Howdy folks, I have an interesting idea to save some money of sizing dies and was wondering if it's possible. Can you take the barrel off your rifle, I.e. an AI or terminus, and put a fired case into the chamber, take a ball peen hammer, and smack it medium hard to get your shoulder set back? Then for the neck sizing take said case and smack the neck with the hammer and expand it with the bullet?
-
Having trouble using the site?
Contact support
Unconventional reloading technique?
- Thread starter Krob95
- Start date
3-Fired brass or above I prefer a 2 pound sledge. YMMV
I bet you could rig the thing to a heavy duty extention cord and do some induction annealing at the same time.
Initially that's exactly how reloading was done. And for powder measurements we would simply cut a case down to make powder scoops. And remember for Loose primer pockets you peen those primers in, kind like when you would a loose pin, screw, bearing etc
Hell ya it works
I use a 2 lbs for normal sizing
Hit er with the 8 lbs for cartridges requiring a “small base die”
I use a 2 lbs for normal sizing
Hit er with the 8 lbs for cartridges requiring a “small base die”
That's basically how the lee classic loader works. I started on one.
You have to use a brass hammer or else you'll get galvanization and it will soften the brass. If you are shooting under 1200 yards, it probably doesn't matter though.
Do this as a Boy Scout and you'll earn your Khyber Pass Hammer Monkey Merit Badge
I always deprime then prime, then size with a medium hard tap. Only got three piece of fragmented primer in my eyes so I'd say it practically fool proof
That's the exact power needed to get .002 bump. A "hard" hit will get you closer to .004
Very similar to my preferred method of seating bullets.
Exactly. Don't want to over work the brass. Ive been annealing with a campfire, seems to be working so far but want to be careful
That’s how I started 5 decades ago. Still can’t get over the occasional primer firing when I seated them.
Still shot some good groups with Lee Loaders and a beam scale.
Actually....I know you are making an excellent joke.
Unfortunately.....there's folks on this board that will think its ingenious.
This is the dumbest thread on this forum. I've just ruined four barrels trying this. Two of the barrels won't thread back on, the other two have cases stuck in the chamber. I tried knocking them out with a cleaning rod, but the case head separated leaving the rest of the case in the chamber. 
Did you lube the cases?This is the dumbest thread on this forum. I've just ruined four barrels trying this. Two of the barrels won't thread back on, the other two have cases stuck in the chamber. I tried knocking them out with a cleaning rod, but the case head separated leaving the rest of the case in the chamber.
This is the dumbest thread on this forum. I've just ruined four barrels trying this. Two of the barrels won't thread back on, the other two have cases stuck in the chamber. I tried knocking them out with a cleaning rod, but the case head separated leaving the rest of the case in the chamber.
Have you tried Hornady One Shot?
Its the best, awesome, bestest ever.
You were probably using ISDW. Only amateurs use that shit.
That can't be it, I run my chambers extra wet, re-checked every ten shots or so.
Yep a good old RCBS beam scale, powder dipped out of a bowl with a spoon stolen from the kitchen on to the scale pan. Talk about slow, but as I said, it worked. Besides, no retailer in our area carried that fancy snuff dippin set.Beam scale? Easy there Rockefeller...
People make annealing brass way to hard as well. Just throw them on the living room floor and light the house up
Funny you say that I use that on some stuff, never had a single issue.
I don’t think people are applying it or mixing it well. I use wax only on some dies also.
In those days, brass was hard to come by and cutting it up just to make a dipping cup was a serious step. Powder, bullets and primers were cheap, but not if you consider that I was earning .$75.00 a week and proud to be getting that much. Cutting up good brass was not to be done.
Hopefully it was an A.I. barrel and nothing of importance was lost.This is the dumbest thread on this forum. I've just ruined four barrels trying this. Two of the barrels won't thread back on, the other two have cases stuck in the chamber. I tried knocking them out with a cleaning rod, but the case head separated leaving the rest of the case in the chamber.
Oh heck, just grab a rifle, unscrew the barrel and hacksaw off the area just past the throat. Grab your cases and drive them in with your hammer. When you get it sized, use that hammer to seat the primer. Then drive out the case, pour in some powder, chunk a bullet on top and hammer it home. When you have finished reloading, just weld the sawed off portion back on, screw the barrel back on and go shooting. Think of all the money you will save on buying all those reloading dies, presses, and all that other assorted junk.
Why saw off the barrel? Makes it easier to kick out the case. (The steel punch would be a lot shorter and you wouldn’t damage the rifling).
That bridge in London, England is still for sale….Good price on the bridge. Call me.
Why saw off the barrel? Makes it easier to kick out the case. (The steel punch would be a lot shorter and you wouldn’t damage the rifling).
That bridge in London, England is still for sale….Good price on the bridge. Call me.
Last edited:
No shit a guy was reloading like that with a Model 70 in 30-06. Sheared the lugs off the bolt and the only thing keeping it from flying was the bolt handle. He took it to a gunsmith I know claiming it was a manufacturing defect and wanted Winchester to pay for it.
Similar threads
