Here's my latest attempt to make some cartridges for an old target pistol.
The gun is a high grade Belgian from around the 1880-1900 or so. All I had to go on was a chamber cast and I slugged the barrel. The twist rate indicated it was for a very short bullet, possibly round ball, so that was what I am going with. The closest cartridge I could find a reference for was the European .450 Long, which, ASFAIK, is unavailable. So, the closest basic brass I could find was .45 Long Colt. Had to shorten and thin the case walls a little, thin the rim (from the front and take just a smidgin off the head diameter. The bore slugged to .443 and I found some round balls from TOTW. I've made up 20 cartridges loaded with 19grs. FFF under a card and lubed wad with the RB thumb seated.
Hope to fire it sometime this week.
Probably the most difficult "build" is shown below. It was for a Providence Tool Works Martini I had at one time. The problem was that there really wasn't any case that came close to the head and rim diameter. I ended up starting with a .348 Win., thinned the rim from the front, swagged a brass washer onto the head and turned it to the right diameter and thickness. The head diameter was increased by using a sleeve which had to have an internal taper to the front so the .348 could be fire-formed out to the proper shoulder.
You can see where the problems arose..... Unless the taper was really feathered, firing tended to cut the case at the seam. I believe I made up around 10 cases and of those about half survived the fire-forming and of the few survivors only a couple made it through actual firing.
At least I can say I shot the d... thing!