Made my own snap caps

[TeamPrecisionIT]

Are these a good idea or am I setting myself up for failure? Sorry for the low res pics but all I have handy at the moment is my cell phone camera. Even with the low res though, you can see that I am getting some weird shapes to my cases when I seat my bullets. Any ideas why that would be happening? Is my sizing die resizing the case too tight for the bullet? Should I be belling the case more or less? The crimp is just barely touching them down and they are going in and out of my FCD with no problems. Any advice would be just dandy.





Thanks in advance,

Damian

 

[PO2Hammer]

9mms tend to look like that regardless.
I think it's because of the taper and the way the get resized, then the bullets make that bulge.
In general use as little flare as possible and a minimum crimp.
I thought about making snap caps like that, but worry about mixing them up with real ammo.

 

[1SOW]

A Coke-bottle shape is normal.

What are you filling your primer holes with? If it's RTV it'll last a while, but not a long while.

Be careful that your snap-caps don't look 'anything' like your cartridges, because "..it" happens.

 

[Magoo]

Looks like you filled the primer pockets with RTV or some other type of silicon? I'd think that'd make them distinctive enough from real ammo. Also, I doubt your standard reloads are nickel plated (?).

Of courese you can always pull and reseat them, but my first thought/concern was with setback from repeated chambering.

I like 'em, but I'm curious for someone to tell me why I shouldn't.

 

[BBroadside]

Those of you making the point about not making them look too much like live ammo ... good point! Would a conventional spraypaint work (lime green should do the trick) or would it increase the dimensions so much that you couldn't chamber them?

 

[PO2Hammer]

Paint won't stick.
You could blacken the bullet noses with cold blueing to add distinction.

 

[unwise11]

You need to color them oddly, or something, sharpie the case "dummy"..

 

[jja327]

I drill a hole completely through the side of the case to make it more obvious they are not real rounds and can't hold powder. I leave the primer pocket empty.

For dry-fire I use store bought snap caps.

You want to make sure whatever you filled the primer pocket with won't cause you problems by gumming up your firing pin hole. Always check the firing pin on a semi-auto to make sure it is not protuding before loading live ammo. A slam fire can ruin your day.

 

[FlyinBryan]

sharpie the case "dummy"

yea!!!

sharpie the case,,,,, dummy!!

lol, sorry jd, couldnt resist!!

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm sorry but IMO making snap caps that look like real ammo is a big mistake. Accidents can and will happen and putting a live round in thinking it's a cap will be a very bad situation. Sorry to sound so overcautious but I am...

 

[Shadow 7D]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
+100

I would set orange painted dowels or something
AND everybody know you put erasers in the primer cup, but RTV would be easy to clean out once it got chewed.

 

[TeamPrecisionIT]

I used RTV for the color/elasticity and I wanted to use live looking ammo for when I go to the range for ball and dummy drills (I'm an instructor). These WILL NOT be used for dry fire practice at home - only at the range. They will be kept seperate from live ammo until they are ready to use. I have brand name snap caps to use for at home dry fire practice which are bright red or blue, depending on the caliber.

So the slight case bulge is normal then? I was starting to get worried about that because my first reloads didn't have that issue so I thought maybe there was some kind of build up in the die. I cleaned it out and yet this 'problem' was still happening, so I figured I must have messed something up.

As usual, thank you for the advice!

Damian

 

[rcmodel]

I'm sorry but IMO making snap caps that look like real ammo is a big mistake.

I agree completely.

I made the mistake of going bugler hunting in the middle of the night with a 1911 loaded with GI dummy function test dummies once years ago.

Real ammo looking ones would make mistakes like that even more of a possibility!
Or worse when you get a live round in the dummy mix somehow.

It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when.

rc

 

[68wj]

As stated above, I also drilled holes in mine. Same purpose as the OP, malfunction drills, so the pistol was always treated as if it was loaded. It is obvious to anyone handling them that they are dummy. After a few trips out, the brass will become discolored too and look even less like the rest of your live ammo.

For storage, I used an old plastic bullet box (bullets, not ammunition) to further lessen the chance of mixing them with live ammo.

 

[dagger dog]

Team,
Save some used primer cups, fill the primer pocket and primer, with the RTV, the prime the "DUMMIES" with the rtv filled primer, take a pad of 0000 steel wool, or 400 grit wet dry paper and scuff up the nickle cases and PAINT THEM RED.

 

[cheygriz]

If you're shooting modern weapons, why would you even bother with snap caps???

I've dry fired my handguns tens of thousands of times without any harm at all, and I've never used a snap cap.

 

[68wj]

If you're shooting modern weapons, why would you even bother with snap caps???

I've dry fired my handguns tens of thousands of times without any harm at all, and I've never used a snap cap.

To force a malfunction. Really only works when you have someone load for you. Bang, Bang, click...

 

[cheygriz]

68WJ,

Now that makes sense. I'v used "dummy rounds" in training many times.

I assumed the OP was making them because of that tired old myth that dry firing is bad for your weapon. :banghead::banghead::banghead:

 

[BBroadside]

My reason for getting snap caps is - something to put in my speed loader for practice. (38 Special)

 

[Sport45]

I made the mistake of going bugler hunting in the middle of the night with a 1911 loaded with GI dummy function test dummies once years ago.

Why were you going after the bugler? Did you think the DI wouldn't get you up for PT if reveille wasn't played?

 

[GLOOB]

I can see how those would be good for failure drills, if you are alone. You could load your own and still not know which one is the dummy. But as an instructor, you could probably load normal snap caps for your students, and they would never be the wiser. And with these, you'll be hunting around in the empty brass for your ejected snap caps! I'd go with the Sharpie idea, so they'll be easier to spot on the ground.

 

[mcdonl]

RC, is there anyway to "die" lead? THAT would be awesome.

 

[The_Stig]

Color me red...

I use these to train failure drills. The plastic ones never stood up to the abuse and the aluminum ones are just too darn expensive, so I make my own. I make these out of the unreloadable cases (aluminum cases, berdan primed brass or copper washed steel.) I use a large tipped red sharpie to die the cases red. The copper washed cases take the die the best. I crimp the heck out of them and have never had a bullet move.

 

[TeamPrecisionIT]

The Stig? Is thal really you, haha.

Good name and thank you for the advice. Did you just basically write all over them with your Sharpie marker? Or did you dunk the ink on them via a different method?

Damian

 

[918v]

Any ideas why that would be happening?

It's called case tension. Case tension is what holds metallic cartriges together. Die manufacturers take into account that brass dimensions vary from brand to brand, so their dies are made to size the smallest case to hold the smallest bullet. Remember, 9mm bullets range from .354" to .356" depending on the manufacturer and the degree of wear on their tooling.