Shotshell disassembly

[larryw]

I recently started reloading 12ga shotshells to feed my growing clays habit. I learned that taking these suckers apart while saving the valued AA hull was darn near impossible.

Any tricks to disassemble a shell that doesn't lead to the total destruction of the hull?

thanks,
LW

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

This is the way I do it:

1. Take a case of ammo out back
2. Shoot some clays
3. Pick up hulls.
4. Reload.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

My experience is that firing the shells at suitable targets
does less damage to shotgun shells than manual disassembly.

I did try to disassemble some shells I did not want to shoot
(suspected squib loads): I damaged every hull and only
salvaged the shot. If you find a way to do it, post it please.

 

[larryw]

Allow me to rephrase my poorly formulated inquiry to the reloading forum. :banghead:

I recently started reloading shotshells. When a shooter encounters a shell (in my case, one and counting) that didn't go boom after following Mr. Ashcroft's extremely helpful and relevant instructions, what is the procedure for disassembly so one can reuse the hull?

 

[callgood]

Other than a very powerful centrifuge, I'm stumped.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I use a razorblade to cut the hull just below the crimp. Dump out the shot and use your finger to pull up the wad. If the wad is too tight then run the blade vertical from the brass up. Make sure you go in just enough to split the case and not cut into the wad.

I've done it a time or two and have been sucessful so far.

 

[Rico567]

There's really no way to conserve the hull in situations like this...and usually, when I encounter it, it's because there's something wrong with the crimp. If it's messed up but can be chambered, I set it aside and shoot it at backyard clays, then discard the hull. Otherwise, if the components must be salvaged, it's been pretty well described in the preceding post. I have been successful in prying up the crimp far enough to dump out the shot, then cutting off the crimp with a utility knife and using a pliers to extract the wad, then dumping the powder out. Of course, there is some risk when depriming the live primer; I'm just not sure it's worth the two or three cents, but if I had to do it, I'd just make sure there were no primers or powder in the press.

 

[enfield]

It's not worth the time and effort. Just pitch it.

 

[dickwholliday]

these is a trick i've seen on the net before that uses a block of wood that you put utility knife blade in to cut them at the mid point of the wad....i actually found one made out of aluminum in an old gun shop......nobody in the store knew what it was for and i tried to get them to give it to me if i could identify it but no luck........i had to pay 10 bucks for it,,,,,,,,if someone wants to post a picture of it on the forum let me know and i'll email you a picture....i've never had any luck getting pictures to post on forums....D I C K

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Sorry, Larryw. The mods here have allowed me one wisea$$ remark a day, and today was your turn.

I think you'll find that misfires with reloaded shells are extremely rare (I've never had one). For what the hulls cost, I think I might try to salvage the shot and powder, or maybe not, and just pitch the dud.

 

[snuffy]

I made a shotshell dissassembly tool early on in my reloading carrer. It consists of a wood screw brased to a 5/16X 6 inch bolt with a nail brazed to the hex head to form a T handle. The wood screw is sharp enough to turn into the center of the crimp, then you pry with it to open the crimp. Dump the shot, then either grab the wad with a pliers, or turn the screw into the bottom of the wad to pull it out of the shell. I then made a long tapered rod that ends up at well over the diameter of the inside of the shell. This is turned into the case to iron out what is left of the crimp. The wad is usually thrown away, as it gets pretty mangled, but the shot, powder and hull is saved.

Depriming live SHOTSHELL primers is very safe. I can't see how on earth one could ever go off!

 

[45auto]

It's not easy without destroying the hull. Do about 5-10 and you will gladly destroy the hull...in time.

But, if you can't shoot it, I use a small screwdriver to pry open the crimp, then straighten out the crimp as much as possible, pour the shot out, needle nose plyers to pull the wad out, empty powder and there it is!