Fire Forming Brass

[Seitz 555]

I have come by some primed 17 Hornet brass. I have no 17 cal. bullets nor do I have a firearm chambered in 17 Hornet. I would like to shoot them (fire form), in a 22 K-Hornet model 43 Winchester I have. That said, I have been reading everything I can find that a person can use fast burning shotgun powder and cornmeal with tissue paper to do fire forming. I have the cornmeal also have Win. 296, Lil-Gun and Herco powder. Does anyone have a recipe and the process by which this is done.

 

[Varminterror]

W296/H110 and Lil’ Gun aren’t what I would call “fast burning” pistol powders. I’ve never heard of anyone using such slow powders, usually we use W231, TiteWad, or Bullseye class of powders. I’m not sure of a “recipe” to fireform 17 into 22 Hornet, but I’m sure 22 to 17 Hornet fireforming loads are out there, and in principle should work just fine.

Personally, I’m not fireforming anything in 2023 with primers 2-3x priced and still scantly available. But since you have primed brass, maybe you’re planning to sacrifice those primers as unknown origin?

Also personally, I’d look at expanding the necks with a mandrel and using a moderate load with a false shoulder rather than using a bullet-less CoW method.

 

[Kaldor]

W296/H110 and Lil’ Gun aren’t what I would call “fast burning” pistol powders. I’ve never heard of anyone using such slow powders, usually we use W231, TiteWad, or Bullseye class of powders. I’m not sure of a “recipe” to fireform 17 into 22 Hornet, but I’m sure 22 to 17 Hornet fireforming loads are out there, and in principle should work just fine.

Personally, I’m not fireforming anything in 2023 with primers 2-3x priced and still scantly available. But since you have primed brass, maybe you’re planning to sacrifice those primers as unknown origin?

Also personally, I’d look at expanding the necks with a mandrel and using a moderate load with a false shoulder rather than using a bullet-less CoW method.

Its not the money, its the availability for me. I have primers, but Im sitting on them, so that when I want to shoot I can, but the days of going and shooting a 1000 rounds for grins are over for right now as is excessive amounts of load development.

I agree, if you can bring the neck out to a 22, without splitting it, and that case will chamber, Id go with a mandrel. You may even need to mandrel it twice, using a 20, then the 22 mandrel to stress the brass less. Maybe using some Imperial dry neck lube might be worth it as well. $55 for a Sinclair body and a pair of mandrels is alot less cash than a 1000 primers. Its one of those deals where you are going to have to spend the money for the $20 worth of tools to see if it can be done. On the upside, you own the mandrels then, and you might be surprised that they are generally more effective than an expander ball in the sizing die for accuracy, and at $10 a piece, you can just keep adding calibers.

 

[Jackiesman]

W296/H110 and Lil’ Gun aren’t what I would call “fast burning” pistol powders. I’ve never heard of anyone using such slow powders, usually we use W231, TiteWad, or Bullseye class of powders. I’m not sure of a “recipe” to fireform 17 into 22 Hornet, but I’m sure 22 to 17 Hornet fireforming loads are out there, and in principle should work just fine.

Personally, I’m not fireforming anything in 2023 with primers 2-3x priced and still scantly available. But since you have primed brass, maybe you’re planning to sacrifice those primers as unknown origin?

Also personally, I’d look at expanding the necks with a mandrel and using a moderate load with a false shoulder rather than using a bullet-less CoW method.

Just on the subject of primers - Blacksheep in Coeur d’ Alene Idaho has an unlimited supply of all sizes for about as reasonably priced as you can find. Spotted them as I was going to Washington to visit friends. Picked up several bricks. If you’re out that way it’s a good place to stop. Never tried fire forming so I can’t help there.

 

[AJC1]

Because alternative ideas are being floated maybe check with a place like dj brass service to see if they hydro form in that conversion. You may not loose any that way.

 

[Bcwitt]

Hornet brass is very thin. Id suggest getting the correct thing to begin with.

 

[FROGO207]

Hornet brass is very thin. Id suggest getting the correct thing to begin with.

^^^^^^ This. You will likely split most of them on the first firing.
If you do try use a fast propellant, I use Promo, and add 1/4 case full, then fill case 1/2 full with cream of wheat. Finally tamp a good amount of tissue paper into the mouth. Then shoot em.

 

[Varminterror]

The last set of brass I had done at DJ’s, he stated potentially 10% losses. Hydroforming my own brass, I like to think I hold less than 5% loss, but only when I’m being really careful - and I might just be imagining that level of control. It’s actually a weird sensation - you can feel the difference in the hammer blow when a case splits.

 

[Seitz 555]

Thanks to all for your comments. I think I'll just let them set for now, maybe I'll come across a 17 Hornet down the road.

 

[Varminterror]

Thanks to all for your comments. I think I'll just let them set for now, maybe I'll come across a 17 Hornet down the road.

I would bet within a few months of having them posted in a few Varmint pages, you’d be able to trade for 22H brass.

 

[FROGO207]

I would bet within a few months of having them posted in a few Varmint pages, you’d be able to trade for 22H brass.

This was going to be my suggestion as well.

 

[Slamfire]

I have come by some primed 17 Hornet brass. I have no 17 cal. bullets nor do I have a firearm chambered in 17 Hornet. I would like to shoot them (fire form), in a 22 K-Hornet model 43 Winchester I have. That said, I have been reading everything I can find that a person can use fast burning shotgun powder and cornmeal with tissue paper to do fire forming. I have the cornmeal also have Win. 296, Lil-Gun and Herco powder. Does anyone have a recipe and the process by which this is done.

Just skip the cornmeal and the reduced load. Load a standard amount of powder, and lubricate the outside of the case with something, say sizing lube, or hair gel, or grease. Make sure the neck and shoulder are lubed. And fire the rounds. The lubricant will keep the case from gripping the chamber, so what happens is, the case slides to the bolt face, any empty space in the chamber will be filled by the case folding out, and you will end up with a perfectly fireformed and stress free case.

I do it all the time.







300 H&H Magnum brass. God awful expensive and the base to shoulder distance is not controlled, only the base to belt distance. So, I grease them up with hair gel (vasoline with pleasing perfumes and non toxic so you don't puke when you suck your fingers!)







shoots good too.



Messy, but it can be wiped off.