The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Dirty Bob on March 09, 2021, 10:27:30 PM
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I'm about to start a project: homemade ammo. In this crazed time, when some calibers seem to have disappeared off the face of the earth, I've made a small quantity of black powder, cast some "Big Lube" bullets, and made a batch of Gatofeo #1 lube (a 19th C. recipe that works with black powder). I'm also planning to try "recharging" some primers from scavenged range brass, using paper roll caps (I'm NOT going to try making mercury fulminate or some other dangerous concoction).
It should be fun to see if I can make workable .45 Colt ammo from fired brass, with no new primers, powder, lube or bullets. I consider the paper caps VERY corrosive, unlike the black powder, which draws water, but is not corrosive in and of itself. I'll be dropping the cases into water -- probably with Windex -- to stop any reactions on the brass. The pistol will be cleaned right away with Ballistol.
I've always been interested in black powder cartridges. I'll be using these in a Remington New Model Army ("1858 Remington"), with a Kirst conversion cylinder which dropped in and functions beautifully. Do I need to do this? Nah, but I want to try black powder, and the ammo shortage gives me an excuse. I also like the idea of having some independence from the supply chains, even if it's just for practice or recreational ammo.
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Remember what 3Fingers Hayduke said .
SAFETY FIRST ! ;D
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Primers are always the weak link. It'll be cool if you can make it work.
Side note: I know folks with primers but are low on certain powders. You can use black powder or Pyrodex, which may be easier to find right now, in metallic cartridges. Biggest thing to remember is it needs to be a compressed load.
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You might be able to use black powder compressed loads, that's how Rubin developed his small bore bullets.
But you will run into exactly the same piss poor reliability as every one else who has run black powder through anything other than manual actions.
If it's that desperate club somebody and take their real ammo.
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Most older metallic cartridges were designed for black powder to begin with, so there should be no issues there. But because BP ignites and differently (controlled explosion vs regulated high speed burn) than smokeless the case must be, at a minimum, full (or you'll get ruptured cases).... that's why I've always heard to run slightly compressed loads.
The biggest issue will be reliable ignition with homemade primers.You may need to open the flash hole some.
**EDIT**
I've read about folks taking apart nail gun blanks to use the primer compound to reload used primers as well as making match head primers.
There is also a product 'out there' on the interwebz called Prime All for mixing priming compound.
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Now there's a thought. Take the blanks from nail guns, drill out the primer pocket so you can use the blank as a primer. Of course the firing pin is going to need to be offset as its a Rimfire. Wonder if a TC with selectable firing pin would work? Or drill the hole off center. Some issues, but reloading would be faster
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Drilling the hole off center would be the easiest method.
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I just want to be able to buy primers... I have 10000s of bullets, 10000s of brass, 100# of powder and zero primers
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primers are available, IF you're willing to pay scalpers prices for them.
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primers are available, IF you're willing to pay scalpers prices for them.
I do not pay slcapers.
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So, $500 for a case of them might be steep ?
How about $50/ box Blazer Brass 9mm ?
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So, $500 for a case of them might be steep ?
How about $50/ box Blazer Brass 9mm ?
won't pay that either, then again I don't own a 9 mm
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<snip>, then again I don't own a 9 mm
Say what?
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Say what?
Well I do own 3 9 mm, 1 9x25 Dillon ar and 2 x 38bsuper 1911
I
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Well I do own 3 9 mm, 1 9x25 Dillon ar and 2 x 38bsuper 1911
I
The only one of us who can find ammo probably ;D
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The only one of us who can find ammo probably ;D
38 super yes, 9x25 nope, 10 mm is also pretty much gone down
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38 super yes, 9x25 nope, 10 mm is also pretty much gone down
Good thing I stocked up at the beginning.
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I could use some 10MM...but I only have 2 guns for it. An Eclipse II and a Bren Ten I ain't shooting anymore.
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Originally, I had to have a Glock 20.
Thought that was just about the perfect gun for everything.
I've had one now for a year and a half and never loaded a magazine for it, let alone shoot it.
It's to much bier than my Witness for carry, although you could in a pinch,
And it's not configured as a carbine like my Aero Precision "pistol".
I still think it's about perfect if I couldn't have the other 2. ;D
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My daily carry is commander in 45 or a delta, depending on what I am wearing. The commander is easier for me to conceal in a shoulder holster as I am tall and skinny. That 3/4" makes all the difference.
I have a out 10k rounds loaded in each, but am getting low in SD ammo. I only have 4 maga worth of 10 gold dots( what my delta likes) and a couple box of golden sabers in 45.
My reloads are either to push paper or make majer.
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Self Defense ammo is where I have a hole also. I shoot it and swap it out once a year or so therefore I don't keep a lot of it. However, when things started to go south I picked up a couple of hundred rounds of the Speer G2 Gold Dot for 9MM. I have some Critical Defense for the 380's and some of that ARM stuff for the 45 but not much on the 45.
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I always start and end a range trip with a magnof my carry ammo.
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I'm well aware of the need to fill the case and have Cream-O-Wheat to top off light loads to keep a full case. The plan is to find an accurate charge for my 200-grain bullets.
I'm a Mike Venturino fan and read his book: Shooting Sixguns of the Old West. He emphasizes how the .45 Colt can sometimes be too much of a good thing! I plan to start in the 25- to 30-grain range for charges and fill the rest of the space with delicious Cream-O-Wheat for safety.
It should be fun!
By the way, I urge caution with those nail gun blanks. Those things are fairly "hot" and could boost pressures in a cartridge. There used to be a video on YouTube of some guys that tried them in a .22 rifle with airgun pellets as projectiles. I think the velocities were rather high, to say the least.
Stay safe, and keep your powder dry!
Dirty Bob