8 bore blanks from industrial cases

[flagman1776]

I'm undertaking reloading blanks for a friend with a nice brass 8 bore breach loading salute cannon.
I wish we could afford brass cases but the only ones we've found are CNCd from stock & are beyond our budget.
We'd love to find affordable Commerical cases, but so far have not found any. Which leaves us with Industrial cases. Industrial cases are VERY high pressure for shooting slag out of furnaces. To prevent their use in antique sporting guns or signal cannon, there is a raised collar under the rim. I don't have hands on an example yet. Apparently once the collar is dealt with, they can be reloaded normally. I've read reports that they can be swaged down with a die (which we don't have yet). I've also read reports of "peeling" the collar off. I'm thinking ofthis approach as I have a old & honorable SouthBend lathe... Thinking of chucking the shell body & running in underthe rim with a carbide cutter to free the collar.


I'm asking if anyone has experience with the collar on industrial cases... I'd like to know evereything I can before I start.

Thanks guys,
Russ

[elk hunter]

I've done it both ways and much prefer swaging them. I made a die from a piece of 1.5 " diameter steel about .750" thick by boring a hole through it that was slightly tapered with radius-ed edges. Lubed the brass head and used an arbor press to push the case into the bigger end of the die then used a rod to press it back out and then in to the smaller diameter end. Result was a very user friendly case that would chamber in my 8 bore double.

If you're going to try to machine the reinforcement off, it would be best to make a mandrel to fit snugly inside the case to support it in the chuck while turning, plus I'd use a live tailstock center in the primer pocket to keep from catching and pulling the case off the mandrel.

Either way you can make usable cases.

Good Luck!

[ClassicCannons]

Hi Here;s one i made from steel i had used the expanding mandril collet thats 5c hardinge is great for collets also their a link to other images thanks Austin



http://scaleartillery.com/Napoleon.php

I've done it both ways and much prefer swaging them. I made a die from a piece of 1.5 " diameter steel about .750" thick by boring a hole through it that was slightly tapered with radius-ed edges. Lubed the brass head and used an arbor press to push the case into the bigger end of the die then used a rod to press it back out and then in to the smaller diameter end. Result was a very user friendly case that would chamber in my 8 bore double.

If you're going to try to machine the reinforcement off, it would be best to make a mandrel to fit snugly inside the case to support it in the chuck while turning, plus I'd use a live tailstock center in the primer pocket to keep from catching and pulling the case off the mandrel.

Either way you can make usable cases.

Good Luck!

[Skipper]

Russ, the Old Western Scrounger has 8 ga hulls, bag of 25 for 14.95:

http://www.ows-ammo.com/store/index....roducts_id=140




If that's a solid belt, I think I'd just trim it off in a lathe.

[flagman1776]

I've heard Black Powder melts plastic cases. Not sure how many firings. Classic Cannons brass or better stainless look really great!