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Thread: SAMCO 6.5 Swede Wood Bullet Ammo...

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    SAMCO 6.5 Swede Wood Bullet Ammo...

    Has anyone here tried to pull the wooden bullets from the SAMCO 6.5 Swede (cheap) ammo and put cast bullets (and fresh powder) in them?

    I thought it might be an inexpensive way to load up 1K rounds of cast ammo.

    Your thoughts?

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Their site says it's noncorrosive, but berdan primed. If the case mouth is crimped, you'd have to straighten that out before you could load it. I dunno, I'm just thinkin' as easy as it is to parent 6.5 brass, it might be more trouble than it's worth.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

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    I remember reading of people saying they had done it. I can not find a link. I seem to remember that the brass is once- or several times fired.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    Sometimes the cases are not as strong as regular milspec ammo. With new European ammo readily available it is just not worth the risk.
    I keep trying to stay afloat but can't help from shooting holes in my own boat.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    The cases are once-fired, twice inspected.

    Use a Lyman M die .26 to open the neck for cast bullets. I've done the same with the m/12 gallery practice ammo (Kammarpatron) with the little sheet brass "bullet". The primers are non-corrosive.

    The powder has a burn rate close to Unique. I've used it nearly at the same load rate as Unique, within a couple tenths of a grain to half a grain. With Lyman 266469 you would start with 10 grains of the Swedish powder and work up. It is not "blank" powder but a fast pistol powder, Gevärsexerciskrut 1, which doesn't really tell you anything but there has been much use of it so it's not an unknown to American handloaders, plus I've used it quite a bit. This below is the translation from a 1915 Swedish military educational text:

    6.5mm Lös patron m/94. (blank m/94)
    Uses reloaded cases. The bullet is a hollow wooden one which disintegrates after it leaves the barrel. A very fast powder aclled "Gevärsexerciskrut 1 is used. The cartridges are packed in boxes containing 10rounds on strippers. The boxes have have green labels. The boxes (without linnen straps) are packed in green wooden cases m/68. The cases are not steel lined and the lids are fastened with screws.
    And for the m/12 gallery practice. The composition of the "bullet" was changed later to be only a sheet brass cup. They did away with the wooden plug.

    6.5mm Kammarpatron m/12 (gallery practice round m/12). Uses reloaded cases, no crimping of the bullet. A tight fit is possible due to the fact that the bullet is slightly oversized compared to the case neck. The bullet is made of wood and has a cupro-nickel jacket. The muzzle vel. is 300meters /sec. Due to it's limited mass and velocity the bullet is harmless over 200 meters range. The powder is of the same type used in the blanks. The cartridges are made at Marieberg. The cartridges(without strippers) are packed in paper boxes containing 100rds. The boxes have blue labels. The boxes, are packed 27 in cartrigde case m/05. The case are steel lined and with a soldered lid. The wooden lid is attached with srews.
    This m/12 was a lot of fun when it was $60 for a case of 1,440 rds with free shipping from Century Arms. Now, not so much. I have about 3/4 of a case left that I use for cast in 6.5x55.





    Dutch

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    Here's a target with load notation using the Swede gallery powder.



    Swede GP = gallery powder (dohh!). This was a Gewehr 98 8x57 using Lyman 323470 @ .324" using 10.5 grs Swede gallery powder. If you're trying to shoot record breaking groups I'd suggest using fresh powder. The sealed case of m/14 gallery practice I was using was loaded in 1963.


  7. #7
    Boolit Master

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    Found another target with notation for using Swede Gallery Powder (GP).

    Truthfully... . I'm pretty sorta kinda sure that one round at 10 o'clock was probably from the previous 5 rds when I was adjusting the scope. This was shot using a Persian Mauser 98/29 with a 2-7x32 NcStar LER scope & mount. It sure looks like 5 rds in one hole. It was 15.8 grs Swede gallery powder with Lyman 323471 215 grs .324" and a Turk military primed case. 50 yds. That Persian really likes heavy bullets, cast and jacketed.


  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    Thanks, Dutchman... (from a fellow Dutchman.)

    The reason I wanted to try this out was that I picked up a bunch of those 1950's 'sporterized' m94 carbines a while back (plus a few regular ones - including an old Oberndorf), and felt that this might be a fun (and inexpensive) way to give them a workout.

    Have you been doing any more work on making those 'scout scope' mounts for the m94 carbine sights?

    For now, I think I will stick to the stock sights, and splurge a little cash on loading up some target ammo.

    My MAIN concern was that these rounds might be like 'blank ammo' (ie: not safe for regular loads.)

    PS: I LIKE that last group!

  9. #9
    Boolit Man
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    Have used a collet type bullet puller to pull wood "bullets" from 7.62 NATO(ISRAELI) blanks and the Finn 7.62x39 wood blanks.
    You have to find the right "feel" when you tighten the collet around the bullet. Usually a small push down,the pull it UP will yank the bullet free.Once in a while you might get one that does not want to come out.
    Used the NATO cases with 4895 powder and 150 FMJs to make plinking ammo for a BM59. No problems.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by NYBushBro View Post
    Have you been doing any more work on making those 'scout scope' mounts for the m94 carbine sights?
    I consider the m/94 carbine rear sight to be too short to get a usable LER scope mount. It has been done by others, most notably using a spare rear sight ladder and epoxying a fabricated base to it so's not to hurt the original parts. The carbine just doesn't poke me in the ribs in a way that provokes action.

    PS: I LIKE that last group!
    Me, too. I hope to do some more work with that rifle before it gets too cold.

    Dutch

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    Save it! When the Zombie Wars start, they will have Vampire Night Patrols out and the occasional Werewolf to use your Silver Bullet Company loads on.

    Rich
    healing...

  12. #12
    Boolit Mold
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    Dutchman, I followed your lead and tried to put a fairly moderate .38 Special load in a heavy-framed .357 Magnum for a data base.

    The charge tables that I used should have produced about 850 fps using a 125 grain bullet. My results chronographed between about 585 and 640 fps. Between that anemic performance, large chronograph spread, and how dirty it burned, my shoulders drooped as I considered it a failed experiment.

    However, about a year later, I was looking for a moderately fast powder to fireform 30-06 brass to .35 Whelen using the Cream of Wheat method. I had previously used 9.0 to 11.0 grains of Red Dot, so I decided to try using between 12.0 and 14.0 grains of the Swedish Powder. 12 grains, 14 grains, and 13 grains all showed pretty good results. I eventually settled on 13.5 grains. It nicely opened the mouth, reshaped the shoulder, and no stress or pressure signs showed anywhere.

    So since the powder is virtually free, and the box of Cream of Wheat in the Pantry had a "Use By" date of 2012, my only cost was 3 1/2 cents per primer.

    Now, with 2.1 pounds of Swedish Blank Powder on my shelf, and using 13.5 grains per load, I should be able to fireform about 1,089 pieces of brass.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    Dutchman,could you post up some info about the gallery ammo?,that type of thing interests the hell out of me,thank you for posting. Pat

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    I have done That before . I have the Large Box of Wood Bullets blanks,. . The Primers are non corrosive . . I removed the Powder and used others . > . The cases are very good with no problem. . You can Reload Them using a 5.5 MM berdan
    Quote Originally Posted by NYBushBro View Post
    Has anyone here tried to pull the wooden bullets from the SAMCO 6.5 Swede (cheap) ammo and put cast bullets (and fresh powder) in them?

    I thought it might be an inexpensive way to load up 1K rounds of cast ammo.

    Your thoughts?
    NRA Endowment Member
    International Ammunition Association
    New York, the Empire State Where Empires were Won and Lost

  15. #15
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by salpal48 View Post
    I have done That before . I have the Large Box of Wood Bullets blanks,. . The Primers are non corrosive . . I removed the Powder and used others . > . The cases are very good with no problem. . You can Reload Them using a 5.5 MM berdan
    The wooden bullets often have a paraffin coating on them. I put a turn of masking tape on the bullet to give the puller something to grab.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by PAT303 View Post
    Dutchman,could you post up some info about the gallery ammo?,that type of thing interests the hell out of me,thank you for posting. Pat
    Everything I know about it is in this thread.

    Dutch

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