56-50 brass from other Cases...*** Photos Added ***

Jbar4Ranch · January 08, 2012, 11:52:39 PM

... so, has anybody made cases from ALL of the usual suspects* and can tell us what works best? When Starline brass dried up some time back (I understand it's available again), all I ever tried was .348 Win brass, both WW and RP, and no other modifications were required other than trimming, sizing, reloading, and fireforming. I've got 50 pieces of Graf 8mm Lebel on the way to try, but I can't imagine anything working better than .348 brass. What makes it especially sweet is I make .45-75's out of 'em first, then when the necks develop splits, cut 'em down and make 56-50 cases out of them!

* .348 Win, 32 ga, 8mm Lebel, 50 Alaskan, 50-70/50-90... others?

PvtGreg · January 09, 2012, 08:48:44 AM

For originals or Armi Sport?

Greg

Jbar4Ranch · January 09, 2012, 08:55:14 AM

Armi Sport

PvtGreg · January 09, 2012, 12:52:20 PM

I've only done the one's I've posted on, 8mm Lebel and 32 gauge. A few others have done .348 Winchester and I remember a post on it, but can't find it now.

All approaches I've read about or attempted seem to require modification other than simply re-sizing the brass up or down to Armi Sport 56-50.

I'd like to know more on using 50 Alaskan - anyone out there have any data on this?

Greg

Jbar4Ranch · January 15, 2012, 08:01:03 PM

Using Winchester brand .348 Winchester cases, all I do is cut 'em down, size 'em, and shoot 'em. No reducing rim diameter or thickness, no neck reaming, just trim 'em and shoot 'em. I've cut down a couple of RP .348 Winchesters too, and didn't have any problem with them either.

I tried modifying a Graf's 8mm Lebel case today, and what a PITA that was. Cut with tubing cutter, expand with a .45 expander plug, then a .56-50, thin the rim, and neck ream. Without thinning the neck walls, the things won't chamber after running the .56-50 expander into the mouth. I'm glad I only picked up 50 of 'em!

L to R, 8mm Lebel, Winchester .348, Remington .348, Remington .348, Starline .56-.50.

They're not crushed or on a curved surface, just a bit of fisheye from taking the pic so close.

Two Flints · January 16, 2012, 05:59:34 AM

Jbar4Ranch,

Load information on the .348 Winchester? Dies used? Bullet information? Thanks for the photo. Much appreciated.

RP Winchester cases??

Two Flints

JimBob · January 16, 2012, 06:55:07 AM

RP=Remington Peters

PvtGreg · January 16, 2012, 10:17:19 AM

Lebel is a pain with a pipe cutter. You have to scribe a line around the case where you want to cut I have a jig that I use to scribe a cut line in the brass first - which made the pipe cutter a lot easier to use. I use a small table saw so its a LOT simpler

Reaming the necks is a pain too. It too me with the table saw about 6 hours to resize 100 Lebel cases. They are very heavy duty though.

I really appreciate it if you'id any issues you had with any of the .348 brass.

Thanks

Jbar4Ranch · January 16, 2012, 10:40:02 AM

Quote from: Two Flints on January 16, 2012, 05:59:34 AM
Jbar4Ranch,

Load information on the .348 Winchester? Dies used? Bullet information? Thanks for the photo. Much appreciated.

RP Winchester cases??

Two Flints

The cartridge, of course, is .348 Winchester, but Remington also made brass, hence Remington (brand) .348 Winchester. I use Lyman dies, and two different bullets; an RCBS mould that casts a ~350 grain RFN, and the modified Lee pictured above, which is ~325 grains. For a powerful hunting load, I use 24.5 grains H4227, which I've also used for CAS, but more often, I'll use a case full of black. In this big ol' case, Trail Boss seems to work well too.

No issues with the .348 brass - cut 'em down, size, load, shoot. Check for length on the next load, and trim if necessary. I haven't had to do any additional work to them, such as reducing the rim diameter or thickness or neck reaming - they work fine as is.

Two Flints · January 16, 2012, 12:16:39 PM

Jbar4Ranch,

It's my understanding that because of the thin rim on the .348 Winchester it cannot be used in an original Spencer, as it won't eject them. Yes, no?

Two Flints

PvtGreg · January 16, 2012, 12:51:10 PM

JBar - that does beat the Lebel cases by far.

Thanks

Jbar4Ranch · January 17, 2012, 10:41:31 AM

Quote from: Two Flints on January 16, 2012, 12:16:39 PM
Jbar4Ranch,

It's my understanding that because of the thin rim on the .348 Winchester it cannot be used in an original Spencer, as it won't eject them. Yes, no?

Two Flints

No personal experience on that one, as the only one I've ever owned is an Armi Sport.

PvtGreg · January 21, 2012, 05:23:47 PM

Rim Diameter's of various 56-50 brass alternatives as measured by my new digital calipers:

Type	Rim Diameter
8mm Lebel	.630^"
56-50 Starline	.630^"
50-70 Bell	.655^"
.348 Winchester	.610^"
32 Gauge Brass	.630^"

Two Flints the .348 Winchester rim is about 2/100 smaller. I doubt that a blade extractor from an original Spencer would extract them properly. I wouldn't anticipate this to be an issue with the Armi Sport Lane extractor. I picked up 50 to try out. Unfortunately my Lyman sizing die broke, so I will have to let you all know how they work out. I'll let you all know the results.

Pvt Greg

Two Flints · January 21, 2012, 05:43:36 PM

Pvt Greg,

Thanks, I appreciate the information on the rim diameters. Too bad the rim on the .348 Winchester brass is so slight and not one you can use in an original Spencer.

Two Flints