Reloading Discussion

[namelus Survivalist]

You can always go air gun too  http://quackenbushairguns.com/ not your little .22 either a 50 cal mini ball that can drop large game

 

i would instead get a tube mold like a bullet mold to make the tubing to do all your swagging then use a hand press  to jacket a cast lead core

or you can use brass from another caibre to jacket

 

instead of bees wax to  pull impurities go to ikeas buy a bag of cheap tea lights and cut into 1/4 use one quarter on top  of liquid lead to pull impurities keep adding quarters till no impurities float and spoon off.

 

 

[74 Survivalist]

Bobby

what is  your question?

[BobbyD Survivalist]

After watching the video on making brass jackets from .22cal empty cases I presume that one does the “wire drawing” of cast copper rods by pushing short lengths through a die.  Is that how it would be done?

[lci115lewis Survivalist]

A good source of information on making black powder (and other pyrotechnic related stuff) is http://www.skylighter.com/how_to_make_fireworks.asp

 

For my powder storage I was lucky and came across an old flammable liquids storage cabinet that was still in good shape.

 

Rob

[BobbyD Survivalist]

Would this container work for powder storage?  Or would the metal parts disqualify it?  The actual seal in contact with the red polyethylene body is Teflon.  It is for storing high volatile liquids like MEK.

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[Malgus Survivalist]

Bobby,

Real fast, ’cause I got an errand to run… I would vote “no” on that for powder storage.  BP comes in 1lb cans.  Putting a whole bunch of loose powder in that thing would make one helluva bomb… and that would be bad.  I’m going to build a proper storage box.  Use wood and line it with copper sheet, storing the individual cans in it.  Or, you could use a wooden cabinet, also lined with copper.  Thing is, you’re trying to minimize things like static electricity and sparks.  A big old steel can?  Erm… not so much.  It might be fine for liquids, but not BP.

lci115lewis,

Skylighter is where I got my start.  They got a lot of good info there.  Will post more later…

The wicked flee when none pursueth..." - Proverbs 28:1

[BobbyD Survivalist]

Malgus

Not sure if you fully understood that the red can is made from polyethylene, not steel.  But you may have a point in the size and enclosed amount of air. (1 gallon)  I am not savvy in the dangers of powder storage.

[freedom Survivalist]

Since I know very little about the subject of reloading all I have been doing is reading every ones response and I can see that reloading has many things to it that I need to learn.

[Malgus Survivalist]

Not sure if you fully understood that the red can is made from polyethylene, not steel.  – Bobby

If, by polyethylene, you mean “plastic”, that’s even worse.  Think about how plastic generates a static charge… and that would be very, very bad.  It’s why they do not sell BP in plastic containers, only tin-lined steel.

Stick with traditional methods.  Wood, copper.  Store in a cool, dry place, away from anything electrical.  And in small amounts only.  Don’t buy 50lbs of powder and put them all together.  Trust me, you don’t want to do that.

The wicked flee when none pursueth..." - Proverbs 28:1

[74 Survivalist]

Bobby,

Good advice from Melgus on the BP storage.  Black powder is a very sensitive explosive.  Shock, static, & sparks can make it go off.  It will create a shock wave un-contained unlike smokless powder.  Keep it in the original containers.  The safety can is designed for liquids and has a flame arrestor in the spout. It is a fine copper mesh screen that will disapate the heat of a flame. I don’t believe I would experiment with the can.  The cabinet I suggested is aproved for use by NFPA for the storage of flammable liquids. The wood provides insulation from the heat of a fire. 1 inch of wood will take about 1/2 hour to burn through in an incipient stage fire. A fully involved structural fire is another matter.

[74 Survivalist]

If I have to use copper for solid bullets and can not find existing cable, I will use the lost wax method of casting. Using wax rods close to the diameter of my bullet I’l pour thin rods.  Probably about 30″ long. I hope to pull them through a die once for final sizing, more pulls if necessary. Cut the copper cable to the proper length.  Then swage each bullet to create the ogive. Most likely a round nose design.

[BobbyD Survivalist]

I sent some of your comments on reloading for BP to a friend who is into that.  He wrote back and this is what he said:

I have not loaded any BP cartridges in awhile because mostly the cleaning issue. There are a couple powders which work well in cast bullet loads in both BP and modern cartridges, 5744 being the most useful. The info you provided is all good, sound stuff. Most any cartridge can be loaded with BP (FF granulation) simply by filling the case to a point where there will be slight compression of the powder when seating the bullet. The 30-30 was at first a BP load. Because of the cleaning issue, I would recommend single shot actions or revolvers. The original Colt .45 was designed for BO (this must be a typo= BP?) and has clearances a bit looser than the later models. The modern ones will shoot BP, two to three cyls before the fouling binds them up tight.  One advantage of BP is that it does not deteriorate in dry storage as smokeless will do. Could not hurt to have a few ## on hand. Track of the Wolf at Elk River, MN  is one of the few local places that stock it, they also have the lube and about everything needed for the BP cartridge shooter.

[MakingDo Prepper]

FYI:  Regarding the idea of using the copper from pennies for casting bullets (in time of SHTF).  In 1982 the composition of the US penny was changed significantly to 97.5 percent zinc and only 2.5 percent copper. Prior to that (1962-1982) the composition was 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc.  The 1982 pennies could be of either composition.  Scratch the surface and you should be able to determine which it is.  Or just look for pre-1982 coins.  See below.

From the US Mint website:   http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/fun_facts/?action=fun_facts2

The Composition of the Cent

Following is a brief chronology of the metal composition of the cent coin (penny):

• The composition was pure copper from 1793 to 1837.
• From 1837 to 1857, the cent was made of bronze (95 percent copper, and five percent tin and zinc).
• From 1857, the cent was 88 percent copper and 12 percent nickel, giving the coin a whitish appearance.
• The cent was again bronze (95 percent copper, and five percent tin and zinc) from 1864 to 1962.
  (Note: In 1943, the coin’s composition was changed to zinc-coated steel. This change was only for the year 1943 and was due to the critical use of copper for the war effort. However, a limited number of copper pennies were minted that year. You can read more about the rare, collectible 1943 copper penny in “What’s So Special about the 1943 Copper Penny.”)
• In 1962, the cent’s tin content, which was quite small, was removed. That made the metal composition of the cent 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc.
• The alloy remained 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc until 1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper (copper-plated zinc). Cents of both compositions appeared in that year.

[freedom Survivalist]

MakingDo, good to know! So 1982 on down.

[MakingDo Prepper]

1982 is iffy.  Some are copper some are zinc.  You want to look for 1981 and prior to be sure.

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