# Original Red Innertube Rubber?



## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

Here's a picture of a red rubber innertube I picked up. Some countries like parts of Africa ,India, Malaysia,and other smaller countries,still have some older vehicles using red innertubes in their tires. I picked this up from India and promptly cut it. I'll cut some bands from it and see how she does. Doesn't smell quite like the red rubber that I remember but feels pretty similar.Kind of brings back some memories of the hunt for good used innertubes at local gas stations. That and prying out ball bearings from the metal holding rings. Ah, what memories!







Flatband


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## Sean (Nov 17, 2011)

I'd be interested in your findings on that. I've been thinking of making one from the black stuff but not
really sure how it might perform?


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

Sean, we used the black inner tubes also when we were kids. The red ones were very hard to find. The black were okay just didn't last as long as the red. I was a kid in the 60's and early 70's so the era of the red innertube rubber was really in the 40's and 50's. They were rare even in the 60's. Love finding old stuff. Makes me feel young again! Flatband


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

Cool find FB, good shooting


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## Allen Welsh (Nov 13, 2012)

I remember when I was living rough I found a football in a park so I cut a fork from a Birch tree burst the ball and used the bladder as bands and some of the leather of the ball its self for the pouch.
Got a fair few rabbits and squirrles with that set up.
Sorry if this is a bit off topic but seeing the inner tube brought it back to me.

Cheers
AL


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

I cut a few strips from that inner tube and stretched it out some. The RTF( return to form) isn't so good. I cut a piece about 12"s long and stretched it out- it came back but ended up being about 15"s long. That tells me that the memory is weak. You want rubber to come back almost back to the length you started from before a big stretch. Still may be good for small ammo though. The real old red inner tube rubber was really a deep red in color. This stuff is more like a pink -orange. I just love playing with all this stuff! Flatband


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