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BlueTrain · August 9, 2012, 10:35 AM

I don't think we'll run out of metal that soon. But that doesn't mean there couldn't be developments in caseless ammo. That is, successful and practical advances. The problem is, coming up with something that's really an advance.

I was just thinking about tank ammunition. A 120-mm gun uses a base like a shotgun shell and long priming rod that goes up into the rest of the load. The rest of the case, which looks for all the world like a piece of plastic plumbing pipe (it's even white) necked down at the end to hold the projectile. The problem is in the handling. The tank gun is a single loading, semi-automatic gun. It's loaded by hand, with gloves (but not white gloves). The best application for a sporting arm would be shotgun ammunition. But a shotgun shell is already made of either paper or plastic above the brass base. We certainly aren't going to run out of paper or plastic. For smaller bore weapons, you run into a space problem, that being the thickness of the case wall. True, a .410 shotgun shell is no bigger than a .45 but it's on the long size.

Just thinking out loud on those points.

August 9, 2012, 10:35 AM	#42
BlueTrain Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 6,141	I don't think we'll run out of metal that soon. But that doesn't mean there couldn't be developments in caseless ammo. That is, successful and practical advances. The problem is, coming up with something that's really an advance. I was just thinking about tank ammunition. A 120-mm gun uses a base like a shotgun shell and long priming rod that goes up into the rest of the load. The rest of the case, which looks for all the world like a piece of plastic plumbing pipe (it's even white) necked down at the end to hold the projectile. The problem is in the handling. The tank gun is a single loading, semi-automatic gun. It's loaded by hand, with gloves (but not white gloves). The best application for a sporting arm would be shotgun ammunition. But a shotgun shell is already made of either paper or plastic above the brass base. We certainly aren't going to run out of paper or plastic. For smaller bore weapons, you run into a space problem, that being the thickness of the case wall. True, a .410 shotgun shell is no bigger than a .45 but it's on the long size. Just thinking out loud on those points. __________________ Shoot low, sheriff. They're riding Shetlands! Underneath the starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag, and return us to our own beloved homes! Buy War Bonds.