bullet less fire forming

[243ackley]

I have decided to fire form some .243 AI brass without using a bullet. My plan is to use about 10 grains of pistol powder. A bit of tissue then a filler before plugging the neck with soap. You guys use cream of wheat, its not a thing we have in England, any other suggestions? Thanks

 

[ranger335v]

I've successfully used a plug of (melted) candle wax, dribbled in over the tissue wadding to form some wildcat cases. Took a few experiments to get the amount of powder and wax right but there is little danger of obtaining excessive pressures, the wax will blow out much to easily for that.

Did the wax thing because I didn't like the Cream of Wheat idea. And I didn't have any. So - out came the candles!

 

[Sport45]

Corn meal works too. Got any of that?

 

[Roccobro]

How would C.O.W. or corn meal be used?

Justin

 

[Sport45]

I put a full case of cornmeal over a small charge of pistol powder and then plug the neck with some bar soap. I then point the muzzle down about 10' in front of me and squeeze the trigger (with proper eye & ear protection and safe muzzle control, of course). You have to work up the load needed for your particular application, but I've found this method works well for blowing a 30-30 case out to a straight-walled .375win case.

 

[freakshow10mm]

I've known some guys use a bar of soap and just dig the case into it like a cookie cutter.

 

[Roccobro]

I think I'm going to go makes some noise...

Justin

 

[243ackley]

I don't really want to make too much mess in my rifle. I reckon I will go for nobel pistol powder #3, some tissue to wad it all down and some soap . Results will be published on completion!

 

[Clarence]

I've used wax and it works perfectly well. Just take a slab of it and mash it down over the mouth of the case until you get a good plug.

You do need to be sure you use a heavy enough charge to fully fireform the case.

 

[Walkalong]

You do need to be sure you use a heavy enough charge to fully fireform the case.

Correct. Light charges will not fully form the case. I don't consider it fully fire formed until the second firing even using near full loads the first time.

 

[Roccobro]

Correct. Light charges will not fully form the case. I don't consider it fully fire formed until the second firing even using near full loads the first time.

Is this for chamber fitting/filling issues, or for max case capacity?

Justin

 

[Walkalong]

For chamber fitting.

For fireforming .220 Russian in a 6 PPC gun I would use a "scrap" bullet, and around a 90/95% charge since the case was smaller than the chamber to start. That would form it pretty close. I would then load a full load to shoot as sighters or practice before loading the batch (20ish) to shoot in a match in the record group.

 

[Roccobro]

Thanks.

Justin

 

[Kernel]

cream of wheat, its not a thing we have in England

Ground coffee would work just as well. Even old coffee grounds, if you let them dry out first.

 

[Afy]

Semolina, cous-cous also work. (BTW I have seen Cream of Wheat in tesco)
However might as well use the method described by Walkalong, and begin to get an idea of what the gun might be able to do.