Brass 12 Ga. shells

[Charlie Bowdre]

I was thinking of picking up some brass shot shells for my 12 ga Stoger . Reading Doc Shapiro's  notes on BP Reloading I have a question.

I don't have  set of reloading dies and was going to hand reload as per his instructions.. But , do the shells have to be resized after shooting them ?

I just don't have the cash to buy a press and dies right now but would love to reload some 12 ga. with Black Powder.
Appreciate the help/
Dutchy

[Adirondack Jack]

If ya use BP, no they don't need resizing, ever.  Ya do need a good way to prime em.  For that I recommend an RCBS 12ga shell holder (call them about one).  Other than that, hand tools, including a simple hammer and punch to decap, work fine.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Best deals are from Midsouth Shooters supplies.  Their 1 800 # works from Canada, and they are VERY easy to deal with.  Most stuff can be acquired below retail.

[Charlie Bowdre]

AJ and Sir Charles .

Thanks guys appreciate the response.

[Nine Toe Jim]

Duchy,
I use Magtech casings and load without dies. I use the RCBS shell holder to prime them (like AJ)  and put white glue over the overshot wad. I do not size them. I have, however, purchased a crimper.  I believer I got it from Ballistics Products. The last thing I do is place the crimper on the top of the brass casing and give it a couple of taps to put a slight crimp on the case. The reason I do this is because I have an 1887 norinco lever action. The shells feed very well. I would think this would help in a SXS too.

NTJ

[Pony Racer]

Hand tools work great for relaoding the 12 guage brass shells.

Make sure you know if you are getting the rifle primer shells or the 209 primer shells - since you will need the right primer depending on what shells you get.

Several places sell the reloading tools you will need as a kit.  The only thing I had to buy other than the reloading kit was a rubber mallet.

The roll crimp tool is definitely needed for lever or pump action shotguns, especially when you need to load two shells.

I lucked out when a friend had an old turn of the century 12 guage press he no longer needed - replaced the primer spring and needed some oil and tlc - and use it for priming and depriming.

I still hand load the shot and powder as well as the over powder card, lubed cusion wad (in place of plastic wad) and over shot card.  I have found that plain old elmers white glue works nicely to seal it all in!!

I love mine - they are all I shoot anymore.

PR

[Lucky Irish Tom]

I just started loading Brass Shotshells.  All I could find was the ones that take rifle primers, got those from Midway.  I decided to take a box and use my drill press to resize and couter sink the primer pockets to take the 209 primers, I'll find out how well that worked next weekend.

Like Pony Racer, I use the over powder card, lubed cushion wad and a white over shot card with some elmers to seal it up.  If you are looking for a place to get your wads and cards Circle Fly or Track of the Wolf are both good.  If you do buy some cards and wads at the recommendation of some friends I bought 11ga over powder nitro cards, and 11ga lubed cushion wads, and 10ga overshot cards just so everything is snugged up tight.

[BlaiseNSaddles]

I use a shell holder from 4D (via Buffallo Arms) along with a Lyman ram pirme to prime the large pistol primer MagTech shells.

One of my favourite brass shells though were the ones from Hammer Double that had the 209 shotgun primer.

[minerotago]

From what I read here I am assuming that they make brass shells again. I have several dozen old Remington - UMC, Winchester and Kynoch shells and still use some of them. I load them and then use an antique No12 Kynock loading device, a funnel at one end and a star crimper at the other. It came with the shells years ago and was obviously made to put a small semi star crimp on the t op just enough to hold the overshot wad in place. I dont resize the shells but after all these years some are a bit worse for wear.
I also load some Drapers patent shells. They are good as they take old time Number 11 percussion caps on a nipple on the back of the shell and are the easiest of the lot to load in the field. They date to 1869 so getting a bit worn as well and have now been shortened a bit but still in action!
I use the above shells in my hammer DBs but use original roll crimp shells in my Burgess but now getting down to my last case of roll top ammo. When I have fired them I do relaod though using the ol roll crimp loaders.

[Charlie Bowdre]

Must be great to use those old shells and the reloading gear. I am going to take the plunge and order some brass 12 ga shells from Buffalo Arms. Next will be to try and get the large pistol primers . Our gun laws and transporting of such make it a bit difficult when there is no supplier close/

Thanks for the infomtion

Dutchy

[Nine Toe Jim]

Dutchy,

I ordered two boxes of Magtech brass shells (50 rounds) from Buffalo Arms last fall and they came through with no problem.  The primers will probably have to be bought in Canada

NTJ

[Charlie Bowdre]

Nine Toed Jim
Thanks , I'm getting the shells from BA . HAve a supplier here getting the primers out of Ontario.
I'll keep posted.
Dutchy

[Tennessee Hoss]

I have loaded MagTech brass shells for a couple of years now. I prefer them over plastic shells for several reasons.
1:They look really neat and cause a lot of commotion at the match - when polished they glitter like gold
2: You can reload them over and over seems like forever
3: No one ever takes your 12 gauge empites off the unloading table.
4: To me they are easier to load than crimping plastic hulls

I started about two years ago with 75 of them and still have 72 functional shells. You will loose one if anyone steps on them after you shuck them out of the scattergun. (Often a self inflicted loss)

And I do resize them before each match to insure that they are perfectly round and will eject properly from the side by side.
I use a MEC resizer that is intended to round out the brass on a plastic 12 gauge hull. It is a lever & cam device that MEC sells. It's just a table model of the resizer that is build into their presses on the decap stage.

If you put the primer end into the resizer and press it, then just turn the shell over and press the business end of it, there is only about a half inch in the middle of the shell that doesn't get sized, but from the sizing on both sides of that 1/2 inch I have never had any problem with them not coming out of the scattergun.

Hoss

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Will Bilozir, in Alberta is a Canuck source for bismuth shot and "ballistic products", and includes Magtech cases.  If not in stock, his ordering time is two weeks during the summer, and about a month in winter.  He saves us money by ordering/shipping in bulk.

http://www.bilozir.net/bismuth/

[BlaiseNSaddles]

I have the magtechs also but luckily got a good box of hammerdouble brass  shells.  These take a 209 primer and you can load them with most any smokeless or blackpowder receipe.

[Nine Toe Jim]

Can't get on Hammer Doubles website. Have they moved???

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

9toejim;  I can't find any particular advantage to the 209 primer set-up.  Just get a 12 ga. shellholder and prime the regular Magtechs on your cartridge reloading press.

Did you know that the hammerdouble cases are converted to 209s in CANADA?  Yup, in Grand forks, but on an exclusive contract.  The bases had to be reinforced by that little nylon washer.

[RattlesnakeJack]

'Fess up, now Nine Toe!  You got some of your very first brass hulls from me ....   

(But, then again, knowin' as how you're darn near as clumsy as me, those probably all got stomped flat a long time ago .... )

[Nine Toe Jim]

Hey Rattlesnake, that's the brass I've been experimenting with.