contorting your brass...

Magnum Wheel Man · January 24, 2012, 04:05 PM

what is the most "twisted" case you've made from another ( an interesting new change )

I have a Contender collection, so I'm pretty used to making one case into another ( TCU cartridges for example ) but also have dies to make 7.62 X 25 cases out of .223, & 7.62 X 45 cases out of 220 Swift...

been wanting to do something with the old Velo-dog cartridge, but they are nearly impossible to come by... was talking to my retired tool & die buddy, & with the caliper & micrometer in hand, he asked if I really wanted to do it, he could set me up to swage 5.7 X 28 cases into velo-dog cases... I was pretty stunned that he thought it would work... but he's sure he could do it, & I have at least 1000 once fired 5.7 cases... so that old 22 rimfire magnum reloadable cartridge thought, might just come to fruitation

what is the most strange case conversion you guys have ever done ???

Edward429451 · January 25, 2012, 01:10 AM

The only case conversion I've ever done was reforming surplus blanks (x 63) into 45 acp shotshell brass. It is a really simple one step operation involving running a blank up into the trim die on an extended shell holder and then cutting it off with a hacksaw and deburring it.

(This lets me get a military primer live & crimped in place.)
They work ok but will not cycle it 100%. Considering they cost less than the store bought Speers, they work great.

Scorch · January 25, 2012, 03:29 AM

I used to work for a commercial reloader that also made obsolete ammo, so I got the crash course in cartridge case conversions. 30-40 Krag to 405 Winchester, 35 Remington to 401 WSL, 225 Winchester to 401 Herters Super Mag, 32-20 to 8mm Lebel pistol, you would be surprised what you can do once you learn to anneal, form, base strip, ream, draw, and trim brass.

griz · January 25, 2012, 09:03 AM

Other than playing around with "joke" rounds, the most I have stretched a case is making 410 shot shell brass from 303 cases.

Magnum Wheel Man · January 25, 2012, 09:15 AM

GRIZ... I load .410 shells in 444 Marlin cases( with the head stamps knurled out )... deepened the rim on a couple guns just enough to take the fatter rim of the 444, & yet still will shoot factory 410 shells...

I can get 3" shot shell equivelent loads in a standard 444 case... ( I also load some .375 lead round balls, as well as shot )

does the 303 have a thinner rim, or do you just have a good supply of those cases ???

you might call making a Velo-dog case a "joke round" but I also make 40-65 cases from my 45-70 cases... & those are serious business

FrankenMauser · January 25, 2012, 02:00 PM

.44 Mag shotshells from .30-40 Krag and/or .303 British cases.

.44 Mag from .30-40 Krag and/or .303 British. (Sounds the same as above, but it's a very different process and end result.)

.410 loads in .444 Marlin.

.243 Winchester from .30-06. It sounds simple, but it's a helluva lot of work.

Anything else just involves pushing shoulders around, changing case length, and/or changing neck diameter.

griz · January 25, 2012, 04:39 PM

I believe the 303 has a thinner rim, at least I didn't have to thin it down in my cheap single shot. Didn't try it in any other gun though, so I might have just gotten lucky. By the way, by joke, I meant creations that were unlikely to the point of being impossible. Like a 45 bullet in a 223 case.

m&p45acp10+1 · January 25, 2012, 05:02 PM

I form .357 Wildey Magnum from .475 Wildey Magnum cases. Also .221 Fireball from .223 cases.

The .357 Wildey takes the use of two reforming dies to keep from trashing the brass. Though it is a heck of a lot of power. It shoots realy flat out of the 14 inch barrel of my Wildey Magnum. Brass for the .475 Wildey is expensive, and hard to come by so I do not shoot a whole lot with it. Though when I do it is a ton of fun to shoot.

Ideal Tool · January 25, 2012, 05:11 PM

Hello, Magnum Wheel Man. So far..nothing really exotic..about 30 some years ago, I bought a custom Mauser actioned rifle in .219 Donaldson Wasp...built in the late 1940's. The darn RCBS three piece case froming die set cost more than the rifle! Basic brass is .30-30WCF. My other project..which I haven't shot yet is a .22 Ackley Bee..std. Winchester .218 Bee case, fireformed in Ackley 40deg. chamber. Gunsmith friend made & did write-up in Fouling Shot of the British 297/230.. .22 Hornet brass shortened & re-necked back to .22.

Magnum Wheel Man · January 25, 2012, 05:41 PM

M&P... I hear ya on the Wildley... I have an Automag 4 in 10 mm magnum... while the gun shoots well, I've found I rarely shoot it, as it seem everytime I take it out, I lose at least 1 or 2 of those darned cases... converted a S&W 610 to 10 mag, so I still shoot the cartridge a bunch, just not so often in the auto gun...

m&p45acp10+1 · January 25, 2012, 05:56 PM

The good thing about the Wildey is that the gas port is adjustable. I turn it off. While there is a bit of an increase in recoil, I do not have to search for the brass. The thing is with FL sizing the things the cases will split at the case mouth after a few firings. Anneling extends the life of the cases somewhat, but replacing them is is frustrating to find them, and painful to pay for them on a janitor's pay.

January 24, 2012, 04:05 PM	#1
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	contorting your brass... what is the most "twisted" case you've made from another ( an interesting new change ) I have a Contender collection, so I'm pretty used to making one case into another ( TCU cartridges for example ) but also have dies to make 7.62 X 25 cases out of .223, & 7.62 X 45 cases out of 220 Swift... been wanting to do something with the old Velo-dog cartridge, but they are nearly impossible to come by... was talking to my retired tool & die buddy, & with the caliper & micrometer in hand, he asked if I really wanted to do it, he could set me up to swage 5.7 X 28 cases into velo-dog cases... I was pretty stunned that he thought it would work... but he's sure he could do it, & I have at least 1000 once fired 5.7 cases... so that old 22 rimfire magnum reloadable cartridge thought, might just come to fruitation what is the most strange case conversion you guys have ever done ??? __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust... Last edited by Magnum Wheel Man; January 24, 2012 at 04:11 PM.

January 25, 2012, 03:29 AM	#3
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	I used to work for a commercial reloader that also made obsolete ammo, so I got the crash course in cartridge case conversions. 30-40 Krag to 405 Winchester, 35 Remington to 401 WSL, 225 Winchester to 401 Herters Super Mag, 32-20 to 8mm Lebel pistol, you would be surprised what you can do once you learn to anneal, form, base strip, ream, draw, and trim brass. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

January 25, 2012, 09:15 AM	#5
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	GRIZ... I load .410 shells in 444 Marlin cases( with the head stamps knurled out )... deepened the rim on a couple guns just enough to take the fatter rim of the 444, & yet still will shoot factory 410 shells... I can get 3" shot shell equivelent loads in a standard 444 case... ( I also load some .375 lead round balls, as well as shot ) does the 303 have a thinner rim, or do you just have a good supply of those cases ??? you might call making a Velo-dog case a "joke round" but I also make 40-65 cases from my 45-70 cases... & those are serious business __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

January 25, 2012, 02:00 PM	#6
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	.44 Mag shotshells from .30-40 Krag and/or .303 British cases. .44 Mag from .30-40 Krag and/or .303 British. (Sounds the same as above, but it's a very different process and end result.) .410 loads in .444 Marlin. .243 Winchester from .30-06. It sounds simple, but it's a helluva lot of work. Anything else just involves pushing shoulders around, changing case length, and/or changing neck diameter. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

January 25, 2012, 05:02 PM	#8
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	I form .357 Wildey Magnum from .475 Wildey Magnum cases. Also .221 Fireball from .223 cases. The .357 Wildey takes the use of two reforming dies to keep from trashing the brass. Though it is a heck of a lot of power. It shoots realy flat out of the 14 inch barrel of my Wildey Magnum. Brass for the .475 Wildey is expensive, and hard to come by so I do not shoot a whole lot with it. Though when I do it is a ton of fun to shoot. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

January 25, 2012, 01:10 AM	#2
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	The only case conversion I've ever done was reforming surplus blanks (x 63) into 45 acp shotshell brass. It is a really simple one step operation involving running a blank up into the trim die on an extended shell holder and then cutting it off with a hacksaw and deburring it. (This lets me get a military primer live & crimped in place.) They work ok but will not cycle it 100%. Considering they cost less than the store bought Speers, they work great.

January 25, 2012, 09:03 AM	#4
griz Senior Member Join Date: July 31, 2000 Location: Middle Peninsula, VA Posts: 1,588	Other than playing around with "joke" rounds, the most I have stretched a case is making 410 shot shell brass from 303 cases.

January 25, 2012, 04:39 PM	#7
griz Senior Member Join Date: July 31, 2000 Location: Middle Peninsula, VA Posts: 1,588	I believe the 303 has a thinner rim, at least I didn't have to thin it down in my cheap single shot. Didn't try it in any other gun though, so I might have just gotten lucky. By the way, by joke, I meant creations that were unlikely to the point of being impossible. Like a 45 bullet in a 223 case.

January 25, 2012, 05:11 PM	#9
Ideal Tool Junior member Join Date: October 6, 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,080	Hello, Magnum Wheel Man. So far..nothing really exotic..about 30 some years ago, I bought a custom Mauser actioned rifle in .219 Donaldson Wasp...built in the late 1940's. The darn RCBS three piece case froming die set cost more than the rifle! Basic brass is .30-30WCF. My other project..which I haven't shot yet is a .22 Ackley Bee..std. Winchester .218 Bee case, fireformed in Ackley 40deg. chamber. Gunsmith friend made & did write-up in Fouling Shot of the British 297/230.. .22 Hornet brass shortened & re-necked back to .22.

January 25, 2012, 05:41 PM	#10
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	M&P... I hear ya on the Wildley... I have an Automag 4 in 10 mm magnum... while the gun shoots well, I've found I rarely shoot it, as it seem everytime I take it out, I lose at least 1 or 2 of those darned cases... converted a S&W 610 to 10 mag, so I still shoot the cartridge a bunch, just not so often in the auto gun... __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

January 25, 2012, 05:56 PM	#11
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	The good thing about the Wildey is that the gas port is adjustable. I turn it off. While there is a bit of an increase in recoil, I do not have to search for the brass. The thing is with FL sizing the things the cases will split at the case mouth after a few firings. Anneling extends the life of the cases somewhat, but replacing them is is frustrating to find them, and painful to pay for them on a janitor's pay. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search