So here I am, resizing 20mm Vulcan brass...

[Bogie]

(which is kinda trippy for those of you who know me from when I was shooting benchrest...)

...and I thought I'd relate a little of what has gone into it...

You can't buy 20mm Vulcan dies at Midway... Or at least I didn't see any... And a Rockchucker is gonna be a Rockchoker...

So...

The press is a hydraulic pump-operated two-way ram.

Since we're loading "dummies" to make our bottle openers, we went with the field expedient method, and rigged a plate on the bottom to hold the dies.

The plate is pretty simple - several holes to screw mount to the bottom plate of the press, and a larger hole in the middle. The dies are fairly simple, and have a rim on one end that stays under the plate.

The downward-facing ram has a turned piece of tool steel, with the shellholder keyway cut into it. Just enough slop to allow for clearance for mildly out of spec stuff.

We're neck sizing only. Why? This press doesn't have the stroke to FL resize, and the neck works for us. This die is only about 1" high. We're using Imperial Die Wax for lube.

The seating die is turned to approximately bullet-profile, and pretty fully supports the steel projectile. We've got the piece on the table "floating" instead of firmly screwed down become some of the brass is just "bananna'd enough to be interesting.

I have no idea how much pressure is required, but it is fairly high.

[Shoney]

And I suppose you are going to use them for a new 22 caliber wild cat?

Zip, zowie and swooosh!!!

[Bogie]

We're actually considering building a 20mm rifle, but that's going to be in the future when we feel like jumping through all the hoops that entails... We got the idea for the bottle openers while sitting around a campfire at Knob Creek (with a little refreshment involved...), and within about a week and a half of being back, we had the R&D accomplished, production jigs cut, and the dies turned on one of the lathes...

The brass is sourced from one vendor, and the steel projectiles from another. The brass just get neck sized, but the projectiles get chucked in a lathe for a cleanup, then turned around to make sure the base is uniform. Then they're machined five at a time in the Shizouka mill, cleaned up again in the Hardinge lathe, then seated, and given a final brushing and polishing before bluing.

Our Harding turret lathe is pretty cool, and I'm considering doing a run or three of solid copper projectiles, or maybe some other substance if someone is interested. Also considering maybe making some reduced-capacity brass...

[jmorris]

Sounds like a job for an arbor press unless you are doing thousands and a punch press would be more appropriate

[Unclenick]

Sounds like a fun project. For convenience of carry weight, you could run the projectiles out of aluminum bar stock and have them anodized any color you wanted. The bases could be bored for some filler lead if it turned out you didn't like the lack of heft after all. You could also roll stamp them: "CAUTION! Not for opening beer with less than 4.5% alcohol by volume", or your own creative slogan for helping get people into trouble. Perhaps some pithy philosophy would be in order. "Confucius says: He who can read these words without losing focus needs another beer." That's not too clever, but another campfire or two and you will undoubtedly come up with something better.

[dlb435]

You may want to check with the BATF before you get started. I believe that .500 inch is the legal max. 20mm is .787 inch.

[jmorris]

Bottle openers are not regulated by the ATF as far as I know. Regardless you can build a 20mm rifle if you form 1 a DD and send in $200 for the stamp. A place in AZ, I think Anzo, makes one you cam buy on a form 4.

[mehavey]

We're actually considering building a 20mm rifle

See: http://www.atf.gov/firearms/guides/i...ve-device.html

Any type of weapon by whatever name known
which will, or which may readily be converted to
expel a projectile, by the action of an explosive
or other propellant, the barrel or barrels of which
have a bore greater than one-half inch in diameter.

The last "...sporting puposes..." exemption, however, leaves me w/ more questions than answers.

[Kevin Rohrer]

I'd like to see pictures. I have a 20mm Oerlikon dummy round. It is pretty big and I would hate to feel the recoil of it going off.

And CH4D makes dies for the Vulcan. I believe I saw them setting on the shelf when I was there in April.

www.ch4d.com

[jmorris]

This is the place that sells shoulder fired 20mm rifles.

http://www.anzioironworks.com/

[ipscchef]

I have got to get me one of those!
Please let me know if you have any to sell and what the price is.
MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Bill "Willy"Henderson

[dreamweaver]

about 13,000 bucks to start.
question: what the heck do you shoot with that thing??
i mean it has to meet "sporting" guidelines, right?

[jmorris]

Anything you want destroyed or at least pretty messed up. It's less practicle than a 50bmg but you can still legally have one if you pay the tax. I think for the cost per shot, I'll stick with my bowling ball mortar.

[ipscchef]

Jmorris and Dreamweaver, maybe you guys should read the post a little more carefuly. He stated clearly that he was making BEER BOTTLE OPENERS WITH DUMMY CASES!!! I doubt that he is going to try to get $13,000 for a bottle opener. And I am pretty sure that you do not have to prove a beer opener has a sporting purpose.
Jmorris, do you have a pic of that bowling ball morter? Now that does sound like fun!!

Willy

[ipscchef]

Hey Bogie, I like Shoneys idea, could you neck some down for me to .224, put a pound or two of say r25, retumbo, or H1000 in it and cap it with 50gr Bergers? Shall we say a Barrel length of about 12 feet or so? we could call it the .22 Einstein time traveler!!
That should work just fine, right?

Willy
I will settle for a bottle opener for now though!