Author Topic: Plastic pistol shell cases, will they ever come back? (Read 1465 times)

His lordship. · « **on:** August 03, 2011, 11:15:20 AM »

Back in the 1980's I bought several boxes of plastic cased .38 specials for my Smith and Wesson revolver. They had full metal jacketed bullets with a flat front, more like a wad-cutter. The cases were off white colored plastic, there was a kit that you could get to reload them, I found they were excellent in my gun, very accurate and reliable. You did not need to re size them during reloading as the plastic would bounce back to the proper shape on its own, unlike brass.

As I recall they were made in Washington State. Production was discontinued around the late 80's as sales were poor, people were afraid of the new technology. With time going on and technology taking leaps and bounds since 1987 in our lives, I wonder why no one has reintroduced the concept again?

Sure would make reloading easier, no more case re-sizing, metal fatigue, and use of brass which has been in high demand from China's building growth. I had read an article that the US Army was working on self disintegrating cartridges for a service rifle, I wonder if they were inspired by my plastic .38's?

Anybody remember those cartridges? I don't remember anything like that for center fire rifles though.

Bigeasy · « **Reply #1 on:** August 03, 2011, 11:28:43 AM »

I think it was Speer that used to make plastic casing in revolver calibers, but they were designed for primer powered, plastic bullet plinking loads only. I don't recall ever seeing a plastic cased handgun round that was loaded with real bullets and powder.

Larry

spruce · « **Reply #2 on:** August 03, 2011, 12:06:41 PM »

Yes, it was Speer who made the plastic cases and bullets for plinking with primer only. I think I still have a few somewhere around here.
Didn't think they were all that much fun myself.

Reference the disintegrating ammo - I believe it was Daisy who made a rifle that used a special caseless ammo, maybe in the 70's or 80's. Can't remember if it ever got into production or was just in the prototype stage.

BCB · « **Reply #3 on:** August 03, 2011, 01:10:10 PM »

I think these are the ones you are talking about…

The bullet with this one, a 38 Special cartridge, is a heel design so you can just “snap” it into place. It was the 158 gr. FMJ design…

It used CCI-500 primers and light charges of fast burners, typical of 38 Special reloads…

If you purchase a full box of them, you got a little hand reloader free. I never needed it as I was able to “innovate” using my Auto Prime and a universe decapping die…

These slugs have been fired as can be noted with the rifling…

They were fairly expensive and just plainly didn’t catch on…

Wish I would have purchased the little hand held reloader though…

Good-luck…BCB

Blackhawk44 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 03, 2011, 01:17:03 PM »

They were the USAC reloadable rounds. Really no relation to the Speer primer powered parlor rounds. USAC were pretty much full power with reloading instructions and loads included. Used a heeled (actually knobbed) bullet that snapped into the case. Had a reinforced case head. Lasted about a year on the market then disappeared into collections and odd cigar boxes.

For a real thrill do a search for the plastic cased Dardick Tround (triangular round), used in a magazine fed double action only revolver.

S.B. · « **Reply #5 on:** August 04, 2011, 02:27:09 PM »

That one must of slipped by me? I'm with Bigeasy, I've only seen the plastic ones that used primers only for power?
Steve

BCB · « **Reply #6 on:** August 04, 2011, 02:53:59 PM »

Quote from: S.B. on August 04, 2011, 02:27:09 PM

That one must of slipped by me? I'm with Bigeasy, I've only seen the plastic ones that used primers only for power?
Steve

Yep, there were some that used primers as the only power source...

I have seen them, but I don't even remember what they were...

But, they certainly do exist...

BCB

butchen · « **Reply #7 on:** August 04, 2011, 03:39:48 PM »

Well do any of you remember 45lc that were reamed to take 209's and used wax bullets. I think cowboy shooters used them to fastdraw and bust a balloon. I got a box you got 6 hulls and 100 wax bullets but I left mine out in the car......well you can guess what happen next. You know it wouldn't be hard to ream a 45 and just make a pan full wax and push the hull in. And then pow something to plink with. Sorry wasn't trying to hijack your topic.

drdougrx · « **Reply #8 on:** August 05, 2011, 03:27:18 AM »

I can't say that I remember plastic pistol cases. I do have half a case of plastic cased 223 ball though. They aren't the most accurate round but they were really cheap and fine for plinking.

butchen · « **Reply #9 on:** August 05, 2011, 11:32:31 AM »

Quote from: drdougrx on August 05, 2011, 03:27:18 AM

I can't say that I remember plastic pistol cases. I do have half a case of plastic cased 223 ball though. They aren't the most accurate round but they were really cheap and fine for plinking.

is that the one that is formed out of one piece of plastic and the bullet brakes off? I think I remember a 7.62 that was all plastic and had a primer, I don't remember if there was powder. I will look I may have one somewhere. You saying that made me think of it. Don't think it would cycle an action but it would go bang, not pop. I will look and take a pick of it if I find it.

drdougrx · « **Reply #10 on:** August 05, 2011, 11:45:03 AM »

No Butch...it's a hard rubber case with a brass case head and a bullet seated as nrmal. Will try to post some pics.

butchen · « **Reply #11 on:** August 05, 2011, 12:05:01 PM »

ok thanks I will see if I can find that 7.62 it was all plastic and if you wanted to you snap the bullet off, I think it was a type of training round. I use to keep odd rounds that none of my friend had ever saw but lost most of them had some weard stuff. that is common place now like wild cats and stuff

MGMorden · « **Reply #12 on:** August 12, 2011, 05:29:45 AM »

Never seen them for handguns - while scrounging brass from the local public range though I have ran across empty plastic cases for .308.

jlwilliams · « **Reply #13 on:** August 12, 2011, 05:53:14 AM »

Last year some outfit was selling plastic cased .223 ammo. It was almost as expensive as brass cased ammo. I don't think they really got off the ground beyond a magazine article or two.

butchen · « **Reply #14 on:** August 12, 2011, 06:08:34 AM »

Quote from: MGMorden on August 12, 2011, 05:29:45 AM

Never seen them for handguns - while scrounging brass from the local public range though I have ran across empty plastic cases for .308.

Quote from: butchen on August 05, 2011, 11:32:31 AM

is that the one that is formed out of one piece of plastic and the bullet brakes off? I think I remember a 7.62 that was all plastic and had a primer, I don't remember if there was powder. I will look I may have one somewhere. You saying that made me think of it. Don't think it would cycle an action but it would go bang, not pop. I will look and take a pick of it if I find it.

were they all plastic but for the bottom and sort of a white clear color? I am still looking for the one I have (dad-gum moving, still not got all my stuff unpacked) if I find it I will post a pic

MGMorden · « **Reply #15 on:** August 12, 2011, 09:19:09 AM »

Quote

were they all plastic but for the bottom and sort of a white clear color? I am still looking for the one I have (dad-gum moving, still not got all my stuff unpacked) if I find it I will post a pic

No, the ones I saw had a brass head, and then a case body made out of an opaque blue plastic. Not sure what they fired though as I only saw the empty casings on the ground.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #16 on:** August 12, 2011, 09:25:40 AM »

If you want to see some google the ammo bank

His lordship. · « **Reply #17 on:** August 13, 2011, 11:38:57 AM »

These .38 cal. plastic cases were full charged loads. My room mate at the time told me of her then-dead-father shooting his 30-06 rifle in the back yard of the rural house we were living at during holiday events when she was a child. I decided to do the same but at the ground for safety. It was July 4th and I made sure there was a pile of logs as a back drop, the bullet hit the grass and pulled a chunk out of it, quite a powerful round, the bullet bounced up and hit the logs and I am sure it got burned up during the Winter for fire wood.

The plastic .308 that our members mentioned was also in my cartridge collection during that time. I collected ammo in display cases and remember it well. It was blue but almost transparent, it had a creased plastic bullet, and a light powder charge. We were not sure if it was for ceremonial blank usage for parades, or for crowd control. Never owned a .308 chambered gun, would have been interesting to see what it would do on paper at 25 yards?

I did fire some Egyption 8 mm rifle blank cartridges into snow, made quite a blast, those blanks are not kid's toys.

S.B. · « **Reply #18 on:** August 13, 2011, 11:47:54 AM »

Are you people certain these were full powered rounds or were they primer powered?
Steve

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #19 on:** August 15, 2011, 02:09:08 AM »

At one time Actvi made shotgun shells that looked like they were plastic but had a steel heah inbeded in them. There are rifle cart. that have brass heads and plastic bodies much like a shotgun hull . Check out the Ammo Bank.

BAGTIC · « **Reply #20 on:** August 17, 2011, 08:19:33 AM »

Quote from: SHOOTALL on August 15, 2011, 02:09:08 AM

At one time Actvi made shotgun shells that looked like they were plastic but had a steel heah inbeded in them. There are rifle cart. that have brass heads and plastic bodies much like a shotgun hull . Check out the Ammo Bank.

I still have a few of these laying around the house. Found a handfull in a box in the garage just a few days ago. I am still unpacking from my last move.

S.B. · « **Reply #21 on:** August 17, 2011, 02:05:59 PM »

BAGTIC, please run them over chrono screens and tell us what they clock at?
Steve

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #22 on:** August 18, 2011, 03:05:13 AM »

They were the same as cases with steel bases when I shot them about 1200 FPS. People didn't like the look of no brass which is not needed . The all plastic shell had a steel liner in the base that could not be seen , so much for all plastic

BCB · « **Reply #23 on:** August 18, 2011, 02:12:00 PM »

Quote from: SHOOTALL on August 15, 2011, 02:09:08 AM

At one time Actvi made shotgun shells that looked like they were plastic but had a steel heah inbeded in them. There are rifle cart. that have brass heads and plastic bodies much like a shotgun hull . Check out the Ammo Bank.

I have several hundred of them in 12 gauge and maybe some in 16 gauge (ain't sure about that though) and I still reload them on occasions...

Don't shoot shotgun much anymore, but they perfomed well years ago. I could get a near perfect crimp on them with just a Lee Loadall press...

Good-luck...BCB

S.B. · « **Reply #24 on:** August 18, 2011, 02:26:18 PM »

I don't know if it comes as a surprise to anyone here but, most shotgun hulls have come as plastic for several decades, now. I thoght we were talking about rifle and handgun cartridges?
Steve