Author Topic: All brass shotgun ammo (Read 10506 times)

Moonpi · « **on:** May 11, 2003, 08:32:44 AM »

Have any of you galoots ever loaded/shot any of the all brass shotshells?
Been thinking about trying it. I'm an experienced rifle/pistol loader but never done shotshells. They sure look kewl in a bandaleer!
Any opinions?

Robert · « **Reply #1 on:** May 11, 2003, 10:29:50 AM »

I have never re-loaded them, I have a commemoritive box of 12's from Ducks Unlimited, and just cant bring myself to shoot any of those pretty things. I would love to find a few loose ones to try though. Shouldnt be too much different from loading normal shells, except maybe you might want to use a little case lube with brass that high.

Ross · « **Reply #2 on:** May 12, 2003, 07:11:41 PM »

Moonpi,
Brass shotshells are not usually sized for reloading, but are loaded with simple decap-recap tools and up-sized wads, eg. 11 ga. wads in a 12 ga hull as the brass is thinner than plastic or paper. Conventionally, the over shot wad was glued in and not crimped, so the cases last forever.
When I was a lad, we used water-glass (sodium silicate) as a cement, now white glue is used.
Traditionally, the conventional shot load was equal volumes of sporting (black) powder and shot, with as much cushion wadding as would fit between the over powder wad and the shot. A wadcutter would be a good investment if much shooting is planned.
Wad guides were then fashioned from the brass base of a paper shell. You can buy plastic ones now.
Cheers from Grayest California,
Ross

Charlie Detroit · « **Reply #3 on:** May 14, 2003, 03:03:33 AM »

As I recall, the old-timers I knew used something called Canadian Balsam to hold the over-shot card in the case. Seems to me something like gum arabic would work, too.
As an aside, I have seen these loaded with NO over-shot card, but instead, all the little balls were sorta glued together in the front end of the case. This is not something I'd try if I wasn't damned sure that the glue stuff would all break apart at firing...the thought of that solid missile going through the choke gives me the heebie-jeebies.
Also, WHERE are these all-brass shells available, and for how much?

Ross · « **Reply #4 on:** May 14, 2003, 05:14:24 AM »

Charlie Detroit,
Presently, I know of only one source of brass shotshells: Old western Scrounger. They are excellent CBC Brazilian cases, but, alas they are Berdan primed. CBC Berdan primers are about $3.00 per hundred, and the cases about $22.00 per 25. Most people are turned off by Berdan primers, but they are not as difficult as many imagine. The biggest problem is availability. Also, the CBC primers are not suitable for hot loads or sloppy firing pins and European brands are made from unobtanium. It is rumored that CBC 12 ga. is now Boxer primed with LR primers. If that is so, I'll have to grab me a few boxes. I have some now in .410, 32, 28 and 24 gauges with Berdan pockets. The 32 ga makes .50-70 Govt, the 24 is for my .577-.450 and .577 Snider.
There has been some Russian copper-plated steel cases and from time to time you may find some good Bell or perhaps HDS new brass in 12 ga, and the Winchester and Remington from the Korean War, oops, Police Action, or before.
Cheers from Grayest California,
Ross

Sgt. Drydock · « **Reply #5 on:** May 15, 2003, 10:23:18 AM »

For modern brass hulls that use 209 primers go here: http://www.rockymountaincartridge.com/page10.html and here: http://www.skeetshooterbrass.homestead.com/

for wads and info go here: www.circlefly.com

Most times for CAS, I simply shove a .125" overpowder card down on the shot, the heavy card holds just fine as is. For any arial/long shots I might use a thin overshot card and Elmers White Glue. But ya really gotta clean the hull good for that. Some old timers dribbled egg whites on that card, or candle wax. Waterglass, or Sodium Silicate, is also available, and is a classic overshot card glue.

Pigeonroost Slim · « **Reply #6 on:** May 16, 2003, 02:23:23 AM »

I am not familiar with Canadian Balsam; but have heard of isingglass to seal with. Most of your old style drug stores have it in stock and the new ones can order it. Wine making shops sell it too as a clarifying agent for cloudy vino. Place over shot wadding and pour melted isingglass over that and it hardens to a durable seal that shatters wehn ya fire. Elmer's White Gule-All works jest fine too.

38-55 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 30, 2003, 02:33:20 PM »

Have some cases from old west scrounger that use regular large rifle primers. They work very well. Cases last a long time, if they are cleaned and taken care of.

KSR · « **Reply #8 on:** March 24, 2004, 09:14:16 PM »

I have 50 of the CBC that I got from Midway, about 20 bucks a box.
I got the overshot cards, shot cushions and over shot cards from circlefly.
I picked up a bottle of water glass a the local drug store for 12 bucks. (its
a quart jar).
They are supposed to use large rifle primers but I have been using LP
instead.
They are A LOT OF FUN :-D

Ross · « **Reply #9 on:** March 27, 2004, 04:30:36 PM »

I see that Huntington has (Boxer, I believe) CBC 12 ga for retail $15.98 per 25. Part no. 1224.
I'll try to go in and check early next week.
Cheers from Darkest California,
Ross

Ringo Steele · « **Reply #10 on:** April 07, 2004, 03:56:50 PM »

MidwayUSA and Graf's also carry the CBC brass. I got wads from Track of the Wolf (made by CircleFly, and a little cheaper, too!).
On advice fron several sources, I use Duco Cement (like for building models) on the over shot card.

Midway and Graf sell the brass for $13-14 per 25.

The Pistoleer · « **Reply #11 on:** May 02, 2004, 12:18:23 PM »

Midway currently has the Magtech brass hulls on sale for under $12.00 or 25. Most people I have talked to use large PISTOL primers. Sometimes the rifle primers stickout some. Not good with a doube if the firing pin is stuck.

When you order the wads get 11 gauge for eveything but the over shot card. There a 10 gauge card works better. I to ordered the Cirle Fly wads from Track of the Wolf. I bought the unlubed cushion wads. They are easy to lube by just melting some Crisc in in a pan and toss in some wads and stir them around until they are well soaked. Put them on a newspaper to dry. I used 1oz of Pyrodex RS a nitro card then a lubed wad then a dry wad then 1 oz of 9 shot and then a 10 gauge over shot card which I sealed with Duco cement. (Elmers didn't work but it mifght be because of the lube left in the hull by the wad)

I haven't had a chance to shoot these yet when I do I'll let you know how they work.

Pete

JBMauser · « **Reply #12 on:** May 04, 2004, 02:04:15 PM »

A cowpoke who shoots here in VA showed me how he uses red poker chips the kind you buy by the sac in a novelty store as his over shot card. They press fit in and he runs a thin line of glue around the edge. looked neat and worked as well. FWIW JB

maddmaxx · « **Reply #13 on:** July 23, 2004, 02:47:14 PM »

Berdan primed shells can be converted to accept regular shotgun primers. If you have a lathe, it ain't no problem. You just bore it out then solder in the base buttons. You can make 'em from scratch, too by making the base and soldering to the tube. Copper tubing works, but brass looks nicer. Made a bunch of 8ga that way, but had to run 1" brass dom tubing thru 2 dies to get it the right size. They came out pretty. A lot of older shotguns were in 16ga. Used to be more popular than 20. L. C. Smith's were real popular in 16. And if you have one, brass ain't a problem there, either. Buy .50 BMG brass and go from there. Once you make the tooling, (combo centerdrill-pilot-counterbore) it goes pretty fast. Primer pockets need to be bushed up first, though. Makes a pretty 16 shell. As for over-shot wads, I like to use cork gasket mat'l. If the cases are annealed at the mouth, a slight taper crimp can be made by making a cup-shaped tool and tap it w/a mallet. For fiber wads, an arch punch works good. Used ceiling tiles and old blackboard erasers. Turner Kirkland stated in his catalog that newspaper wads work good, too. But I've only heard one case where a guy loaded his barrel out to the end with grape jelly. Guess it was his pet load.

willysjeep134 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 30, 2005, 03:10:58 PM »

Cabelas has a great deal on brass magtec shotgun shells. I am going to order some for .410 and use a blackpowder substitute. I don't shoot CAS, so I am just looking for a way to crank out a box or two of shells a week to take to the trap range. I figure one of those easy clean substitutes must be sort of like the old semismokeless powder, which was in use for many years.

My plan was originally to get over powder cards and just use nrmal .410 plastic wads, but I see it might be cheaper to go with circle fly wads.

I might even try getting some brass 12 gauge hulls, just for fun. It might be neat to have a dozen for trap shooting some evening. Might scare some people. We'll see how well the .410 goes before I get any 12 gauge.

Peddler Parsons · « **Reply #15 on:** February 16, 2005, 03:06:57 AM »

I have switched over to the brass shells, had trouble with both pistol and rifle primers so I and have converted all them to 209 primers. No more trouble and load on my Lee loader. They fall out of the gun and have not lost any yet, but I shot the black stuff

Double D · « **Reply #16 on:** April 23, 2005, 08:23:33 AM »

The fellas shooting the 577/450 in the Martini have been using the 24 gage shells for cases with some pretty good luck.

One thing we found is that these are balloon head cases and are subject head rupture and swelling if the gun is not tightly breeched. Have any of you fellows had this problem in shotguns?

Any thoughts on a source base wads for 24 guage?

Sir Charles deMoutonBlack · « **Reply #17 on:** September 17, 2006, 06:05:35 AM »

I found that a standard 3/4 inch punch cuts great OP and OS wads. I still have a supply of 12 ga. OX-Yoke conditioned cushion wads.

HEAD0001 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 01, 2007, 09:06:59 PM »

You mean these. I just sold four boxes of these over on Leverguns. Tom.

PlacitasSlim · « **Reply #19 on:** June 02, 2007, 12:31:34 PM »

Just got back from a SASS shoot where I shot a box of brass 12ga. All the big mail order houses sell the Magtech shells. I use 11ga nitro cards and wads and 10ga overshot cards. I also use either water glass or Ducco to seal them. I use large pistol primers to prime them.