Lever Gun Dummy Rounds

[Whip Assalot]

You know, the kind I read about with the rim partially shaved off so it doesn't extract.

 

I heard someone here makes and sells them. Any leads?

 

 

[G W Wade]

Believe Palo Verde makes them.   Also Online Outpost sells them last time I looked     GW

[Johnny Dollar]

Do you reload? Or know someone that does?  
they are easy to make.   Load a round with lead.. no powder and no primer.  Fill the primer pocket with silicone…. File the edge of the rim. 
I’ve made them. Works great

[Wagon Box Willy]

I have an aluminum snap cap and I just grind off some of the rim and align that spot with the extractor.... simple. 

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

I made one, filed the rim by hand and it took a while because you need to file off more than you would think.  But still easy. 

[Hair Trigger Jim]

49 minutes ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

I made one, filed the rim by hand and it took a while because you need to file off more than you would think.  But still easy. 

I'm guessing a dremel would speed that up.

[Whip Assalot]

20 minutes ago, Hair Trigger Jim said:

I'm guessing a dremel would speed that up.

I decided to try my hand at making my own so I got a .38 case that was a darker color than the rest of mine to differentiate it. Then I put a copper coated bullet on top to even more differentiate it. I found my Dremel tool but of course I cannot find the attachments! So now I am filing it and then have to figure out what type of material to put in the primer pocket. All I have in my toolbox is E6000 adhesive...

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Just chuck it up in you cordless drill .

And spin it on sandpaper  !

[Whip Assalot]

I was able to file it down so the extractor doesn't catch it.

What should I fill the primer pocket with?

[Diamond Curly SASS#57086]

I used a pencil eraser on some I made. DC

[Old Man Graybeard]

I have heard of people cutting a piece of O-ring and putting that in the primer pocket

[Jack Spade]

I ordered mine from Longhunter

[Whip Assalot]

4 hours ago, Old Man Graybeard said:

I have heard of people cutting a piece of O-ring and putting that in the primer pocket

Wouldn't the o ring be open in the middle though and the firing pin would have nothing to strike?

[Eyesa Horg]

14 minutes ago, Whip Assalot said:

Wouldn't the o ring be open in the middle though and the firing pin would have nothing to strike?

You're just cutting a piece out of the o ring to stuff in the primer pocket. Get one a hair larger than the pocket or the same size and glue it in, trim flat with a razor blade.

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

Quote

 

I drill out the primer pocket a couple thousands undersize so that it has  a little lip to hold the o-ring in place.   Insert till you have forced some material past the lip you created by drilling out. Then cut flush with a razor blade.

 

Small Pistol and Rifle drill out using a 5/32 drill bit. then  use .177" (4.50mm) Buna-N 70 O-Ring Cord Round

 

Large Pistol and Rifle drill out using a 3/16 drill bit then use .224" (5.70mm) Buna-N 70 O-Ring Cord Round

 

For shotgun there is no need to drill out. use .236" (6.00mm) Buna-N 70 O-Ring Cord Round

 

2017 Wire post by Sedalia Dave

[Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439]

1 hour ago, Kid Death 6683 said:

What would anyone want one for when you can buy AZOOM snap caps?

 Because I believe everyone is saying that the rim still needs to be filed down enough to stay in place but not get extracted. 

[Eyesa Horg]

Just file the edge off a piece of brass.

[Kid Death 6683]

Then how do ya get it out? Run a dowl rod down tha barrel?

[Eyesa Horg]

Just now, Kid Death 6683 said:

Then how do ya get it out? Run a dowl rod down tha barrel?

Yep, it will usually just fall out if ya point the barrel up with the bolt open and your dummy had a bullet in it. I like to use red dy- chem fluid or paint on it to make it obvious that its a dummy round.

[Whip Assalot]

My round falls back out if I tip it barell up and give it a "Shuck"

Perhaps I filed a little too much lol.

[Eyesa Horg]

Isn't that what you want it to do?!

[Whip Assalot]

57 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Isn't that what you want it to do?!

The only issue is that if I put a little too much movement in the gun, the round will fall out of the chamber. 

From what I am gathering, the round should stay in the chamber until you push it out with a rod.

 

MODERATORS:

Can this be moved to the Wire instead of the classifieds please?

[Eyesa Horg]

11 minutes ago, Whip Assalot said:

The only issue is that if I put a little too much movement in the gun, the round will fall out of the chamber. 

From what I am gathering, the round should stay in the chamber until you push it out with a rod.

 

MODERATORS:

Can this be moved to the Wire instead of the classifieds please?

Sadly, I don't have an answer. I only did it several years ago and used an unused brass which had enough tension for it to stay in, at least most of the way! That was a .357mag that I did.

[Ozark Huckleberry]

11 hours ago, Whip Assalot said:

The only issue is that if I put a little too much movement in the gun, the round will fall out of the chamber. 

From what I am gathering, the round should stay in the chamber until you push it out with a rod.

 

MODERATORS:

Can this be moved to the Wire instead of the classifieds please?

That's a problem I had, too.

 

My solution was to chuck a snap cap in a drill and use the corner of a file to cut a groove around the snap cap, then stretch a small, thin O-ring into the groove.

 

The O-ring keeps the snap cap in the chamber, and keeps it from spinning within the chamber, but is small enough and the groove is cut deep enough so that it just holds the snap cap in place, but is easy to push out with a cleaning rod.

[Dusty Devil Dale]

On 8/4/2023 at 7:16 PM, Johnny Dollar said:

Do you reload? Or know someone that does?  
they are easy to make.   Load a round with lead.. no powder and no primer.  Fill the primer pocket with silicone…. File the edge of the rim. 
I’ve made them. Works great

Don't do what I did.  Don't unintentionally  drop in a powder charge (w/ no primer), seat a bullet, seal the primer pocket with silicone, then go to a grinder to trim the case rim.  The grinding heat discharged the round in my bare hand.  No pain or injuries, just a blackened hand and jangled nerves.  I never found the empty case or the bullet.  Im sure it could have been much worse -- thinking eyes-- BE SURE TO DISABLE THE POWDER DROP AND VISUALLY CHECK BEFORE SEATING A BULLET.  

[Whip Assalot]

19 minutes ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

Don't do what I did.  Don't unintentionally  drop in a powder charge (w/ no primer), seat a bullet, seal the primer pocket with silicone, then go to a grinder to trim the case rim.  The grinding heat discharged the round in my bare hand.  No pain or injuries, just a blackened hand and jangled nerves.  I never found the empty case or the bullet.  Im sure it could have been much worse -- thinking eyes-- BE SURE TO DISABLE THE POWDER DROP AND VISUALLY CHECK BEFORE SEATING A BULLET.  

So what I did was I decapped the primer and skipped the powder and primer station. I went to the bullet seating station and then seated and crimped the bullet so it has no powder and no primer.

[Johnny Dollar]

29 minutes ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

Don't do what I did.  Don't unintentionally  drop in a powder charge (w/ no primer), seat a bullet, seal the primer pocket with silicone, then go to a grinder to trim the case rim.  The grinding heat discharged the round in my bare hand.  No pain or injuries, just a blackened hand and jangled nerves.  I never found the empty case or the bullet.  Im sure it could have been much worse -- thinking eyes-- BE SURE TO DISABLE THE POWDER DROP AND VISUALLY CHECK BEFORE SEATING A BULLET.  

that wasn’t a good thing.  Glad it wasn’t worse for you!  This is a great safety tip!

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

On 8/5/2023 at 7:20 AM, Jack Spade said:

I ordered mine from Longhunter

Palo Verde sells them too.  See https://pvgunworks.com/Product-category/snap-caps/.  

[Griff]

Why not just leave an expended primer in the case?  I used the hot glue thing and plastic bullets for more realistic feeding and yet light enough to extract like an empty... back when I used to practice...

[Ranger Dan]

I gave up using snap caps in my rifles, pistols only. For the rifle I cut a strip of leather the width of the hammer, about 4 inches long, folded it in half to make a 2 inch x 1/2 inch thick leather "plug" for lack of a better term. Insert this leather plug in front of the hammer below the firing pin extension. The hammer will hit the leather plug before the firing pin extension. Makes a kinda "thud" sound instead of the normal "click" when you drop the hammer. It doesn't interfere with the action at all. You will need a tool to pull it out after you're done dry firing. The only time I put a dummy round in the rifle is reload practice, and I leave the leather plug in even then.

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

On 8/5/2023 at 12:17 AM, Whip Assalot said:

I was able to file it down so the extractor doesn't catch it.

What should I fill the primer pocket with?

I put hot glue down the case about 1/2 way and put on a bullet turn it over fill the pocket with hot glue and shave it off with a razorblade .

Easy peasy .

So Saith The Rooster 

[Kirk James]

The advantage of Palo Verde rds is that he uses a special die so the brass does not turn while rapidly levering your rifle .  Even when you grind off a small section of the rim the vibration causes the case to move in the chamber until the extractor catches it and throws it out.  He also developed a special formula in the primer pockets with a great deal of research that really holds up. I still have the original practice rds we purchased from him over ten years ago.  Well worth the money.  

[Dusty Devil Dale]

On 8/6/2023 at 2:08 PM, Whip Assalot said:

So what I did was I decapped the primer and skipped the powder and primer station. I went to the bullet seating station and then seated and crimped the bullet so it has no powder and no primer.

The only problem with skipping the powder step, at least on my Dillon650, is that the case is not belled to accept the bullet.  Sometimes that works, but on some cases it doesn't.  

[Brandon A Bovine SASS 27688]

I do the o-ring in the primer pocket but instead of seating a bullet I simply give the case a roll over on the mouth so it goes into the chamber easy. Oh and a flat filed on the rim. 

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

On 8/6/2023 at 7:06 PM, Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 said:

Palo Verde sells them too.  See https://pvgunworks.com/Product-category/snap-caps/.  

PV also adds a little flare to case so it fits snug and not so easy to fall out.  Easily to remove with tab of rod down muzzle. Nice product.