"45 Science" Success. Created from Shotgun Shell.

[Ned Christiansen]

OP, you really struck a chord with this.

I'm not trying to steal any of your abundant thunder...... I hope you will take this as a tribute to your proposal instead. I could not stop thinking about it and couldn't help myself.

Boys, hang on to that Berdan primed .308 brass, there is a .45 case AND bullet there :-) :

A .308 case, a shortened case, the shortened end formed up a little and cut-off……


The butt end cut to length and reamed to .453:


Bullet filed from its original .457 or so to .451, and filed a bit to round the shape more:

[Ned Christiansen]

So-- since in this scenario the cases are getting drilled out anyway for a shotgun primer, the Berdan-ness is no impediment. The .308 case, behind the shoulder, could be neatly turned or filed to .451 prior to being cut off. In my gleeful haste I didn't do that hand filed it after the fact. Once finished, the jacket maybe could simply be poured full of lead. I mean the sky's the limit in terms of refining the processes. Epoxy and shot from the shotshell could be used as a bullet core but the hole in the jacket would need to be formed to "closed" so the core didn't just shoot out of the jacket.

[Leaveammoforme]

......
I could not stop thinking about it.....

That's how they get you.

....In my gleeful haste....

You done been got.

You're not stealing any thunder. This arose from questions I couldn't find an answer to. Everyone is more than welcome to play. The more thoughts/experimental exercises the better. Future generations will read of our exploits and be like "Man... Those dudes were bored and furthered mankind's knowledge in unimaginable ways"

I can see John Browning looking down on us with a cold, stern stare. But, the thought racing through his mind is the Matthew McConaughey "Alright alright alright" thing.

I need to get a reamer like you have. I can definitely see a need for a beefed up case when pressure backs up due to heavier or jacketed projectiles. That 209 primer is hot and voluminous.

It's funny how stuff works out. In the beginning I was ready to jump right to a 230 grain projectile. The universe was all "You can't handle the V8" and gave me a 140 grain mold. The shipping delay on the 160 grain mold has also given me time to think and tinker as to be better prepared.... Or....it's just cause everyone is freaking out and buying anything ammo related but what ev's.

The idea of using the shoulder of a case as a jacket or mold is elegant and simple. Would be a stout jacket for sure.

[Ned Christiansen]

Great. Question about the primer, those are a primer in a sleeve thing, right? Have you tried separating them, and if you could would it not make the primer-sans-sleeve easier to use?

[Leaveammoforme]

This is the first time I've messed with 209's. There doesn't appear to be any useable sub-assemblies unless you're after priming compound.

Oh crap! You are after the compound! There's probably enough in there to reload 2 or 3 LPP. Genius!

I just spent about 10 minutes trying to peel off a bucket/sleeve. Kinda unnerving. It appears that being able to press out the cup from the flash hole direction would be the easiest way.

But we're playing with a compound that responds to being crushed. I'm thinking I'll try to soak some primers in water and then gently press the cups off. Then try to get a weight for comparison after the compound drys.

[AndyLate]

Reaming the inside of a rifle case to fit the bullet certainly should reduce setback. Plus the rifle case jackets are just awesome.

[kerplode]

OMG, I love this thread.

It's insane. You're insane...But in the good evil genius way. Like Elon Musk if he loved shooting thing. Who knows, maybe he does!

Anyway, you're going to blow yourself up, but it will be for science, and blowing yourself up for science is one of the most noble ways to go. God Speed!

[Bimmer]

I'll try to soak some primers in water and then gently press the cups off.

Uhhh... I wouldn't do that.

I've seen several tests that show that submerging primers in water/oil doesn't make them inert.


I think Ned was trying to get you to remove the 209 primer from the shiny sleeve... If there's no safe way to do that, then just forget it.

[Ned Christiansen]

Well you misunderstood me and in misinterpreting you maybe hit on a (theoretical) great idea.

Yes, I meant mechanically separate the sleeve and the actual primer.

But there's probably a way to dissolve the very priming compound out and redistribute it into the previously mentioned (in jest, mostly) reworked spent primers. Acetone maybe...? MEK/ Xylene? We probably need to rewatch every episode of Breaking Bad, especially the episodes showing the labs.

[Steve Shannon]

The priming compound is probably tetrazene, lead styphnate, or lead azide. If you look up their SDSes you may learn what the solvent for each is.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrazene
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_styphnate
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead(II)_azide

Of course there are other priming compounds, including field expedient ones. The Army manual of field expedient explosives had a section on making priming compound and remanufacturing primers.


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