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Thread: Krag blanks reloadable?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Mark Daiute's Avatar
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    Krag blanks reloadable?

    I have a chance at a large quantity of Krag blanks.

    Do any of you have first hand knowledge with reloading cases from blanks?

    Thanks in advance,

    Mark

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master WILCO's Avatar
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    "Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face!" - Mike Tyson

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  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master WILCO's Avatar
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    New brass is available and affordable.

    https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog...categoryId/764
    "Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face!" - Mike Tyson

    "Don't let my fears become yours." - Me, talking to my children

    That look on your face, when you shift into 6th gear, but it's not there.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master WILCO's Avatar
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    "Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face!" - Mike Tyson

    "Don't let my fears become yours." - Me, talking to my children

    That look on your face, when you shift into 6th gear, but it's not there.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master WILCO's Avatar
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    "Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face!" - Mike Tyson

    "Don't let my fears become yours." - Me, talking to my children

    That look on your face, when you shift into 6th gear, but it's not there.

  6. #6
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    Kraschenbirn's Avatar
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    Are those blanks of military or civilian origin? If military...'specially in original cartons...they're most likely more valuable to cartridge collectors than as reloading stock.

    Bill

    Btw...loaded 100 rounds of 30-40 yesterday using new Graf's brass...no hassle, no trimming required...just prime, charge, and seat/crimp boolit. Took less than 2 hours, start to finish, on my RC.
    "I'm not often right but I've never been wrong."

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  7. #7
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    it depends on the blanks. I have converted blanks for the .308 to loadable brass a few times. Most blanks are not annealed so that is a must. Also is it the extended brass or are they the ones with the star crimp? While the ones with the star crimp can be converted, one must make sure that once the crimp is cut off there is none left in the converted brass as it can sometimes split where the crimp was.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master Mark Daiute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kraschenbirn View Post
    Are those blanks of military or civilian origin? If military...'specially in original cartons...they're most likely more valuable to cartridge collectors than as reloading stock.

    Bill

    Btw...loaded 100 rounds of 30-40 yesterday using new Graf's brass...no hassle, no trimming required...just prime, charge, and seat/crimp boolit. Took less than 2 hours, start to finish, on my RC.
    I have some Graff's have not loaded it yet. Look at the bevel on the rim, it is not like Remington or Winchester or old military brass. Will be interesting to see if that makes a difference or not. I could be getting 300 or more rounds of blanks from a VFW Hall and hey, 400 case is 400 cases if they work.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master Mark Daiute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mauser 98K View Post
    it depends on the blanks. I have converted blanks for the .308 to loadable brass a few times. Most blanks are not annealed so that is a must. Also is it the extended brass or are they the ones with the star crimp? While the ones with the star crimp can be converted, one must make sure that once the crimp is cut off there is none left in the converted brass as it can sometimes split where the crimp was.
    Thanks for the intel!

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Are the 30-40 cases in boxes or loose rounds. Reason I ask is that you should be able to get a reasonable date as to when they were made. Also if military cases dating is also important as wether or not they used the old mecuric type primers which when fired impregnate the brass with the mercury from the primers. Which will make the brass very brittle and basically unsafe to shoot after the first time. Frank

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    Mercuric primers went out of use around the turn of the 20th century. Unless they are super old blanks that isn't an issue.

    Personally, no matter how cheap or free empty blank cases are they just aren't hardly worth the hassle to mess with, especially since Krag brass is available again.

  12. #12
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    I've done it with commercial blanks with a "top wad" or paper bullet. because I like to use the nostalgic REM-UMC headstamp. Worked fine but I don't have a lot of firings from them yet. I think I would avoid the gov't FA cases. These old thing are prone to separate, in my experience. What sort of fired blanks are we talking about?

  13. #13
    Boolit Master Mark Daiute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Krag1902 View Post
    I've done it with commercial blanks with a "top wad" or paper bullet. because I like to use the nostalgic REM-UMC headstamp. Worked fine but I don't have a lot of firings from them yet. I think I would avoid the gov't FA cases. These old thing are prone to separate, in my experience. What sort of fired blanks are we talking about?
    we're talking unfired blanks.

    Mark

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    Unfired commercial or FA cases? If FA head stamped, I wouldn't expect them to last long. Commercial blanks could be much later manufacture and may be OK if you punch the primers and anneal the necks. You'd want to do that with FA cases too.
    I took apart some Remington 30-40 blanks and the wadding was shellacked as a sealant and took some effort to remove, but I got usable cases for a pittance, and it was a fun reloading exercise.

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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