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Thinking metallics?


Slowhand Bob, 24229

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Short answer, it can be done.

 

Long answer...

 

I found some brass here in the classifieds. Try asking.

 

The most popular seems to be Magtech brass which uses large pistol primers (not 209 shotgun primers). There is another brand which uses 209 IIRC, but I found no source for them at all.

 

Finding new MagTech brass is a challenge this year, it is still listed on various sites but no stock, no backorder. But a pard here hooked me up for a bit less than the cost of new. 

 

As the walls on brass shells are thinner than plastic hulls, you will need 11 GA wads and cards. Those are available on line. I can go back and look in my emails if you need a source as I bought a bunch.

 

No need to crimp the shells, just glue the overshot card in with Elmers or hot glue. Traditionally, water glass was used to secure the overshot card and I am studying that.

 

No crimp means they are suitable for SxS shotguns. The shells run a little shorter than advertised but check fit. I have been advised not to run them in my '97.

 

As to an actual recipe, I am still researching those but have found some links. I'm planning to use APP (BP sub). I'm still a bit confused on how to measure the powder for this application. I also bought graphited shot from a pard on this forum.

 

I'm planning to hand load, the quantity for a match does not justify a press at this time.

 

I did buy a book on loading brass shells, I'll post the cover if I remember. I will be going through my office tomorrow, it is buried on the desk somewhere. I think there are a bunch of recipes in  it.

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On 11/30/2020 at 12:09 PM, John Kloehr said:

I did buy a book on loading brass shells, I'll post the cover if I remember. I will be going through my office tomorrow, it is buried on the desk somewhere. I think there are a bunch of recipes in  it.

This thin book was either about $5 or $15, worth it either way.

 

Sold by Ballistic Products (logo on the cover), a good source for wads, cards, etc.

 

IMG_0943.jpeg.8c3d4e10dffcab2e6a17ed8f9782a73d.jpeg

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1 hour ago, Slowhand Bob, 24229 said:

Since I am a tenderfoot walking without shoes in the wilderness here, what could I expect as to price offers on the magtech brass?  If this first baby step works out then many more questions sure to follow....

About a buck each is fair for excellent condition.

 

Used won't have boxes probably, new has sales tax probably.

 

Shipping is likely either way.

 

There is some CoViD factor in play, but don't go crazy trying to get them at any price.

 

I looked in my records, I paid $1.07 each delivered to my door "used" (not sure they were ever loaded up, just were no longer new) earlier this year and that included 3 ammo cases to hold them but not the original cardboard boxes. I could not find new stock on line at that time, some new stock should start showing up in a few months.

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I’ve only loaded BP or subs. It’s pretty easy. Get cards and wads from circle fly or track of the wolf. 11 guage. 
 

knock out old primer with punch over block of wood with hole drilled in it. 

 

put primer in. Either with a press or a hand tool available on eBay. 
 

powder, equal amount by volume of shot. 3/4 oz  shot, use same dipper for powder. Over powder nitro card. Then fiber wad. Pack it down with a dowel rod. Then shot, then about 1/3 of a fiber wad, then overshot card. I’ve used elmers glue & hot glue, but I like waterglass better. I use the piece of fiber wad on top of shot to help hold the shot in. Not really needed but helps. 
 

Pattern your load. If you are making a donut either increase shot a tad or decrease powder. 
ive found APP does not knock down targets as well as 777 or real BP. 

This is hand priming tool

 

 

 

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6 minutes ago, Hoss said:

... put primer in. Either with a press or a hand tool available on eBay. 

This one is an antique:

 

IMG_0944.jpeg.c8474f91c8ae0cee40f3ffad8c21c236.jpegIMG_0945.jpeg.e3f6905ca2bee2d09aecd1d05efcace0.jpeg

If I had a primer in there, the tool would not have closed as far (or would have let loose a bang).

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9 minutes ago, Hoss said:

I’ve used elmers glue & hot glue, but I like waterglass better.
 

I left out Duco cement as an option in an earlier post. I too like the idea of water glass (formerly egg preservative, now commonly used as a concrete sealer).

 

Which brings me to a question, @Hoss Can you post a link for the product you are using? Are you buying liquid or powder? If powder, how do you mix it?

 

I'm barely ahead of the OP of this thread, who self-described as "a tenderfoot walking without shoes in the wilderness." I've maybe got some shoes as far as this topic goes.

 

I am planning an extensive post on water glass in the future, but while certain formulations are selected to bond metal to paper, I just need something that is known to work even if not the theoretical best choice.

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19 minutes ago, Hoss said:

powder, equal amount by volume of shot. 3/4 oz  shot, use same dipper for powder.

...

Pack it down with a dowel rod

...
ive found APP does not knock down targets as well as 777 or real BP. 

FFg or FFFg?

 

And that looks like a light load to my inexperienced eye, which is a good place to start.

 

"Pack it down..." One source I read called for 100 pounds of pressure. How much force do you think you are applying?

 

And to the OP, hope you don't mind me asking these questions, I think I am just a slight bit ahead of you and you are going to have the same ones.

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I got the liquid waterglass on amazon. A quart bottle. 2-3 lifetimes worth!  I’ll take a picture of it when I get home. 
 

I generally use FF powder in shot shells. 
 

as for pressure, I have a dowel with a knob on top, I mash it down as hard as I can. Sometimes if my hands are hurting I use a smallish rubber mallet and give it 2-3 whacks. Not very scientific but they work! 

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I used waterglass for some years, bought a big jar at a mom and pop pharmacy.  I poured some into a smaller jar and would work from that until it needed replenishing, however the big jar finally dried to a solid.  That's when I switched to Elmers wood glue.  Nice thing about the waterglass was it dried so fast.  Bad thing was it would get brittle after some months.  I only had the wad let go once, after that if I was going to shoot any that had been loaded for a while I would just give it another layer of waterglass.  

 

Generally use FFG but I've used plenty of 3F when I was low on FFG, couldn't tell any difference, and I certainly don't want to waste my Olde Eynesford FFg on shotshells.  About 60 gr.  I don't really pack it down, but I tap the rim of the shell 8 or 10 times to settle it before the wad.  I'm using the same red plastic wads I use in my plastic hulls with 1 1/8 oz powder.  Because those wads are a loose fit in the brass hull, I use a .125" nitro over powder wad under the red wad.

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Here is the waterglass I use. I got it on amazon

 

when researching waterglass I came across an article about a submarine captain who had a water leak in some auxiliary machinery (not nuclear). He sent sailors ashore in Seattle, by rubber dingy, in civilian clothes with orders to go to hardware stores and buy all the waterglass they could find. Bright it back to boat, poured it in engine, fixed the head! 

 

 

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11 hours ago, Hoss said:

Here is the waterglass I use. I got it on amazon

Ordered it, thanks for the info.

 

At some point, I will make a post about what I have learned about Water Glass. As an engineer, I like digging in to the chemistry and application data.

 

Not sure if others will really be interested in all that info, most probably just want to know of a product that works; well, I did too :lol:

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I've been loading the Magtech brass hulls for both 12 & 16 gauge and it is pretty straightforward and most of it has already been covered in the thread.    The brass shotgun hulls are made in Brazil which is currently getting hit pretty hard with COVID.  

 

I prefer Elmer's wood glue to seal the overshot card.  I tried Elmer's white glue but that seal cracks after a couple of months while the wood glue won't.

 

Other sites to check for brass hulls and other reloading components are Grafs & Sons, Ballistic Products and Precision Reloading

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