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Thread: Making .577 Snider Brass from Magtech 24 Gauge Brass Shotgun Cases

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    DoctorBill's Avatar
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    Making .577 Snider Brass from Magtech 24 Gauge Brass Shotgun Cases

    This was done to help anyone new to reforming Brass from one size to another.

    I found such Threads extremely helpful when I started out, so I
    figure to "Pass It Forward" - maybe someone can benefit from it.

    I watched a Youtube video on making Snider .577 Brass cases from
    Magtech 24 Gauge Brass cases.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQJSNDdesEQ

    Here is me doing this at home. I paid $24.29 for a Box of 25 Cases
    from Buffalo Arms in Idaho. Bought two boxes. I use them for .577/450 Martini also.
    I also bought a "Mini" Circular Saw cutter at Harbor Freight for ~$26
    using their 20% off coupon (in MANY magazines) to trim the cases.
    Trimming off 0.5 inch from each case is a PITA, so the $26 was worth it to me.

    I made a small wood "Jig" to hold the cases while trimming them.
    I cut them to about 1.95 inch because they expand a tad with reforming down in diameter.



    Since the saw blade is only two inches in DIAMETER, you have to rotate the case to finish the cut.



    You need to de-bur the end - I used a sanding block, File, Steel Wool and a knife edge.
    A final turn against a wad of Steel wool makes the neck smoooth....



    Once de-burred, you MUST anneal the Brass to make it possible to reform it in the LEE
    Die. I held the case with gas pliers, rotated in the flame for a slow count to 7, then plunged
    the case into water.



    After wiping the case off, I oiled it with a thin film of ATF (yes - Automatic Transmission Fluid) and
    sized it with the LEE Die. I pressed it in maybe 1/8th inch, pulled it out, rotated it, and repeated
    this way until it was finished. Going fast w/o rotating the case might result in a crimped case.
    Slow and easy....
    If the pressing is in any way difficult, you need to re-wipe the case, relube and try again.
    I often wipe the inside of the die with a rolled up Kleenex.
    Too much lube and you will get 'lube indents' in the case.



    If you have to press down HARD, something is wrong - check the case, re-lube or
    maybe even re-anneal. It should go quite easily.....

    Here it is fresh out of the Die after five passes to reform it.



    Wipe it off, check for burs and crimps....and you are done...for about $1 per Snider .577 Case !

    What you start with and what you get....



    Not bad for being able to shoot a .577 Snider on the cheap.

    Now to go make some Bullets - LEE "Minnie Ball" cast bullets (.575 x 500 grain hollow base).
    My Portuguese Contract Snider has a .583 Bore Diameter, so I am going to
    Paper Patch my reloads. I kinda like doing paper patching...almost as restful
    as Fishing in a Canoe on a quiet lake in cool spring weather while smoking a cigar.

    ALL by yourself with no one blathering at you and no TV or Radio trying to sell
    you some junk or convince you to vote for some Big Eared Bozo...you know who I mean.

    DoctorBill
    Last edited by DoctorBill; 07-04-2013 at 03:59 PM.

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy Rojelio's Avatar
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    DoctorBill, You Da Man!!

  3. #3
    Boolit Master smkummer's Avatar
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    Thanks, I am loading this for a friend and the Lyman 585213 is a little small for his snider cases. You going to try any smokeless loads? And what does lee sell the snider dies for? thanks We just load his cases without using dies.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
    DoctorBill's Avatar
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    smkummer (?) - You may be able to get by w/o the LEE dies set, but for the
    most part it is useful for forming the cases the first time.

    If you have several DIFFERENT Sniders, well then each will probably have it's
    own fire formed case dimensions.
    Unless you keep them all labeled and separate, you'll want to re-form the cases
    to fit anything Snider .577.

    I do not plan on using anything but Black Powder or a substitue like Pyrodex or
    that new substitute just out. (I'll edit in the name once I remember it....)

    I was wondering if some small amount of Trail Boss would be dangerous ?

    DoctorBill

  5. #5
    Boolit Master smkummer's Avatar
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    Dr. Bill, here are the loads I have.
    22 grains trail boss and a 500 grain bullet in a 24 gauge plastic hull from ballistic products.
    13 grains green dot
    13 grains Unique
    30-35 grains 5744
    30-32 grains 4759
    30 grains 4198 1250 FPS (This load was a squib load and I am guessing that because of the very loose seating bullet that it did not develop pressure. Some of the bullets did push out of the barrel but some got stuck with unburned powder.

    Other than pyrodex cartridge of which we loaded a 70 grain eq. load (meaning about 55 grain pyrodex) the 4198 load is the only one we tried with no success. I found these loads on I believe a british military web sight but have not tried them.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master Bad Ass Wallace's Avatar
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    I made my own vice type formers from a bit of old barrel to form 24ga to 577/450





    As you have shown, the same case also forms 577 Snider

    Hold Still Varmint; while I plugs Yer!

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy


    LeftyDon's Avatar
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    Wow. Love it. I inherited a 1866 BSA Snider that's been in the family for as long as I remember - at least 60 years. It's undergoing the first cleaning about that many years too. I'm also lacking the three screws for the steel butt plate. If I can get it back to shooting condition I might need to figure out how to do this myself.
    In 2020 congress finally forced the VA to provide Agent Orange coverage to Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans. RIP shipmates that never received proper care.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    "The VA says I'm only a Vietnam era veteran because my ship didn't roll on RVN land and my boots only walked on non-skid. So the Agent Orange sprayed on me off Song Ong Doc doesn't count! The VA - making sure all US veterans die for their country. "

    I ran into a brick wall several times with the VA. I sent an email to my Idaho U.S. Senator Crapo. They called me on the phone the next day and then the VA called. They were telling me I was ineligible for any benefits! The inquiry letter made a huge difference. The brown water Navy guys (Special Forces/PBR guys) get more benefits than Blue Water Navy guys. There are some exceptions so you might get ahold of your U.S. Senator...It gets their attention for sure. Good luck to you!

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    DoctorBill, thank you for your sharing the how to do it. your matter of fact approach method was a long needed post!. again thank you for sharing.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check