Who casts for machine guns?

[FISH4BUGS]

I am fairly new to the board, maybe about a year. I read the posts with great interest and have learned a great deal here that has improved my casting successes. I notice the vast majority of people here cast for handguns and rifles of all types.
How many of you folks here cast bullets for machine guns? Am I the only Class 3 fanatic? I also cast for the handguns (38/357/44 - 2 or 3 bullet styles in each), but the quantity 9mm/380/45 goes through the machine guns.
I shoot a ton of 9mm in a MAC and S&W 76, The 45 is shot out of a Stemple. My favorite is the MAC in 380....what a great little bullet hose.
I cast my bullets @ 4lbs ww and 1lb linotype, sized and lubed on a Star, I don't load them up too hot. I cast the 9mm and 380 with H&G 10 cavity moulds. The 45 is an old Lyman.
Anyone else here partake of the pleasures of full auto fun?

[Powderface]

The care and feeding of those little puppies must be sothing, I bet they eat alot.


A new class III in Kaliforniastan, you must be jokeing


Mike

[9.3X62AL]

Not a lot of full-auto experience here, carried a couple 9mm SMG's for a time (Colt and H&K) and some M-16A2 stuff. My conclusion as a gun hobbyist was that I'm very glad the government was buying the ammo I fired, and that I didn't have to reload cartridges to keep them eating. I'm not sure a working cop could afford to keep both a family and a F/A firearm eating regularly. Lotsa fun, for sure--but not a hobby I could afford to pursue in any depth. There's more than just hobby interest motivating me to cast boolits.

[StarMetal]

Deputy Al,

I watched the Gunney shoot a PPSH41 the other day on Mail Call.

I WANT ONE...wow...what a sweet subgun.

Every notice when he shoot he doesn't have earmuffs or plugs in? He must be deft.

Joe

[Herb in Pa]

FISHFORBUGS..........I put down the pistol mold when I started to shoot my MP40, I shoot commercially cast 125 gr round nose over 4.3 gr of ww231. This load also functions well in a Lanchester, Sten, Sterling, Barretta 38/42 and Grease gun with the 9mm conversion.

Joe........If he isn't deaf now he will be after shooting that Rooski SMG, my buddy's got a PPD40 and that sucker is really loud. No wonder all those WW2 rooski vets are deaf!!!!!!

[StarMetal]

Herb,

Shot alot of guns in my life but anything that fires the 7.62x25 is one loud son of a gun. The muzzle blast is ferrocious. Just like report said on the Germans in WWII encountering the PPSH41 were terrified by the noise alone.

Joe

[9.3X62AL]

Those Shpagin SMG's are something else, all right. Dad was scared spitless of them, too--Korea vet that he was. He was most assuredly NOT a fearful man, but truly DID NOT like those weapons.

I didn't see the "Mail Call" segment you speak of--gotta see that.

[StarMetal]

Yeah it was pretty neat Allen. They gave some history on it, but sure didn't tell anyone that two of the barrels could be made from one Mosin Nagant rifle barrel, because the Rooskies had to make them fast and cheap. It looked very controlable too. The Gunnery mowed those enemy watermelons up pretty good with it. He said it has a very high cycling rate, something like 950 rpm. That is high. I wouldn't think that 75 round drum would last long, but it seemed too for the Gunney.

About a week or so back he was at that machinegun shoot at Knobcreek, Ky. Boy I'd love to go to that. I do think the Gunney got his gonads off shooting all those guns there.

Joe

[castalott]

ya..I shot my buddies' ppsh 41....it is fast. There are 3 bullets in the barrel at any given moment.....lol

full auto stuff is fun and neat....but poor boys like me never will have any....

Dale

[Buckshot]

................Many long years ago a guy I knew had a Sten. It also had a silencer. He said he once ran a bunch of gunshow cast 9mm through it. He said functioning wasn't 100% but 'playworthy' and the more he shot, the louder it got. He said his muffler filled up with gunk.

.................Buckshot

[FISH4BUGS]

Not many full auto fanatics here I guess. I intentionally STARTED casting large quantities when I got into machine guns, particularly the pistol caliber stuff. Those 10 cavity H&G moulds realy can produce a lot of bullets. The M16 gets FMJ bullets of course. I DO however, still shoot a lot of revolver and pistol too.
Machine guns ARE expensive to buy. I am glad I did it many years ago because I certainly couldn't afford to buy them today if I hadn't. They are also expensive to feed. A case of 9mm can run $120. I can cast and shoot for $23 or so per thousand.....quite a difference.
I have never been to Knob Creek and may go someday. We have a couple of fun full auto shoots here in New England every year and I make those. Due to the strict regulation on the interstate movement of machine guns and some fascist Massachusetts laws, I cannot go into Massachusetts to shoot there, so I miss a couple of good shoots every year.
I can easily shoot 1000 rounds in an afternoon, so casting production IS important. I don't buy cast bullets any more. As I am sure all of you can uderstand, the search for WW's and linotype, smelting them into ingots, caring for the moulds, casting, sizing, lubing, scrounging and sorting brass, and reloading all that prior work is my relaxation time.
Cast like hell in the winter and reload and shoot all spring, summer and fall......and shoot on nice days in the winter or shoot indoors. It is, after all, my hobby....why not enjoy it?
Thanks for your replys.

[StarMetal]

I don't have any full autos but I have a semi auto Thompson and a semi auto HK 45acp carbine...and my AR15. I shoot cast out of the two 45's with no problems. The full auto's for sale cost too darn much, then there's the licenses...and frankly to tell you the truth even if you're legal it's still a hassle when someone calls the police and says someone is shooting a machinegun, plus they are expensive to feed.

Joe

[FISH4BUGS]

The full auto's for sale cost too darn much, then there's the licenses...and frankly to tell you the truth even if you're legal it's still a hassle when someone calls the police and says someone is shooting a machinegun, plus they are expensive to feed.
Joe
You actually do NOT need special licenses to own machine guns. First you buy the gun, but you cannot take delivery. The seller/delaer will hold the gun until the paperwork is approved. You make out a Form 4, which is an application to the government for the transfer of the gun from the dealer to you. You get two sets of mug shots and fingerprints, then your local Chief must sign off on the transfer. You send it all to the ATF (along with your check for $200) and if you are good boy, they will approve the transfer in about 90-120 days. That's it.
If I go shoot in a strange area, I always call the police ahead of time and let them know. They will often show up and I ALWAYS to offer to let them shoot.....I have never been turned down after they check the paperwork.
Expensive to feed? That why I am a bullet caster! Expensive to buy? You bet.... that's why I haven't bought any new ones in years....they USED to be relatively cheap.......I was lucky to get mine a number of years ago.

[45 2.1]

You actually do NOT need special licenses to own machine guns. First you buy the gun, but you cannot take delivery.

Yah, your right, except for two of the 48 states. My state and I think MA. don't allow private ownership. The bright side, the local police do have them and every once in a while, I get to partake. Thats why I keep three cases of 45 ball loaded.

[Bass Ackward]

Fish4Bugs,

I have a friend here that operates a lever like it was a machine gun. All you have to do is put a deer in front of him and he will bend that lever and make the barrel droup.

I have him over to feed my deer by hand to try and get him used to them, but he just starts to shake all over when one of the bucks comes close. Poor kid. God help him if one of them comes up the steps on the deck behind him. He just falls apart.

[JRD]

45 2.1,
What state are you from? I'm from RI and they don't allow them here except for Class III dealers. They are legal in MA. I know several people who have the proper permits and shoot them.
Jason

[45 2.1]

IL., sorry I got the wrong east coast state. Unlucky, aren't we.

[FISH4BUGS]

45 2.1,
What state are you from? I'm from RI and they don't allow them here except for Class III dealers. They are legal in MA. I know several people who have the proper permits and shoot them.
Jason
I live in NH. I'm not sure about RI laws. I cannot go into MA with my machine guns because there is NO provision for an out of state resident to posess machine guns in MA. I can go pretty much anywhere else (except the People's Republic of Kalifornia) with the proper permission of the Feds. That is called a 5320 form.
In spite of all the paperwork and the regulations, I enjoy it a lot. It's kind of fun to show up at a range and rip a full magazine....it certainly does generate a lot of interest and questions.
I guess it is just all part of the hobby..........I cast up another 1000 9mm 124gr rn bb bullets from the H&G 10 cavity mould last night. I try to have 5,000 cast up and on hand for sizing and reloading at all times...........I need another 2,000 380 95gr bullets......I have 10,000 9mm brass just waiting for sorting and loading. There are 1000 lbs of WW waiting to be smelted.....I need 1,000 more 38 158swc gc bullets....I am still trying to test the 200gr 44 swc gc 4 cavity H&G mould I bought.....Jeez........the work is never ending......that's why they call it a HOBBY, I guess.
I am starting to experiment with an RCBS 124gr TC bullet, but it is just a 2 cavity mould. NICE MOULD! If the bullet works well in all my machine guns, including the 9mm pistols, I'll be looking for a 6 or more cavity mould for that design.
Anyone have any suggestions?

[44man]

Fish, do you ever have time to eat or sleep?

[FISH4BUGS]

Fish, do you ever have time to eat or sleep?
Actually I do. One of the keys to being able to give attention to your hobbies is to murder your TV. I yanked the plug 15 years ago and actually found that you can devote time to doing the fun stuff wth casting and shooting. I made it a point to fugure out how to cast, size and load in quantity. I am still looking for that used Magma Caster. It isn't a bad idea to have your office in the house, either.
Believe me, I never lack for anything to do.......which reminds me....I need to go sort that 9mm bass.