Resizing 303 Brit to 30-40 krag trouble

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Uhhhh NO, it is not how you HAVE to do it, it how you CHOOSE to do it.

Having cartridges around with the incorrect headstamp in an invitation to a disaster.

Having seen a moron load 8x57s made from 30-06 cases in a 30-06 and shoot them with the predictable results, (destroyed rifle and a face full of brass/powder)(happily wearing glasses), I really try to avoid needless chances like saving a few bucks by not buying readily available ammo.

So you can buy new 303 Privi brass for about 45 bucks to your door.
My method, net of the bullets, powder and primers, costs say 80 bucks more.

ONE dinner out with the wife w/o needing a seeing eye dog to take you........

Use K-Mart motor oil in your $50,000 truck too ?

The .303 cases formed to .30-40 wouldn't chamber in most .303 rifles, but would be harmless if they did. As long as the bullet was flat-based and not unduly heavily jacketed, it would probably give reasonable accuracy. The OP may not even have a .303 to encounter this imaginary danger in, but if he did, the answer lies in a large felt-tip to write ".30-40 Krag" on the box. How many of us identify our cartridges by reading the headstamp before shooting?

It even used to be fairly frequent practice in Canada to shoot .303 cartridges in rifles chambered for the Krag, although they may been the stronger 1895 Winchester. It isn't to be recommended, especially in the Krag, but we don't seem to hear of mishaps. Making 8x57 from .30-06, however, is recommended, by John J. Donnelly in his "Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions". Still, it is only the standard work on the subject. What did he know?

[Mr Humble]

fatelk twas your post: "I'm not sure that your point will be very well taken."

By whom ? Why ? Preaching safe reloading is a dumb idea ? Look, I don't care what you do, but IMHO it is silly to make up cases when correct ones are easy to obtain. If saving 80 cents per case for cases that will last forever in cast boolit applications, it that important, then do it.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

It is just that preaching safer-than-safe reloading, when there isn't actually any danger in using .303 cases, merits full and unattacked coverage of the other idea.

[Dan Cash]

I think Mr. Humble lost his humble; perhaps it is in a pie.

[Jeff Michel]

Opinions vary but, I've been running 303 Brit brass through 30-40 dies for years and never had a bit of trouble from mixing cases due to different head stamp. I would use 30-40 brass if I could find it. To choose a perfectly safe alternative to paying out the kazoo for loaded ammo is not necessarily a mortal sin.

[EDG]

According to ME who has done it you can easily form .303 brass in a .30-40 Krag FL die and fire it in a Krag and it does not even require trimming unless the brass is uneven at the case mouth.

Now here is the best part of your post.
There is no need to buy a .30-40 Krag trim die. Since the .30-40 Krag trim die (and cases and chamber) are LONGER than a .303 case you accomplish just about zero with a .30-40 trim die. Sure you can push the shoulder back but the .303 case will never in a million years reach the top of the .30-40 Krag trim die so it can be TRIMMED. All the forming you need to do can be done in a .30-40 Krag FL die. All it does is push the shoulder back on the .303 cases. All buying a .30-40 Krag trim die does is improve the cash flow at RCBS. BTW I have formed hundreds of new and once fired .303 cases to 6.5X53R Dutch Mannlicher. Guess what? It involves necking down the case and pushing the shoulder back to about the same location as the shoulder on a Krag case. However the 6.5X53R case is shorter than the .303 so you can actually use the Dutch trim die to trim the .303 cases after forming.
But that is no big deal. RCBS will even sell you a trim die for both the .25 ACP and .45 ACP rounds. When was the last time you trimmed one of those??

Not only that but you can form .30-40 Krag in a .303 FL die and shoot it in a .303 with only a bit of trimming. In fact in years past Remington .30-40 Krag was about .455 diameter at the head and it made better fitting and longer lasting brass for the .303 than did US made .303 brass.

What you actually did was think you were suggesting using new .303 brass (instead of .30-40 brass) in a .303 rifle. You did not pay attention to the fact that the OP wanted to shoot it in a .30-40 Krag. So YOUR SUGGESTION was to use the brass with the WRONG headstamp.
BTW No one threatened you with anything except. Like I said in my previous post new .30-40 Krag brass is about as common as rocking horse poo since the years of Bill Clinton. The lack of .30-40 brass is the real motivation for using .303 brass. If you don't like the head stamp you can always put it in a lathe and skive off a ring of material over just part of the lettering. You will effectively have no head stamp something like military brass that does not have the cartridge designation on the head.

Oh boy. I won't comment on trying to shut me up as "it won't be taken kindly".

Now, my point in mentioning the 303 brass price was NOT to suggest it's use, nor did I. It's called "compare and contrast". I was "comparing" the price of reformed 303 brass with the cost to buy loaded 30-40 and tear it down. Really chump change to a serious shooter/caster/reloader.
I was "contrasting" the safety of using properly headstamped brass to that with a different headstamp.

According to RCBS you just don't slap a 303 in a 30-40 die and then shoot it. They make a $45.00 forming dies to do the task.

Of course people on this thread are interested in making cases to keep guns chambered for obsolete cartridges working. I make my 41 Swiss centerfires from 8mm Lebel and don't let them anywhere near an 8mm Lebel rifle. In the case of the 30-40 it is not obsolete by any stretch, Ruger even chambered rifles for it within the past 15 years.

If you are too frugal to do it right, that's fine but DON'T make veiled threats to try and silence the opposition !

[Kraschenbirn]

Would like to know where Mr. Humble is getting 30-40 Krag FACTORY loads for $30/box. When I first got my carbine, five or six years ago, there was NO over-the-counter 30-40 Krag factory ammo available anywhere within 100 miles...LGS, gun-shows, big-box; tried 'em all. Finally ran across (2) shop-worn boxes of Remington in a sporting goods store up along the IL-WI line...for $47.50 a box!! And, that was almost six years back, long before 30-40 production was discontinued completely. Started loading using .303 Brit cases but eventually accumulated enough genuine 30-40 to discontinue the practice. However, should I ever begin to run short of 30-40 cases, wouldn't hesitate to go back to forming from .303 again.

Bill

[Mr Humble]

Must be a lot of Democraps on this site, given the amount of Argumentum ad Hominem.

I bought my newest Krag last spring and got my ammo from Cabellas.

As I said, I really could care less what you do.

The need of several of you to have me roll over is a symptom of a serious OCD problem.

Sorry, not gonna happen, I have plenty of the right brass and really have no need to control what you do.

All done with this thread..... Too many of what Mr. Herter used to call "drugstore cowboys".

Rant away ..... you'll be taking to the mirror !

[JMax]

My quite rude, this is the case forming/reforming section so such comments are not needed.

I have a Krag and will scrounge up a few 303 cases and give it a try before my meager supply drys up. Thanks to all those who offered their expertise.

[EDG]

Did you ever figure out the OP was going to shoot .303 brass in a Krag?

Must be a lot of Democraps on this site, given the amount of Argumentum ad Hominem.

I bought my newest Krag last spring and got my ammo from Cabellas.

As I said, I really could care less what you do.

The need of several of you to have me roll over is a symptom of a serious OCD problem.

Sorry, not gonna happen, I have plenty of the right brass and really have no need to control what you do.

All done with this thread..... Too many of what Mr. Herter used to call "drugstore cowboys".

Rant away ..... you'll be taking to the mirror !

[fatelk]

Honestly I thought that my post was civil and unoffensive to even the most thin-skinned. I truly did not mean to offend. I apologize and take my exit now. Have a good day everyone.

[blixen]

I can't speak for the OP, but here's my takeaway: I've got a Krag sporter. I bought 100 unfired brass two years ago that i'm still using. I just checked everywhere on line and can't find any Krag brass factory loaded or unprimed. If no one starts making 30-40 brass in the next year, I have a can full of various .303 brass--that i will size into slightly short 30-40.

I will dip the heads into brass blackener so that I won't confuse them with my original 30-40 or un-resized .303.

I don't own a .303 right now, so i feel pretty safe.

Thanks to you folks who offered resizing/fire-forming tips.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Honestly I thought that my post was civil and unoffensive to even the most thin-skinned. I truly did not mean to offend. I apologize and take my exit now. Have a good day everyone.

That's what most of us thought. Come back soon.

[EDG]

You were never the problem. You can often get a sense of a person's behavior by looking at other posts made on this site and other sites.

Note this guy's location. He appears all over the net with that location and many different handles.

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/...3/m/8401082761

Honestly I thought that my post was civil and unoffensive to even the most thin-skinned. I truly did not mean to offend. I apologize and take my exit now. Have a good day everyone.

[leadman]

Makes one wonder why he even entered this section of the forum.

As to fireforming, I do it frequently and use the following method most of the time.
I use whatever appropriate primer I have, most being from pull-downs. Then load around 10 to 13grs of a fast powder like Unique a medium sized case. Then fill to the top with Cream of Wheat cereal and tap the case to settle it to make room for a wax or boolit lube plug to keep everything in the case. If it forms completely with the powder charge fine, if not I add a little powder until it does.
Works best if you can point the muzzle towards the sky, but the RSOs at the public range would escort me off the lot to never return, so I point it downrange if there.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

I've got a large aluminium cylinder with walls and base about 5/16in. thick, which I used for oil quenching in the days when I made knives with 13in. blades. I bought a CO2 cylinder used for the improvement and pressurized delivery of beer, and had someone machine-hacksaw off the connector end. I found that I could fireform cases into it, with the barrel well wrapped around in an old blanket. If I was adapting one specially for this, I would enlarge the opening only to about an inch and a quarter, and wrap the barrel with a piece of split foam pipe insulating sleeve.

It is hard to say how my impression, that it was no louder than slamming a closet door, was accurate. I was living in a rural location, but my only close neighbour, a very understanding old lady a hundred yards away, never noticed anything when I did it outdoors. It was clean enough to do indoors if you are single.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I bought a heavy barrel [very heavy]rifle several years ago that is chambered for the 40-60 Maynard. I don't know where you could buy those cases without refinancing the homestead. The cartridge can be made by reforming the 30-40 Krag to the 40-60 Maynard. First I anneal the neck and shoulder of the Krag case. After annealing and the case has cooled I load the case with 15 grains of Unique topped by a case full of corn meal and fire it. If it doesn't quite form the first time I just do it again. You can also use the 303 British although it is a bit shorter. I have used both but as you know the 303 is much easier to find, even occasionaly picked up at the range. I have been reloading since 1959 and I don't remember ever picking up a Krag case at the range. Works for me.

[JMax]

I was able to scrounge up 72 cases, fire formed them and am including a comparison photo. Off to the range tomorrow for test firing for accuracy.

[tdoor4570]

I have been using 303 Brit brass to feed my Krags for years I just can't believe that some people freak out over head stamps. If you can't tell the difference between an 8x57 and a 30-06 with out reading the head stamp you don't need either one

[justashooter]

I bought a CO2 cylinder used for the improvement and pressurized delivery of beer, and had someone machine-hacksaw off the connector end. I found that I could fireform cases into it, with the barrel well wrapped around in an old blanket.

Years ago I built a "bird box" out of scraps of 1X6 pine, with a 1.5" hole in one end. it hangs over my reloading bench, c-clamped to a shelf, there since the last time I fire-formed 30-30 cases into 38-55 in a single shot that I have. it's prolly half full of COW.