that they would have the guns out on display in the shop,and take them into the strong room for lunch [1to 2] then bring them all out again until 5 oclock:eek:.A load of work for them,but it was really nice to see.

Only discoverd G&K later on when I was older and when I had my "Summer in Dublin":pFound them more traditional and pricey ,even then,but a wealth of info too.
All changed,changed utterly.:(

Sika98k

moby30 wrote: »

I have a box of eley grandprix no.7 16 gauge cartridges at home. I'll stick up a few photos later. I have them a good while and only recently took them out to show a friend and noticed the were made by Irish metal industries at earls island Galway.

Some years,7 or 8,ago I bought a Bonehill 16 bore from a man in Castleblaney. When I got the licence and called to collect the gun I couldnt believe my eyes at the collection of old[papercased] cartridges he gave me along with a lot of old cartridges from IMI Galway in their original boxes.

Mr.Flibble

Feisar wrote: »

Not sure how the cartridges were closed, how were the old paper ones finished?

Overshot wad and roll crimp.

http://projects.nfstc.org/firearms/images/glossary/wad_card.png

moby30

late gettin these photos up

moby30

more photos

harmoniums

That's really cool Moby, thanks for posting

rowa

Where is earl's island in galway ? I looked on google earth and the only result was in a lake to the west of lough mask. Doesn't appear to have ever had anything built on it.

tac foley

323 wrote: »

As a kid had thought the same of one of my dads stories when I found an old shotgun shell reloading press in the garage. Said it was used when he was a kid, guessing around the WW2 to early 50's.

The precedent has been set!

tac

Feisar

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Watts Bros on the quay was always to me a major stop and shop point anytime I was up in the big city since I could shoot or fish.My parents knew I was easily bribed to trapise around Dublin with them if I could go to Watts.That was another shop that went from "Mild to Wild" in their gunroom stock.Always remember that they would have the guns out on display in the shop,and take them into the strong room for lunch [1to 2] then bring them all out again until 5 oclock:eek:.A load of work for them,but it was really nice to see.

Only discoverd G&K later on when I was older and when I had my "Summer in Dublin":pFound them more traditional and pricey ,even then,but a wealth of info too.
All changed,changed utterly.:(

I was only in Watts once, I'd say it's about 13 years ago I would have been 15. They were going to be closing down and Dad said it was a bit of shooting history and brought me there before it vanished.

rowa

Watts had a sign over their door saying gun and rifle makers has anyone ever seen a gun or rifle they actually made ?

Grizzly 45

`Careful now! You'll set Harmonious off in a tizzy,and before you know it he'll be posting another video with "Got my Irish Watts Bros gunsmith, one only, ever made rifle today".
:D:D:D
But seriously ,I reckon he'd be the lad to ask around here...
No doubt he'll be along shortly..:)

rowa

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

`Careful now! You'll set Harmonious off in a tizzy,and before you know it he'll be posting another video with "Got my Irish Watts Bros gunsmith, one only, ever made rifle today".
:D:D:D
But seriously ,I reckon he'd be the lad to ask around here...
No doubt he'll be along shortly..:)

or tony curran up in the gun gallery, he worked in watts long enough.