[Luv my 1897]

I know this is probably ridiculous, but does anyone know where I can get real brass shotgun shells? As you can see in my name, I own a Winchester model 1897, my baby, and I would love to somehow get some original shells. I Know my searching is somewhat futile, but hey, why not try, right?

[Suicide*Ride]

Shouldn't be too hard to find some... they use them all the time in C.A.S. (Cowboy Action Shooting). Do the Google thing, & welcome to THR! :)

SR

[Runningman]

You mean these.
http://www.lolosportinggoods.com/catalog_g11.html?catId=165741 or these. http://www.rockymountaincartridge.com/page7.html:)

[JimmyN]

Or these
Kempf Gun Shop (https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=485&category_id=5&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=41)

[Shung]

Magtech makes them as well !

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,4675.html

[RandKL]

Magtech makes brass hulls....but you'll need to load them yourself.

rich

[Hungry Seagull]

Hmmmm..... now you got me thinking.

[rcmodel]

Just a caution.

Reloading brass is totally different then loading plastic shotgun shells.

Different loading press, no plastic one-piece wads, and different size wads. (Not 12 ga wads as you'd think) and a whole different loading process.

Also, semi-autos and pumps may tend to knock the over-powder wad out when chambering and dump loose shot in the gun unless you glue them in with white glue.

Double guns are more better suited for them.

rc

[Luv my 1897]

Thanks for the welcome, I found this site last night and as you can tell I was on pretty much all night. I have found a group of people just like me Also, thanks for the links!

I was at the range mid-summer last year, and a guy who is into the CAS was drooling over my 1897! I told him I would maybe sell it if pigs flew, hell froze over three times and if The Almighty Lord himself came down to tell me the meaning of life!

Nah, my dad passed this gun on to me, so I plan on passing it on to my son for his 18th birthday, just like it was given to me.

[Hungry Seagull]

Rcmodel, thanks for the gentle let down.

I had flights of pigs.. uh, fancy of loading real honest to god brass and have the whole range clatter with the stuff one day in the future. All I hear these days is the clink- (Brass rim) and then the plop (Plastic shell).... and miss the ring of a real spent round.

Ive been looking way too much at the plastic shells and shotgun wads these days evaluating learning to load my own.

[Colton White]

iv seen some .410 shells on cheaper than dirt they probably have others

[tactikel]

Midway sells Brass shot shells, esp for cowboy shooting. RC is right, reloading brass is TOTALLY different than plastic cases. Years ago Dixie Gun Works in Union City, Tenn had all the wads, and directions for reloading brass cases in thier catalog. Good luck and please post your experiences! My neighbor had a '97 (36" barrel full choke) he used it for live pidgeon shoots (in a bygone era!) it was a real cannon.

[ChefJeff1]

Cabelas.

[rcmodel]

Ballistic Products is the current best source for brass shotgun reloading.

They have the cases, wads, and information you need.

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/prodinfo.asp?number=00BBRASS

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/departments.asp?dept=201

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/departments.asp?dept=211

rc

[justashooter in pa]

i load brass 12 ga bought from midway with black powder. IIRC, they accept a standard large pistol primer. you can do buy oversized felt wads and paper cards from midway and load on the kitchen counter with a 4"X4" block of wood, a scrap of softwood, a mallet, and a small pin punch for de-capping in reloads.

just start the primer by hand, put the shell base down on your hardwood baseblock, lay a small block of softwood on top of casemouth and whack with hammer to seat the primer. then add measured black powder, an over-powder card, some felt to get right filling length (experimentation), an ounce of shot to a level 1/4" below casemouth. and a cap of a paper card or two, drizzle some wood glue around the edge of card and allow to dry, and viola, lafayette. we are here.

trickiest thing about the entire process is converting drams to grains, as dram is a volumetric measure for black powder, and grain is a weight measure. IIRC it worked out to about 60 grains(?).

shoots fine in old doubles and makes a pleasing plume of smoke. the real fun begins, though, when you substitute interesting things for your shot charge. a stack of dimes works in unchoked guns, but gets expensive when loading by the box.

a stack of 1/4" flat washers has a diameter of about .700", so also works, especially if you put a 5/16" bolt up through the center of them and a nut on top and cut felt to fit. total weight of payload should be measured at 1 ounce, but hey, anything goes. the stack of washers with bolt in center moving out at about 1000 fps makes nice holes in car doors...

[Robert]

Might also check Buffalo Arms (http://www.buffaloarms.com/). The do all things black powder and old fashioned.