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CAS TOPICS => The Powder Room - CAS reloading => Topic started by: Bugscuffle on April 18, 2012, 05:22:12 PM

Title: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: Bugscuffle on April 18, 2012, 05:22:12 PM
I have no experience with brass shotshells and would really appreciate any information that you could give me. Do you use the same loading data as with plastic or paper shotshells? How are they crimped? Is there a special tool to do this? Are the same primers used?
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: joec on April 18, 2012, 06:44:03 PM
I have no experience with brass shotshells and would really appreciate any information that you could give me. Do you use the same loading data as with plastic or paper shotshells? How are they crimped? Is there a special tool to do this? Are the same primers used?

I have some I've made up using Pyrodex at the moment with cork wads and a shot wad. I don't crimp just fill the shot wad with a mix of Bordons glue and water even if short of the length of the shell. I use a square load and the old discontinued Lee Loader tools I got off ebay. One thing I like about the brass is they come out easier than the plastic hulls and last longer. They also use a large pistol primer instead of the standard shot shell primers. I followed the instructions posted on a web site for using black powder but have since lost the site.

That is about all I can tell you since I've made about 20 and fired 6 to date without problem, as I'm new to reloading myself.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: Sir Charles deMouton-Black on April 18, 2012, 09:17:16 PM
Here is the thread from THE DARK ARTS;

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,9733.0.html

You will have to got through it as advice on brass hulls is mixed in throughout.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: joec on April 18, 2012, 09:58:41 PM
Here is the thread from THE DARK ARTS;

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,9733.0.html

You will have to got through it as advice on brass hulls is mixed in throughout.

Thanks Sir Charles deMouton and this was one of the articles I used however there are some videos also. The fellow that did them works or was affilited with a magazine in regards to CAS shooting. He did 3 videos and I believe I saw them here or on open range. At any rate the first was some home made tools, the second was using what I do the lee loader and last some antique tools for loading shotshells. It turns out it was a lot easier than I thought especially with BP or Pyrodex.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: Sir Charles deMouton-Black on April 18, 2012, 11:44:13 PM
That was "Bottom Dealing Mike".  He has a bunch of videos on YOUTUBE.  He posts there as "duelist 1954" Search under that name.  He has many videos of interest on youtube.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: rickk on April 19, 2012, 07:26:40 AM
If you are going to use brass shotgun shells for the "coolness factor", it tends to make sense to use black powder instead of smokeless. That being said, most of the loading date you will find will be for smokeless and it wont apply.

Also, the plastic wads normally used in plastic hulls will be too loose to fit. You will want to use fiber/paper wads (11 G over powder and cushion wad, and 10 gauge over-shot wad in a 12 G hull).

Any attempt at crimping will make the hull a single use hull. The over-shot wads are traditionally glued in place. People us all sorts of glue. Elmers wood glue is popular. The classic is "Waterglass", which is readily available on ebay and other sources. It is easy to use and dries within a few minutes.

Tools can be as simple as wooden dowels and a nail (to deprime). A 12 Gauge shell holder can be gotten (RCBS) that will allow you to deprime and reprime on any standard loading press, making that part infinitely easier.

As Sir Charles already pointed out, there is a ton of info on loading brass hulls to be found on the CASCITY forum.

Rick
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: joec on April 19, 2012, 07:40:01 AM
That was "Bottom Dealing Mike".  He has a bunch of videos on YOUTUBE.  He posts there as "duelist 1954" Search under that name.  He has many videos of interest on youtube.

Thanks I found the video again. I lost them when I replaced my old computer.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: Sir Charles deMouton-Black on April 19, 2012, 10:26:27 AM
Thanks I found the video again. I lost them when I replaced my old computer.

Yeah!  I recall the process of replacing my "favorite" when I lost them for some mysterious reason.  Some I remembered, some I googled, and a lot I had to retreive by searchin my old posts, & I had a lot of them.

The last time I changed laptops I used an "external hard drive" to transfer EVERYTHING to the new puter.  The old favorites showed up on the new laptop in my documents and I get them up by "ctrl c" and "ctrl v"

BTW that is my most frequent move on a computer;
1. highlight your selection (mostly addresses/links but also misplaced sentences when editting lousy drafting)
2. control "c"       think "c" for copy.
3. control "v"       think "v" for VOILA which is french for "There it is!!"  You have just dropped your selection into a new location.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: joec on April 19, 2012, 11:15:39 AM
Yeah!  I recall the process of replacing my "favorite" when I lost them for some mysterious reason.  Some I remembered, some I googled, and a lot I had to retreive by searchin my old posts, & I had a lot of them.

The last time I changed laptops I used an "external hard drive" to transfer EVERYTHING to the new puter.  The old favorites showed up on the new laptop in my documents and I get them up by "ctrl c" and "ctrl v"

BTW that is my most frequent move on a computer;
1. highlight your selection (mostly addresses/links but also misplaced sentences when editting lousy drafting)
2. control "c"       think "c" for copy.
3. control "v"       think "v" for VOILA which is french for "There it is!!"  You have just dropped your selection into a new location.

I normally back up to an external HD on my old desktop however when it went it too even that with it. I am using 3 external drives now connected to a docking station at home. Nothing was usable from my old machine at all, power surges can do some serious damage sometimes.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: Bugscuffle on April 20, 2012, 03:54:03 PM
I have some I've made up using Pyrodex at the moment with cork wads and a shot wad. I don't crimp just fill the shot wad with a mix of Bordons glue and water even if short of the length of the shell. I use a square load and the old discontinued Lee Loader tools I got off ebay. One thing I like about the brass is they come out easier than the plastic hulls and last longer. They also use a large pistol primer instead of the standard shot shell primers. I followed the instructions posted on a web site for using black powder but have since lost the site.

That is about all I can tell you since I've made about 20 and fired 6 to date without problem, as I'm new to reloading myself.

Could this be your lost site?  http://www.tbullock.com/bpsg.html
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: joec on April 20, 2012, 04:41:26 PM
Could this be your lost site?  http://www.tbullock.com/bpsg.html

Yes that was the last bookmark I was looking for. Thanks Bugscuffle oh and I found a more mind relaxing method of priming these brass shell. There are two problem with them, the first is they do not use a standard shot shell primer but a large pistol and the second is the are not 2 3/4" shells but a bit less than 2 1/2". With that information most hand type primer punches won't work to decap a spent shell but a punch will. Second I was never comfortable using the dowel method of putting in a new primer and finally found some 2 shell plates that will work on most single stage presses such as Lee as well as hand primers. I'm now working on a system to remove the primer on a standard single stage press. This is the cheapest but also will do some other types of long shells also. I just bought the 12 gauge shell holder at this time. There are other methods though, but something I'm playing with at this time.

http://www.meachamrifles.com/page.php?id=17
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: Sir Charles deMouton-Black on April 21, 2012, 12:26:09 PM
For 12gauge, a shell will fit up into the die-threads of any press.  Just use the onboard priming system to reprime.


P.S;  I think this trick requires the LEE Ram-Prime system.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: joec on April 21, 2012, 02:24:15 PM
For 12gauge, a shell will fit up into the die-threads of any press.  Just use the onboard priming system to reprime.

Yes I have this primer for my single stage press which is the Lee Reloader Press. https://fsreloading.com/lee-ram-prime-90106.html My only problem was finding a 12 gauge shell holder to fit which I did, actually found only found 2 brands one sold through RCBS the other is made by http://www.meachamrifles.com/page.php?id=17. Either will work fine in my Hornady hand primer or my Lee Reloader Press.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: Sir Charles deMouton-Black on April 21, 2012, 02:27:09 PM
Yes I have this primer for my single stage press which is the Lee Reloader Press. https://fsreloading.com/lee-ram-prime-90106.html My only problem was finding a 12 gauge shell holder to fit which I did, actually found only found 2 brands one sold through RCBS the other is made by http://www.meachamrifles.com/page.php?id=17. Either will work fine in my Hornady hand primer or my Lee Reloader Press.

NO SHELLHOLDER REQUIRED!  Just shove the 12 ga. shell up through the empty hole where you would screw in a die.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: joec on April 21, 2012, 05:30:46 PM
NO SHELLHOLDER REQUIRED!  Just shove the 12 ga. shell up through the empty hole where you would screw in a die.

I will give it a try and let you know. I though about doing that,  but was a little nervous about that as the Lee Reloader Press is aluminum so not sure how easy it would be to screw up the treads.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: Sir Charles deMouton-Black on April 21, 2012, 06:46:28 PM
The strain, which is minimal will be taken up by the rim.  Anyway, brass is soft as well.  No harm; No foul!


P.S;  I think you need the LEE Ram-Prime system.

UPDATE, 4 May 12;  I actually tried it!?!? :( :(

It worked in the RCBS Jr., but the LEE hand press was too tight in the die threads for the cases to enter.

BUT;  I had to remove the Ram-Prime set-up each time to allow the next cases to be shoved into the die thread!  The other options seem to be quicker, even the hollow punch over a metal plate.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: joec on April 21, 2012, 06:59:49 PM
The strain, which is minimal will be taken up by the rim.  Anyway, brass is soft as well.  No harm; No foul!

The particular one I got the shell plate actually fits on the top with and primed from the bottom. Not a big thing though since the shell plate will be here Monday or Tuesday at the latest. It will also work in my hand primer from Hornady with uses universal shell plates also. Now if I could come up with something that would screw in to the top of the press and attach a depriming pin to it I could even deprim with it. However the shot shell might fit through the treads but a die wall won't.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: joec on April 23, 2012, 12:24:03 PM
The strain, which is minimal will be taken up by the rim.  Anyway, brass is soft as well.  No harm; No foul!


P.S;  I think you need the LEE Ram-Prime system.

Here is are a couple of pictures I took for priming the brass shells without the need to use the dowel/hammer method.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: Tater Pickens on April 23, 2012, 11:15:14 PM
Here is how I have primed 12 gauge brass shells for years. I use the plain old hand held primer tool. Load the tray up with primers. The little push rod will only seat the primer about 1/2 way into the primer pocket, so I use the next primer in line to completely seat the 1st primer completely in the shell. Then seat that primer 1/2 way in the shell and the next primer to push that primer into place and so on. You will need 51 primers to prime 50 shells.

Tater Pickens
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: maldito gringo on April 29, 2012, 04:28:43 PM
There is really no need to get complicated with all brass shells, hand loading works just fine and goes just as fast once you get the hang of it. Original tools are available on e-bay at modest prices, such as the Lee Loader sets. A ring type primer seater and a wood dowel are all you really need. Seat primer, pour powder charge, OP card, cushion wad(s), lead charge, OS card. That's it. I seal 'em with hot glue, no need to crimp. I have never needed to resize the brass cases even with a 10ga full house load. Last forever. Great fun. One trick..I make shot cups from dime wrappers. I get about 10% more lead on the target than without 'em.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: joec on April 29, 2012, 04:55:41 PM
There is really no need to get complicated with all brass shells, hand loading works just fine and goes just as fast once you get the hang of it. Original tools are available on e-bay at modest prices, such as the Lee Loader sets. A ring type primer seater and a wood dowel are all you really need. Seat primer, pour powder charge, OP card, cushion wad(s), lead charge, OS card. That's it. I seal 'em with hot glue, no need to crimp. I have never needed to resize the brass cases even with a 10ga full house load. Last forever. Great fun. One trick..I make shot cups from dime wrappers. I get about 10% more lead on the target than without 'em.

The only problem with the lee loader is the spent primer punch is too large for a brass shell. Most of them have large pistol primers so I use a depriming punch from a Lee Universal depriming die which is about $3. I've used the wood dowel and lee hand loader dowels for it but always made me a bit nervous hence the system I setup for myself. The rest is all done by hand with brass shells only. Now a standard plastic shell the hand loader is fine by me completely. I will eventually get a Lee shot shell press for the plastic once I go to doing enough of them at one time.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: kurt250 on May 04, 2012, 05:37:01 AM
i bought a old hand reloading set for brass shotshells at a gun show ten years ago for 15 bucks. i got it to try out. got my componets from ballistic supply and have never got a real shotgun press. i don't glue the front of shot shell, instead i bought a tool that crimps the rim and holds the overshot wad in tight. i use melted beeswax to cover the over shot wad. keeps everything dry and helps hold the shot in' also makes cleaning a black powder shot gun a little easier.kurt250
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: Cookie on May 07, 2012, 10:56:20 PM
Another trick I use - I drill out the flash holes a bit. The flash holes on Magtech brass are pretty inconsistent in size and placement, and drilling them out makes finding them with your depriming punch so much easier.
Title: Re: Tell me about brass shotshells
Post by: rickk on July 19, 2012, 11:42:13 AM
There is a fair amount of info in this book, which is actually the same as a three part article that appeared in "Handgunner" magazine a few years back.


http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Reloading-Brass-Shotshells-manual-VanDenburg/productinfo/00MBRASS/