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Thread: .30-06 keychains from blanks

  1. #1
    Boolit Master



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    .30-06 keychains from blanks

    Have the blanks from Pop's funeral(USMC 1943-1946) . Would like to make keychains for the grandkids - but I lubed one up and tried to size the crimps out of the neck and it did not go well- crimp did not expand, neck just ripped. Thought it would be simple to size and seat a bullet, drill hole for the keyring, done. Not !

    Anyone done this - should I just cut the neck off behind the blank crimp and then size/seat a bullet or what ?

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Measure the Overall Length of the case. It is long with the crimp. Cut the crimp off and lightly trim to length and lube before sizing. What happened is the added length of the crimp is longer than the die can take. The crimped end sealed the case and made the load the right length and shape to feed reliably. Some claim blanks are made from brass that's "seconds" I don't know here. You might try cutting the crimp off, lightly annealing and then sizing. A lot of the 06 blanks are getting old and age hardening may also be taking a toll here.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    Good advice ^ by country gent , IMO.


    I second trying the annealing bit for sure. The trimming of the neck to remove the blank would also be seconded, if necessary. ( I have not tried making keychains yet with blanks, just regular cases.) I had a request to do just what you are trying to do by a young lady a while back, after her Dad passed, but she failed to follow thru with bringing me the casings from the funeral/interment. I had planned to anneal them prior to trying to size just to prevent what you described. I even had a request to do just what you are trying to do by a young lady a while back, but she failed to follow thru with bringing me the casings from the funeral/interment. I had planned to anneal them prior to trying to size just to prevent what you described.Then move on to any other steps if needed.

    I make all sorts of keychains out of casings, boolits & bullets. Even make beer/soda bottle openers out of them as well. SOme are just gifts & stocking stuffers, but I also sell them & distribute in local taverns for sale, sometimes at the local farmers market. The bar owners buy a "lot"( in bulk) of different calibers & projectile types at a discount from my regular price & then resells at whatever cost they choose. Helps a bit with funds on occasion. Biker bars, & the taverns where hunters and snowmobilers hang out is some of the best turnovers for them.. Imagine that... LOL

    Anyway, G'Luck! with your doing it. I hope it ends up working out for you! Please share what you end up doing, as I am sure there are more who would like to do the same thing.
    2nd Amend./U.S. Const. - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

    ~~ WWG1WGA ~~

    Restore the Republic!!!

    For the Fudds > "Those who appease a tiger, do so in the hope that the tiger will eat them last." -Winston Churchill.

    President Reagan tells it like it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6MwPgPK7WQ

    Phil Robertson explains the Wall: https://youtu.be/f9d1Wof7S4o

  4. #4
    Boolit Master



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    I'll try the anneal first and if it looks like trouble, will trim 'em at the crimp - short neck should still be crimpable and hold a bullet.
    fwie - HS is LC15 ! Guess the guvmint still supplies blanks to the American Legion. Have some keyring deals, haven't decided if drilling through the case is best or seeing if I can deprime and screw a small eyelet in to hold the ring. Shoulda tried on a conventional case first, but still have enough to cover the brother and the nephews. Pop woulda said "Thanks until you're better paid".
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 22d-GrimReaper.jpg   Pop.jpg  

  5. #5
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    Lee expander buttons are long and tapered and work very well for necking up.
    The expander button you are using must be able to fit inside of the over crimped neck.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Tell the recipients not to take them to the airport. Ammunition or any replica of will be confiscated. Even empty brass.
    QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS CUSTODES?

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I would drill thru the case head and use a cotter pin for the eyelet. Slide it in reach in with a screw driver and spread it open and a flat punch to flatten it out some more. Eyelets screwed in almost always come lose or out. As to the bullet a seat and crimp will loosen with handling and carrying. Clean the neck good inside and not only seat the bullet but with a FMJ solder it in place.

  8. #8
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Just so ya did not think I was "blowing smoke".
    2nd Amend./U.S. Const. - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

    ~~ WWG1WGA ~~

    Restore the Republic!!!

    For the Fudds > "Those who appease a tiger, do so in the hope that the tiger will eat them last." -Winston Churchill.

    President Reagan tells it like it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6MwPgPK7WQ

    Phil Robertson explains the Wall: https://youtu.be/f9d1Wof7S4o

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

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    Not a key chain but i made a few of these up to hang from our ceiling fan Click image for larger version. 

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    kids that hunt and fish dont mug old ladies

  10. #10
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    I have a 44 mag that the primer pocket was drilled out and a steel, old style rivet was inserted. A hole is drilled in the shaft and a split ring inserted.

    Maybe a Franklin Arsenal hand deprimer would work so you don't have to deal with the crimp.
    Steve,

    Life Member NRA
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  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy ericandelaine1975's Avatar
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    I made chain pulls for my ceiling fan from a 45 colt and a 45.70. To help them from tarnishing i clear coated them after I made them.

    Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

  12. #12
    Boolit Master



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    I think JB has it figured out - saw the bottle openers too ! I have done the chain pull thing - the basement lights are .223 dummies.

    In an old American Rifleman I saw a .30-06 case turned into a whistle ! I tried but could not get it right. Put a small bearing in and flattened the neck, but couldn't get the hole right.

    The cotter pin seems like the best/easiest/most secure. Solder would be good, I was gonna use the Lee crimp die - if they lose a bullet, I'll give 'em another !

    The pics above are of a 19 year old Marine and 82 year old fire chief. He made it to 93 and got carried to the grave on an old Diamond/T pumper as he wished.

  13. #13
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    That's really cool that you're doing this, your Dad sounds like a great guy.

    Just me thinking, but consider just drilling a hole to fasten to the key chain some way and just leave the cartridges as they were at the funeral rather than trying to make dummy rounds from them. Besides being easier, seems like it would be more sentimental that way.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master



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    Thought about that but that crimp is just UGLY ! And the case would maybe end up full of pocket crud.Found some brass keyrings, need the shined up Jword on the other end to match ! Am using bullets pulled from 1944 .30-06 though.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Using a seating die with a round nosed stem you might be able to close that star crimp back down close to original making it look original also.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Been making bullet key rings for years to sell at our gunshow.
    From 25ACP all the way up to a 50BMG.
    Never made a blank.

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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