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Magtech 12 gauge Brass Shotgun Shells


Slapshot

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If you use Magtech brass for 12 gauge do you have to resize the brass with each reload? My plan was to use it in my double but hope to get another double down the road. I'm startin gto use APP and figured the brass hulls would work better.

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No need to resize.  A RCBS sizing die is only required the 1st load if you want a slight roll on the case mouth to make loading the chambers easier.  The sizing die is useful otherwise to straighten out brass that has been stepped on.

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I ran new brass though my CH4D full length sizing die. Then after shooting, cleaning, and before I reprime them, I drop them in a 12ga chamber checker.  If they don’t fit, which 98% of them do, and I will resize those that don’t. They usually don’t chamber check if slightly bent or not round from being stepped on.

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The Initial short answer to your question is NO.  I've been loading the same All Brass Magtech hulls for about 6 seasons.  I load with APP.  I have never needed to resize.  I do have and use an RCBS die for brass hulls.  I use it with a Lee Classique single stage press to deprime and reprime.  The only time I've needed the "resizing" feature is when some Ham Hock steps on a hull.

 

Very very important to fully seat your primers!!

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Yes, I resize every time.

 

It is also worth noting that the RCBS dies don't really resize the cases all that well.   They do deprime and will do a decent crimp, but that is all.

I learned this the hard way.  When all I had was a couple of 97's, using the RCBS dies took care of everything for me.   Then one day I ran them through a real Winchester 87, and anything fired in that gun would NOT chamber in my 97's, or my Parker for that matter.

So I got the CH4D dies and resize everything every time.   Now they fit in every 12 gauge I own with no problems.

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Thanks, I was wanting to change to the brass because the APP burns the crimp and I usually only get about 2 loadings out of the used hulls. At almost $190 for the CH4D resizing die its a chunk of change. May get some and try them as they will only be used in my double right now and maybe another double down the road.

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It takes a lot of reloading to make up the cost of a sizer die and maybe a hundred brass hulls.

 

If you can successfully reload Federal Top Gun, Cheddite, Nobel and Fiocchi plastic hulls, you can visit your local sporting clays range and they will be glad to let you have all the straight-wall 12 gauge hulls you want to carry away.    Then, count on two reloads and toss 'em.   And if the crimp is failing, a hull trimmer and a roll crimp tool will also be cheaper than a sizer die.  You may not need to make the BIG investments in brass hulls AND a sizer die too.

 

Lots of ways to approach loading your own shotshells.....GJ

 

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Thats pretty much what I do now as soon as they burn the crimp I cut and roll crimp a couple more times. I was experimenting last time reloading to see how short I could use them. I was thinking the brass might be the way to go but like you said its a pretty good start up investment.

 

I wish I had a local range I could get hulls from but none no where close to me.

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You've checked at:

 

Biloxi (Woolmarket), MS => Coast Rifle and Pistol Club (has shotgun fields too)  http://www.gcrpc.com

 

Luberton, MS => Pine Belt Gun Club

 

Ellisville, MS => Tall Creek

 

Ellisville, MS => Lake Gep Skeet Club

 

I suppose.   GJ

 

 

 

 

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Or make one of these sizing tools, sized as shown with slight chamfer at hole edges..  Set it across open jaws of vice, lube hull and drive into .795 hole with rubber mallet.  Turn over and insert socket driver inside hull and pound back out of the sizer.  You will rarely need the .790 hole.

 

SizingTool.jpg

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1 hour ago, Slapshot said:

Thats pretty much what I do now as soon as they burn the crimp I cut and roll crimp a couple more times. I was experimenting last time reloading to see how short I could use them. I was thinking the brass might be the way to go but like you said its a pretty good start up investment.

 

I wish I had a local range I could get hulls from but none no where close to me.

I roll crimped a 100 RIO preprimed hulls from BPI. There was no way to reuse them. The ends turned square and felt brittle and melted. Never tried cut down AAs or STSs. I've collected so many once fired and don't shoot a lot of BP, I just chuck em now after one use. Or let another shooter keep em.

For smokeless, I'm currently using STS and will dip into the couple thousand old 1 piece AA hulls I aquired.

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Check with pards in your area to see if anybody has one of the sizer dies.  It may be possible that you could visit him on a weekend with a six-pack as a bribe and you could use his dies to size them  Once they are sized to your gun, you may not have to size them again.

 

I bought some used 16ga magtech and found them to not fit into the chambers of my "new to me" Belgian double.  Luckily a pard made me an offer I couldn't refuse and I was able to get them sized.  Cowboys are the best people!  Since I only have that one 16ga, I should be good unless one gets stepped on or dinked.

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3 hours ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

You've checked at:

 

Biloxi (Woolmarket), MS => Coast Rifle and Pistol Club (has shotgun fields too)  http://www.gcrpc.com

 

Luberton, MS => Pine Belt Gun Club

 

Ellisville, MS => Tall Creek

 

Ellisville, MS => Lake Gep Skeet Club

 

I suppose.   GJ

 

 

 

 

No sir, Ellisville is the only feasible one for me distance wise. And I wasn't aware of those to to be honest. So thanks for the heads up.

 

2 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

I roll crimped a 100 RIO preprimed hulls from BPI. There was no way to reuse them. The ends turned square and felt brittle and melted. Never tried cut down AAs or STSs. I've collected so many once fired and don't shoot a lot of BP, I just chuck em now after one use. Or let another shooter keep em.

For smokeless, I'm currently using STS and will dip into the couple thousand old 1 piece AA hulls I aquired.

I had no problem getting a second use out of them after roll crimping and cutting a second time. Not saying they wasn't shorty shells but I could use them in my double.:rolleyes:

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21 hours ago, Slapshot said:

If you use Magtech brass for 12 gauge do you have to resize the brass with each reload? My plan was to use it in my double but hope to get another double down the road. I'm startin gto use APP and figured the brass hulls would work better.

I reload the Magtech brass for both 12 gauge & 16 gauge using BP and I have not had to re-size a hull yet and many are on at least their third or fourth reload.  I know the 12 gauge hulls have been used in different guns.

 

The bad news is that finding the Magtech hulls might be a problem right now.  Pre -Covid they cost  maybe $22.95 for 25.  I just checked BPI and they are listed as out of stock with a price of $37.99 for 25.

 

 

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12 minutes ago, Chantry said:

I reload the Magtech brass for both 12 gauge & 16 gauge using BP and I have not had to re-size a hull yet and many are on at least their third or fourth reload.  I know the 12 gauge hulls have been used in different guns.

 

The bad news is that finding the Magtech hulls might be a problem right now.  Pre -Covid they cost  maybe $22.95 for 25.  I just checked BPI and they are listed as out of stock with a price of $37.99 for 25.

 

 

Some of my antique Rem-UMC brass hulls (same size as Magtech) have been loaded 50 times (plus unknown amount before I got them), and I rarely have to resize.  Although I will mention that a few of them are a bit out of round.  Sizing them makes them chamber okay but after firing they are out of round again.  I expect those need annealing.

 

Magtech has spoiled y'all with their ~$1 hulls.  Before those, it was mostly ebay, gunshows, etc. to find hulls and if I got them for $2 each I was really happy!  :)

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I’ve never had to resize unless one got stepped on. You learn to shuffle your feet!

 

one drawback is the all brass hulls don’t shuck very well.  I had thought they would shuck well due to weight, but I was wrong! 

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13 minutes ago, Hoss said:

I’ve never had to resize unless one got stepped on. You learn to shuffle your feet!

 

one drawback is the all brass hulls don’t shuck very well.  I had thought they would shuck well due to weight, but I was wrong! 

Ok I would have thought they would have shucked good myself.

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I shoot Magtech exclusively.  I don't load plastic hulls at all.  However, when gifted a box or so, I found the plastic hulls shuck out a bit slicker then Brass Hulls.  However, If I swab out the chambers of my doubles between stages, the Brass Hulls shuck out just fine.  Mostly.  An occasional sticky.  I just have to remember to swab out the chambers.

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For the record, I load Magtech in both 12 and 20 gauge.  It's no real advantage over AA's that I also load in 12, but they are rather cool looking.   The reason why I started using them is that I have some older shotguns with shorter than 2-3/4" chambers, and I decided that it was easier to load the Magtechs than spend the money to have the chambers and forcing cones lengthened in my old guns.  That, and trimming AA's back to 2-1/2" while doable, (and I do do it) is kind of a pain.  

Yeah, kinda lame reasoning, but it worked for me.

And contrary to what some will tell you, you CAN load them with smokeless.   I do it all the time.  And here's the fun part.  Not too long ago, someone gave me a handful or shotgun stuff, which included about a half a box of empty Remington all brass shells.  As near as I can determine, they are physically identical to the Magtechs in every way.   And half of them are headstamed 12 GA SMOKELESS.

I also got some of those new Winchester all brass shells that reproduce the WWII Loading that were issued to soldiers who were using a 97 shotgun.   They are also loaded with smokeless, but with buckshot, so I've either got to go hunting or to a 3 Gun shoot to use 'em.  :)

 

Take it with a grain of salt.  :)

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