Ever hear of 'soap loads'?

[crossfireoops]

Sure shot out a lot of windows, in log cabins ( essentially bulletproof), and blew holes through the walls of old mobile homes, in the " Cow Camp" days.
with those " candle wax" loads
Shootin' flies was just,............well, something that you DID.
Young cowhands and pistols......
GREAT cvombination, albeit hard on "facilities"

GTC

[joatmon]

40mmHEDP, details please. Shotgun primers,wax,gun? Thanks

[40mmHEDP]

Well,

I just use some regular 45 Colt brass. Chuck it up in the lathe and drill out the primer pocket to fit a shotgun primer and the counter sink it with a 5/16 end mill for the flange on the primer to fit into.

I buy the wax bullets from C&R up in Oregon. They are about $20 a thousand so I don't bother making them myself.

Use fired brass and don't resize it. That way you can just shove the wax in and drop in a primer. You don't need any powder and they go like hell. I'd be lying if I said I never dumped a little powder in there from time to time but it's absolutely not necessary.

with just a primer it will shoot clean through a paint can so watch out for your drywall!

Oh yeah,

The revolver is a replica 1851 in 44cal. and a 5.5" barrel. Not exactly original but a ton of fun. I added a R&D conversion cylinder intended for a 1860 style revolver but they use the same frame so it works perfectly.

[Ricochet]

Speer used to sell "Target 38s" and Target 44s" that were plastic cases and bullets on this principle, primer powered. They also made "Target 45" bullets to use in brass cases.

The problem with shooting primer powered ammo indoors is that the smoke is loaded with lead in a nice finely divided state that will get down to the alveoli of your lungs, to be readily absorbed. Better have really good ventilation to think about that.

I knew a guy in college who loaded up a cap and ball revolver with a wax wad on top of black powder as a blank to pull a joke on his roommate. When the roomie came in, he started screaming at him, pulled out the hogleg and shot him from across the room. The wax hit him hard enough that he thought he'd really been shot and was dying. Fortunately it didn't really hurt him. Bad idea to pull something like that for "play."

[joatmon]

Thanks for the info 40mm, I like the looks of those shells and will give it a try.

[fiberoptik]

related story. I hung out at gunshops when I was still wet behind the ears. I heard this story at a liars convention one saturday afternoon. Seems one of the gents had a real love of indoor target practice with his 38spl. he had him a backstop made of old sears catalogs and such piled up next to the fireplace in his living room and he'd sit in his recliner and shoot the old speer plastic bullets into it. I guess his wife didn't care for the practice, especially at 3 in the morning. One night she came down to voice her displeasure at this behavior and he, without thinking did the dumbest thing I've ever heard a married man do. He waited for her to turn and go back upstairs, then, he "hit her in the sitter" as she went up the stairs. The results were catastrophic to say the least. Who would have guessed that one primer powered plastic bullet from a 2" 38spl could cost a man half of everything he owned?

Hrmmm, sounds like my wife. I shot her once with the .40 blowgun in the ass. I didn't blow very hard, but those thin piano wires sure do slide in easily! She still b*tches bout it after 20+years.... Dem wimmin just got no sense a humor.....

[fiberoptik]

Used to use a Daisy side cocking spring piston air pistol. It had good adjustable sights, and it could go in an aluminum pop can, & stay there. I'd shoot mice from across the garage with it. Killed mice dead. Gave me an excuse to not listen to the stepdad too. I sold it to my recruiter on entering the Corps.

[PatMarlin]

I've got these old Popular Mechanics do it yourself encyclopedia books set that show you how to make wax bullets for blasting indoors.

[Trailrider SASS #896]

Howdy, Pards,

I'm new on this forum, so bear with me...

Awhile back I was working with loads for a .56-56 Spencer Central Fire conversion. I wanted some "demonstration" loads that would feed from the magazine and would not require a real hefty target backstop.

I happened to come up with some balsa wood Estes Industries model rocket nose cones, which have a "heel" base and are about 5/8" diameter just ahead of the heel. These fit snug in shortened .50-70 brass. I loaded 25 gr FFFg and pointed the muzzle at some corrigated cardboard from a box, just 2 feet from the muzzle! I did NOT open the primer flash holes up, just loaded up the brass with the balsa bullets and fired away.

Would you believe... the cardboard was full of pock-marks on the front side, but not a single particle penetrated the cardboard! The rounds fed just fine from the magazine, too. I would still not point this at anyone or anything! But they make great demo loads. The only problem is the price of each nose cone is probably about $4.00 plus! (Haven't bought any in years!)

Ride easy, but stay alert for bushwhackers! Godspeed to those still in harm's way in the defense of Freedom everywhere! God Bless America!

Your Pard,
Trailrider