Rubber bullets...

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Trent

Trent

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Anyone know where I can buy 45 cal rubber bullets? The kind that you fire with just a primer?

Made a goof tonight and dumped 100 long rifle primers in to my Dillon press. Didn't notice until I went to load another tube up, and saw the empty box sitting there.

Paid my son $10 to pull them with the kinetic puller. (good learning experience! gave us an hour or so to talk about guns).

Bullets and powder were reclaimed fine. But now I'm left with 95 45 ACP cases primed with large rifle primers.

I figure it's high time to order some rubber bullets, and make use of them!

:)
 
I would just deprime the brass and save the primers to use with blasting ammo in your rifles. It is safe to remove the primers and reuse them, I do it myself with no problems and you will have no problems when using those primers. Just take it easy with the speed that you deprime them by not letting the decapping pin hit them hard, a single stage press is ideal for doing this type of job. I have never popped one yet but if you do it will be safe but might scare the crap out of you.:p IIRC when using rubber bullets the flash holes are supposed to be enlarged first so that will also be a problem. Natchez Shooters Supplies has rubber bullets as a component.
 
MidwayUSA http://www.midwayusa.com/product/48...lets-45-caliber-451-to-452-diameter-box-of-50
I've never used these but they should work for you if you're okay going single shot.

You do know that rifle primers are taller than pistol primers, right?

If a primer is not seated deep enough or is too tall and sticks out of the pocket, it can lock up many pistols. An acquaintance of mine was shooting a Sig 1911 with some reloads someone helped him make. The slide on his gun was probably 95% shut, but it took about 20 minutes at the range before someone could finally man-handle it open and remove the defective round. The problem was a primer that wasn't seated all the way (which usually means flush or below flush).

I don't foresee any other issues with using LR primers as long as you're only shooting rubber bullets without any gunpowder but I'm sure others might know more about this kind of thing. I haven't used rubber bullets before.

As Frog said, you can probably (carefully) punch out the primers and use them for rifle loads as long as you're plinking and not shooting a match or hunting with them. That's what I would do.
 
Get a cheap 2 hole Lee mold & some hot glue !!!

There called Gloolits & work rather well !!
Click to expand...

If the brass isn't resized too small, the standard glue stick is a tight fit into the brass as it is. Just push it in and cut it off flush with the case.

My son has a blast with these in the basement. Shoots pretty accurate at across the room distances into cardboard boxes.
 
Deprime them and reuse the primers in rifle cases next time.

As Fisherdave10 said, LR primers are taller then LP primers.

If they stick up, you will have problems shooting them, as well as potential ND's when you chamber them.

If you simply must try shooting them, buy a box of paraffin canning wax at the grocery store.
Heat the wax blocks slightly until you can "cookie cutter" wax bullets out of them with the cases.

rc
 
Don't know if they still do or not but Speer used to make the plastic bullets that fired with just a primer. A couple logs of slow burning rifle powder makes them even more interesting. They come with their own plastic cases though. I used to shoot lots of them back when primers were priced more reasonably.
 
I fired a couple of the primers in my 1911 (was quite loud and drew the wrath of wife).

Not at all comfortable punching them out on the press. Over the years I've read of several injuries from that (including an anvil that perforated the guy's heart, which required surgery).

I did an experiment with this once. At the rental house we used to live at, I stored some reloading gear in the garage (insufficient room inside). There was a large crack that spanned the center of the garage floor, which termites used to gain access to my cardboard boxes. Built themselves a nice little nest in my box of 300 win mag brass - which was sized, primed, and ready to load. Didn't hurt the brass one iota BUT I had to clean the crud off.

I gave the shell casings a bath of dishwater, got all the mud off of them just fine. Then I grabbed a 3" deep tupperware container and left them all to soak for a week submerged, to deactivate the primers.

Took them out a week later, dried them, and popped an empty primed case in to my 300 win mag. Pointed it at the wall, pulled the trigger, and POW. Blackened the paint on the wall. Ooohkay...

So I go out in the garage and hose them down the inside with break free. Figure the oil would do the trick. Let them sit for a couple of days. Put one in the chamber again (this time with an old "holy" sock wadded over the end of the barrel. Pull trigger. POW. Sock is smoking and smouldering.

I ended up firing 92 of 95 casings, which had been submerged for a week in water, then had standing break-free in the casings for two days.

Dishwashed them again, sized, and cleaned them; were really shiney and worked great. :)

Moral of the story. The only sure fire way to render a primer inert is to fire it. Might as well have some fun doing it safely.

The cases will chamber in my 1911 without issue, and fire. ("Tested" them until wife yelled at me.) Primer bulges back a bit but extracts just fine. (Yes, these ARE sticking out about .002-.003).

EDIT: Will try the glue stick thing. That sounds interesting.
 
Nudder vote to just deprime the cases & save the primers for another time.

I sheepishly have to admit, I've made the same mistake with small rifle primers.
Tried to fire them, but the firing pin strike was too light to set them off.
So I had to take 50 of 'em apart.

If I were you, I'd just make sure to wear eye & ear protection.
 
Yeah, I've got an old Class II vest I could throw over myself too.

I'm not too worried about saving the primers - I stocked up before my FFL expired in 09. I have 200,000 primers of various sizes, including 5,000 arsenal primers for 50BMG. Enough to last the rest of my life, probably. :)

Was hoping for the rubber bullet thing as three of my older children could learn from it. Got those targets printed out (from another thread on here) that show what you're doing wrong if a bullet lands in that sector (squeezing too hard, jerking the trigger, etc), was going to tape them up to a cardboard box in the basement and let each of my older kids go through 30ish shots.
 
Depriming live primers is no big deal..

Just throw a rag over the slot opening in the press ram.

The case is safely contained inside the die, and couldn't hurt in the very very unlikely event one did go off.

But I have done it for just about 50 years, and never had one go off yet!

rc
 
If you use a universal deprimer it's safer than a sizer/deprimer die because the shell/brass is not contained. The universal deprimer also has a spring loaded pin so it floats a little.
 
Dont do it you will take out the whole county maybe even the tristate.

Just kidding. Pop them out, put the right ones in, then load your training rounds. If you already have your mind set on this then why ask us. You might want to think about letting the slide slam forword. I would hate to see a post where someone got hit in the foot from a slam fire. You said they were for your kids?
 
King, good point! With them sticking out the back like they are, I could see that happening (slamfiring a bit of glue at my kids foot wouldn't be good).

I'll give depriming them a try. Don't really WANT to.... but we'll see what happens. :)

regarding :

If you already have your mind set on this then why ask us.

The question was for a source of rubber bullets (and the best answer was hot glue sticks cut down to size), not what to do about the primers.
 
I guess I missread or added it from all the reading. I thought I read both.

Glue sticks sound fun but I believe I would pick wax.
 
Going to try glue sticks first, to see if it works, and if it's easy. If it don't work out well, I'll see about wax.

I have some rubber bullets in 38, inherited from my now-passed Uncle. They'd hardened over the years in to something that resembles hard plastic or polymer. I tried one out (primer only) and it put one THROUGH the drywall in the livingroom.

My wife made me stop playing with the rubber bullets in the house.

I shot another at the cat box on the way down the stairs to the basement, to put my toys away - kind of a "protest" shot if you will, and the sonofabitch ricocheted off the floor / door frame and hit me in the cheek. That left a pretty good welt.

My wife got the last laugh, I guess. She was laughing pretty hard as I was inventing new curse words.

I figured FRESH rubber bullets wouldn't be as bad - maybe a bouncing hazard, but I plan on putting a pillow in a box, and covering the opening with the target.

Think the glue sticks probably won't be so bad either. :)
 
Your storeis concern me a little. Im glad you have a wife that will make you mind.
 
Be careful when shooting 'Gluelets' even with primers only. My friend finally tried them with his M&P40c and they left a pretty good dent in his fence boards.
I imagine if someone took a direct hit they would be bleeding.

Have a good backstop that will not cause them to ricochet off.

I haven't tried gluelets yet, but that's only because I don't have a bullet mold or access to a hot glue gun.
 
kingmt said:
Your storeis concern me a little. Im glad you have a wife that will make you mind.
Click to expand...

I've been known to misbehave from time to time. She keeps me in line. :)

I've calmed down a lot - 15 years ago ... well, we just won't go there.
 
I understand. Ive calmed down myself over the years. I dont know why mine put up with me.
 
Backstops

I used the Speer plastic cartridges (primer powdered plastic cases with plastic bullets and found a good backstop could be made from a cardboard box with sheets of rubber (cut from an old truck inner tube) hanging inside. The front two sheets were cut into 2" strips, to allow the bullets to pass through, but impeded. The next sheet an inch or two behind the first was also cut into 2" strips, but the cuts staggered from the the first. The last sheet was uncut and cause the bullets to drip to the bottom of the box. I suppose a chunk of plywood or drywall would work as well.

The two cut sheets did not ricochet, but did provide enough resistance for a ricochet from the back of the box from returning back toward the shooter.

The idea of "cookie cutting" heat-softened was into the cases is a good one, but be aware that air trapped behind the wax will be compressed and could cause the wax bullet to extend past the case mouth after a time.

I have heard of pouring melted was into the cases. It would be prudent to "cookie cutter" a thin cardboard disk into the case to protect the primer from any wax getting to it.

I would expect 600 to 800 fps from any such bullets. I have seen pictures of a steel door badly dented from a primer-powered wax bullet. They will reportedly kill rats and other small animals. Treat them as you would any live ammunition.

Good luck.

Lost Sheep
 
Rubber bullets? I have used wax. Just buy some parafin wax. It comes in a block that is about 1/2 inch thick. Just push the casing through the block to cut its own wax bullet. I will warn you though, treat the gun like it is loaded. Even a primer sends that wax bullet fast enough to do some damage. For sure you would not want it to hit a person nor pet.
 
I goof off with wax/primer loads all the time. I use a piece of papper bag as a wad and then push the case into the wax, lots of fun for close target shooting, and it also allows me to use my handguns at home.
 
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