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Dear Old Dog , Never been convinced airgaps where desirable . But then the jillions of Dreyss & Chassepots have them built it . Indian notions of adding more stronger powders was probably their ingrained thinking based on weaker local powders & not exposed to English powders. Measurable in deeper bruised shoulders but bad news for poor Tiger either wayThe air gap is not going to contribute any significant amount of oxygen but it may allow the serpentine powder to open up to allow the deflagration front to advance more rapidly.
But I am of the opinion that the aim was to have a thicker breech to contain an adiabatic deflagration, closer to an actual explosion. In this the deflagration front moves slowly through the compacted serpentine powder and the pressure of the whole chamber raises the temperature such that the whole charge is ignited almost at once just by the temperature caused by the pressure rise.
I note Europeans commenting that the locals would almost fill the chamber whatever the strength of the powder, possibly as they had learned not to allow a large air gap in the chamber.
.And Forsythe wasn't spareing with his loads . I once saw in a collection the Ivory hilted knife a prize from the matches at ' Niee Tal ' If He was involved with, Not sure but think Niee meaning NO & the Tal might mean' worry's ' Thus if my guess is right A good gathering of gentlemen like him self out of the grind & heat of the Raj . A bit like Pukka's shoot in Alberta ! Only his suffers neither
.Cheers Rudyard