Author Topic: Boxer brass for 7.5 X 55mm Swiss (Read 1549 times)

Almtnman · « **on:** October 17, 2006, 11:34:41 AM »

I'm looking for some 7.5 X 55mm Swiss boxer brass for my K-31 and Graf's seems to no longer have their brand in stock. They do stock the Norma brass, but I find it a little pricey. Anybody know where I can get some boxer brass reasonable?

Maryland Hunter · « **Reply #1 on:** October 17, 2006, 02:21:07 PM »

Try the Wolf Gold factory loads from various sites. I believe Midway carries it, along with Graf. Shoot it up, and there's your brass. You can also form them from .284 brass. I tried a .284 and it sized well in my Lee 7.5X55 dies, but I've not reloaded or shot them yet.
I've been looking for them too, but these have been my only options.
Hope this helps.

MH

Almtnman · « **Reply #2 on:** October 17, 2006, 02:23:22 PM »

Quote from: Maryland Hunter on October 17, 2006, 02:21:07 PM

Try the Wolf Gold factory loads from various sites. I believe Midway carries it, along with Graf. Shoot it up, and there's your brass. You can also form them from .280 brass. I tried a .280 and it sized well in my Lee 7.5X55 dies, but I've not reloaded or shot them yet. I've been looking for it too, but these have been my only options.
Hope this helps.

MH

OK, thanks MH, I'll see about getting some of the Wolf Gold factory loads.

jack19512 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 17, 2006, 02:23:48 PM »

For now I think your best bet is to buy ammo like the Prvi Partizan, enjoy shooting it and then you will have some reloadable cases.

I talked to Graf&Sons about them advertising the Swiss 7.5X55 brass and them knowing they didn't have any and let them know I didn't think that was a good idea.

They still say they will get more of the Swiss 7.5X55 brass, they just don't know when. I still reload the Berdan primed Swiss brass. Until my Berdan primers run out.

Almtnman · « **Reply #4 on:** October 17, 2006, 02:39:35 PM »

Quote from: jack19512 on October 17, 2006, 02:23:48 PM

For now I think your best bet is to buy ammo like the Prvi Partizan, enjoy shooting it and then you will have some reloadable cases.

I talked to Graf&Sons about them advertising the Swiss 7.5X55 brass and them knowing they didn't have any and let them know I didn't think that was a good idea.

They still say they will get more of the Swiss 7.5X55 brass, they just don't know when. I still reload the Berdan primed Swiss brass. Until my Berdan primers run out.

I sent Graf's an email asking about their brand of brass and they replied back that they no longer stocked it. I noticed the Prvi Partizan ammo, but wasn't sure if it was boxer primed or not. I did a check at Midaway and found the Wolf Gold ammo in soft point and full metal jacket, but both were out of stock, but they did allow backorders. I'll try to get some of it.

I tried getting some berdan primers a while back, but didn't have any luck on getting them in the size that the Swiss uses, they only had the smaller berdan primers at the time.

Thanks for the info, it was a great help.

jgalar · « **Reply #5 on:** October 17, 2006, 03:01:37 PM »

The 284 Winchester brass works very well.

acloco · « **Reply #6 on:** October 17, 2006, 03:19:45 PM »

Second what jgalar stated.

I have 500 rounds of 284 win brass...works perfectly.

The Win brass is thicker in all the good places...but just a touch.

One pass through the sizing die opens the neck to 30 cal...fire once...and they are perfect. If nothing else, gives you an excuse to work up several loads.

My rifles shoot 150 to 180 grain pills very well. REALLY likes some 174 gr FMJ's that I found.

Forgot...maybe I should mention...but this is a 300 yard group of 5 shots and open sights.

Almtnman · « **Reply #7 on:** October 18, 2006, 03:11:54 AM »

I knew about the 284 Winchester brass and would use it if I had some, only if it is bought new, it generally costs more than the 7.5 brass.

I found a couple of boxes of very old factory loads of the 284 Winchester in a gun shop and the price of it was well above what I would pay for loaded ammo.

I believe buying some of the Prvi loaded ammo to get the brass will be my best option.

acloco · « **Reply #8 on:** October 18, 2006, 11:52:41 AM »

In the long run, you are money ahead buying the 284 Win brass. Better quality and a touch heavier. But, that is just my experience.

Buy dies yet? If not, go for the Redding 2 or 3 die set. They are made for the K31 chamber, not the K11 chamber.

Maryland Hunter · « **Reply #9 on:** October 18, 2006, 01:59:09 PM »

The Wolf Gold uses Privi Partizan brass. The .284 goes for $22.59 for 50 at Grafs right now. $45 for 10 rounds, still cheaper than Norma!

MH

Almtnman · « **Reply #10 on:** October 18, 2006, 04:05:02 PM »

Thanks to both of you for the info. It has been a lot of help. Didn't know that about the Redding dies. I had planned on getting the RCBS dies, but will check the Redding dies out.

Thanks!

jh45gun · « **Reply #11 on:** October 25, 2006, 03:58:06 PM »

I think the Winchester 284 brass is better and to be honest I figure (Well hope anyway) that if we keep buying the 284 brass Winchester will keep making it as they only do limited runs now since the 284 is getting to be an obscure cartridge though there is an other wildcat based on this case.

jgalar · « **Reply #12 on:** October 26, 2006, 03:11:33 AM »

Also I have found the quality of the Graf brass to be lacking (whoever makes it)
Some of the Graf stuff has very loose primer pockets. I only shoot reduced cast loads so it doesn't bother me much, but if I were shooting jacketed it would.

Almtnman · « **Reply #13 on:** October 26, 2006, 12:49:40 PM »

Quote from: jgalar on October 26, 2006, 03:11:33 AM

Also I have found the quality of the Graf brass to be lacking (whoever makes it)
Some of the Graf stuff has very loose primer pockets. I only shoot reduced cast loads so it doesn't bother me much, but if I were shooting jacketed it would.

Someone on another forum I'm on once told me that the Graf's brass was made by Hornady. Graf does not stock it anymore though. I sent them an email asking why I couldn't find it on their site and they responded back in an email that it was no longer being stocked by them.

RaySendero · « **Reply #14 on:** October 26, 2006, 03:54:10 PM »

Quote from: almtnman on October 26, 2006, 12:49:40 PM

...... I sent them an email asking why I couldn't find it on their site and they responded back in an email that it was no longer being stocked by them.

Was your question and their answer referring to just the Graf 7.5x55 brass or ALL of Graf brass?

Almtnman · « **Reply #15 on:** October 27, 2006, 01:24:09 AM »

Quote from: RaySendero on October 26, 2006, 03:54:10 PM

Was your question and their answer referring to just the Graf 7.5x55 brass or ALL of Graf brass?

I had asked about the 7.5 X 55mm Swiss brass that they stocked with their brand name on it. The reply I got back was that they dis-continued stocking the 7.5 X 55mm Swiss brass in their brand name.

Mikey · « **Reply #16 on:** October 27, 2006, 03:01:07 AM »

almtnman: I would go the route of converting an American caliber casing to get your 7.5s and not go with european made casings. I say this because just recently I started reloading for my 8x57s and found that S&B brass, which I have been saving after shooting, is made to european metric specifications and doesn't always work with standard measure reloading equipment. They would deprime and resize perfectly in my Rockchucker but the case head would not fit my Lee Loader (priming tool). When I would find the occasional piece of barass that I could squeeze into the Lee Loader I found the American made large rifle primers were too 'deep' for the primer hole and I suspect that both the rim diameter and primer hole are made to euro metric specs and just that much larger than the standard measure (US) specs so that things don't always work or fit. Not so with the 303 Brits and I haven't yet tried the 6.5 Swedes but I have also found the Swede casings do not fit into the Lee Loader. I solved my problems by purchasing US made brass (Remingtons), but just hain't got out to the range yet to try my loads.

If you can make up your 7.5mm brass by using an American made cartridge casing you may be a lot happier than you would tryiing a euro made casing. JMHO and HTH. Mikey.

Almtnman · « **Reply #17 on:** October 27, 2006, 03:21:59 AM »

Quote from: Mikey on October 27, 2006, 03:01:07 AM

almtnman: I would go the route of converting an American caliber casing to get your 7.5s and not go with european made casings. I say this because just recently I started reloading for my 8x57s and found that S&B brass, which I have been saving after shooting, is made to european metric specifications and doesn't always work with standard measure reloading equipment. They would deprime and resize perfectly in my Rockchucker but the case head would not fit my Lee Loader (priming tool). When I would find the occasional piece of barass that I could squeeze into the Lee Loader I found the American made large rifle primers were too 'deep' for the primer hole and I suspect that both the rim diameter and primer hole are made to euro metric specs and just that much larger than the standard measure (US) specs so that things don't always work or fit. Not so with the 303 Brits and I haven't yet tried the 6.5 Swedes but I have also found the Swede casings do not fit into the Lee Loader. I solved my problems by purchasing US made brass (Remingtons), but just hain't got out to the range yet to try my loads.

If you can make up your 7.5mm brass by using an American made cartridge casing you may be a lot happier than you would tryiing a euro made casing. JMHO and HTH. Mikey.

Mikey...that sounds very reasonable! I know where I can pick up a couple of boxes of old factory loaded .284 Winchester or at least I did not long ago if it's still at the gun shop. I will go by and see if they still have that and pull the bullets for the brass. I also happened on another gun shop nearby that I didn't know about and have been finding a lot of things there that I haven't been able to find in other gun shops, I will check with them too.

Almtnman · « **Reply #18 on:** October 27, 2006, 10:43:46 AM »

I drove over to the gun shop looking for that .284 Winchester factory loads and it was still there. The boxes was so old that they were falling apart and the price on both boxes was kind of high for ammo or I thought it was especially being as old as it was. I asked the guy about the crimp on it telling him I only wanted the brass and needed to pull the bullets so I could use it for my K-31. He said, "we just got a shipment of boxer primer ammo for the 7.5 X 55mm Swiss last week and it's over here on this other table". I bought a couple of boxes of 174 grain softpoint at $12.95 each and it's FNM ammo, I think made in Portugal. If it turns out OK, I'll go back and buy 3 more boxes so I'll have at least a 100 rounds of reloadable brass. I did a search and found a few forums that said the FNM ammo was made by Prvi.

Anybody know anything about the FNM ammo?

acloco · « **Reply #19 on:** October 28, 2006, 04:37:12 PM »

Not that you would not anyway, but monitor case necks constantly for signs of failure. (on the Privi/FNM brass)

Almtnman · « **Reply #20 on:** October 29, 2006, 01:09:59 AM »

I'll keep a watch on them as usual. Thanks!

One thing that I noticed about the FNM ammo that I bought was that all the case necks were dis-colored, so I figure that they had been annealed by which factory had loaded them. Other than that neck dis-coloration from the annealing process, the rest of the brass was very shiny.