Scavenging reloading supplies

[scarry scarney]

Timtiminy

as Bored1 asked, where are you located? If you are near me, I can get you a little bit of powder to get you started.

[timtiminy]

Im located in Southern California. Apple Valley to be exact. There are a few shops here but I have only seen rifle powders and talking to the stores its looking like a **** shoot for them on what powders they'll be able to get in the near future.

[dubber123]

Interesting idea. Technically everyone who is steering you clear of using the powder is right. That said, I doubt it is any faster burning than Bullseye, which has plenty of data available. Starting well low and working up would not scare me in the least. I am assuming just functionable plinker/practice ammo is youl goal, not flat out scorchers. Best idea ever? maybe not, assured disaster in the making? probably not that either.

As suggested, post up your locale, and I bet enough components to get you rolling will appear.

[daniel lawecki]

If it was that safe and easy people would have started a thread. I wouldn't want to be standing next to you at the range.

[bangerjim]

Bad........BAD..........BAD idea!!!!!!!!! Probably the worst I have read about on here!

You do not know what powder is in there. 9mm is perhaps the trickiest/hardest cal to load due to extremely low head space and over all case volume. Even with known powders, 9 is still VERY tricky. You just might get by with 38SPL or 45LC with that pulled powder (big forgiving cases), but I still would NEVER use it in anything but the shells it comes in.

Shot is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to hard to cast with, Use it to alloy with pure to get what you want/need.

But do NOT take 12ga shells apart for the parts!!!!!!!!!!!

As said above.....let us know when you will be at the range........we will stay home!

Please.......forget it and keep looking for KNOWN pistol and shotgun powders IN BOTTLES with KNOWN LOAD DATA.

Like said above........if it was a good idea.......it would already be all over this forum!!!!!!!

bangerjim

[Silverboolit]

The three best words for new reloaders is.....FIND A MENTOR!!! Not to demean you, but knowledge is acquired over time. Use the knowledge of others to help you get going.

[DeanWinchester]

This is interesting. Potentially deadly but very interesting.

In a situation where NOTHING is available one could take small critters with a .308 using '0' or maybe even '00' buckshot by taking the shell apart using a round ball for a projectile and about 5g of whatever powder happens to be inside. All dependent on overcoming the need for another primer.

Ill have to file this away in my "Hey McGuyver, hold my beer and watch me go" folder.

[dubber123]

Well, all the talk of impending doom has peaked my interest. To the point I can tell you 19 Federal ElCheapo low brass shells yields 48 nice shiny boolits from my favorite BRP 360640 mold, and enough powder to load about 35 rounds. I didn't feel like cutting a full box apart, but it appears 1 box of cheap 12 Ga. shells yields enough lead and powder to make a 50 round box of 9mm's. I wonder how they will shoot? I still won't recommend this, but I may as well satisfy my curiosity.

[canyon-ghost]

Being in Texas, it's far between places to get powder. I drove around 75 miles one day just to check out a new powder shop. And, I'm a poor boy, not much money in the budget. You may have to expand your search. 9mm is pretty good with Bullseye, Unique, and a few others. Get yourself a good reloading manual as the guys suggest. I just shot 60 rounds of nines through my XDm-9 today. Had a blast. I ended up pulling bullets at one point, 9mm got way too hot, way too fast for me. I'd been reloading for 8 or 9 years then. They can build pressure way faster than you think.

Good Luck,
Ron

[country gent]

Several things are issues here that can lead to disaster. first is shotgun shot is ussually high in antimony lead and tin percentages are lower than most alloy recipes maening you may end up with a brittle bullet and other issues. Casting straight lead shot can be an issue also. I have cast reclaimed shot from a trap range into ingots for them to sell to members. Shot mixed with lead or ww is a source of antimony though it does have its place. As to the powder that is just alot that can go haywire and bite you. FActory ammo isnt loaded with commercial canistor grades of powder, normally a delivery of powder arrives ( sometines as large as a rail roa tanker car) and samples pulled a closed bomb test and others are ran to determine burn rate and pressures generated. It is then tested and loaded to find what charge gives the desired results in the appropiate calibers. We dont have access to this information or means to test it for the information. With some powders pressures arent a smooth curve thru the range there can be spikes and jumps that are issues. Using powder salvaged from 308 rounds and carrefully pulling bullets and wieghing charges then re using the surpluss in 308 rounds can be done, I perfer to have some known data to work with though. Going from shotgun shells to small capcity hand gun rounds is asking for trouble as the smaller capcity means pressures will form quicker. Ther is powder available its becoming more so. In 9mm look for bullseye unique 231 Theres quite a few that are suitable with data available for 9mm

[troyboy]

Dubber123 let us know. No different from milsurp other then starting from scratch. It would have to be "just because" though. Cheaper and safer to just buy a box and call it a day. Supplies will come back eventually.

[5 RING]

Timtiminy, if you plan on going this route. I’d like to have your Name, Address and Date of birth so I can put a life insurance policy on you. The way I figure it if you do go down that road, I’ll be sitting high on the hog in a week or two.


But seriously don’t do it. Using a unknown powder is just asking for trouble.

[dubber123]

Dubber123 let us know. No different from milsurp other then starting from scratch. It would have to be "just because" though. Cheaper and safer to just buy a box and call it a day. Supplies will come back eventually.

Will do.. They are all sized and lubed. With all the talk of excessive hardness, I guess I would have expected them to be lighter than they were. They actually ended up a few grains heavier than my normal WW mix. I have a starting load about nailed down. I'll try and get some loaded tomorrow afternoon.

[WallyM3]

My money's on dubber.

[dubber123]

My money's on dubber.

You might be betting on a 3 legged horse with asthma, but you will be one of the first to know.

[dubber123]

Wally, you might be in the money on this one.. I didn't feel like waiting, so I screwed together a single round to try before work. I settled on 2.7 grains of the mystery powder, based on Bullseye as a burn rate. 2.8 is listed as a start charge with a 147 cast in Lymans book. Mine weighed 155 grains, quite heavy for a 9mm.

Case was WIN, Winchester standard primer, 2.7 grs. mystery powder, 155 Gr. BRP 360640 RF.1.078 OAL. I paced off 30 feet and took a shot at a Arizona tea can left handed, (I'm a righty). Result, a bang, an ejected case, and slide locked rearwards on an empty gun. 1 boolit hole slightly left of center. The ejected case was only about 2 feet from me, and looks completely normal. I'll load some more and try a group after work if I can.

I am NOT recommending this, but will report my findings as I get them. I can only take cell phone pics and have no way of posting them unless some kind soul is willing to PM me their # to send them to.

[762 shooter]

And there goes Dubber123 jumping out of the box.

Good show.

762

[DeanWinchester]

You're brave man Dubber.
I don't think I can bring myself to try this with a 9mm but the more I think about it, I think I will try buckshot I mentioned earlier.

[captaint]

Tim - As you have seen, working on handloading with ANY components that are unknown is really a bad idea. Welcome to handloading my friend !! That said, Welcome to the board. Lots of great folks here. Also, you might try printing out a two page thing called "powder burn rate chart". You can google it just that way, I think. There are about 35 powders between Bullseye and Herco. That leaves a LOT of room for shopping for pistol powders. Most of the ones listed are still available and generally suited for pistol loads. Keep trying the local stores. You will find some before long. Never give up !! Mike

[DeanWinchester]

I believe we've all made it clear it's a bad idea. BUT, I think if you proceed with the assumption you're working with Norma R1 powder you should be okay. Lol!