7.35 carcano

[toot]

what can I use to make them out of, and how do I do it?

[Brasso]

They can be formed from 6.5 Carcano. Otherwise its less bother and cheaper to just buy them.

[toot]

Brasso, thanks for the come back. just run them, 6.5 CARCANO brass into the 7.35 dies? that's it?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

That is pretty much it. Just expand the necks to accept the .30 bullet. You'll do best with a taper expanding button rather than a ball-type. Then trim and chamfer the cases and you should be good to go.

[Greg G.]

You can buy 7.35 for the same money as 6.5 brass, Graf and sons. I used a custom Lee sizer die, .301, to size down the Lee 120 Gr. bullet. Works for me.

[toot]

Der Gebirgsjager, when you say a taper expanding button, where will I find a set of dies that has one of them? to get a .300 DIA boolet I had a friend machine a .300 I.D. sizer on his lathe for me, and tumble lube them. I then push them through with a mallet and dowel. I had the mold made by THERMODINE ? I think? in OREGON, 30+yrs ago. it is aluminium, it casts them about 2 thousands over. and I have have been converting WW2 ITALIAN military berdan brass by drilling out the primer pockets for boxer primers.

[toot]

Greg, G, thanks for the come back, that is great. I am going to go that way. do you use a taper expanding button?

[Greg G.]

I use a set of Lee dies and the expander doesn't matter to me since the only brass I have is already 7.35 but a taper expander makes sense when modifying 6.5 to 7.35.

[EDG]

Just forget forming 7.35 Carcano. You can buy new 7.35 brass from Grafs and others made by Prvi Partisan (PPU).
You may have issues with dies depending on which brand you buy.
I have both RCBS and Pacific. The Pacific are smaller on the base. The Hornady dies are also supposed to be tighter at the head as well.
My RCBS dies are larger in the base area. What works will depend on your chamber.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Hi toot -- I think you can most likely get a tapered expander "ball" from any company that makes 7.35 mm die sets. Using one, and putting a little lube inside the neck before running the expander into it should help a great deal. If your sizing die was made by a friend, then it's a "one of", but if he was gifted enough to make the die then perhaps he can made an expander. The tapered expander wouldn't necessarily have to be a part of a die. A tapered button on the end of a rod that was tapped in with a hammer might suffice. Getting it back out of the case might not be so easy, so I'd design one with a taper on both ends.

Considering your current set-up and the fact that you're going to the trouble to convert WW II Berdan primed brass to Boxer, it sounds like you're trying to get the job done as economically as possible. I'll have to add my voice to the advice being given out by others that buying newly made 7.35 mm brass and a set of dies specifically made for that cartridge is the path that I would personally follow. But, I do understand that some folks enjoy tinkering with stuff as much as actually shooting it.

One thing for sure, the Carcano cartridges are better than most folks give them credit for, and are very suitable for deer.

[toot]

DER GEBIRGSJAGER, thanks for the advice and explaining things to me. yes I am 74+++ and am trying to do things on a SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK, that doesn't go far. the original WW2 ones that don't go off and pull the powder and boolet's and use the components over when I convert them to BOXER primers. waste not want not!!. I will ask my machinist friend to make me the expander you mentioned. thank, you toot.

[EDG]

6.5 Italian military brass has a step inside the neck that prevents a lose bullet fom being driven down into the case. Unless you have a reamer to remove it you will have a step on the outside of your 7.35 neck from this step. Just one more reason to consider new PPU brass.

[toot]

EDG, thanks, that is just what I did. I am using new PPU 7.35 brass. the neck crimps on the original military brass was to keep the bullets from moving when they were fired in machine guns that have a lot of recoil from rapid firing and causing a jam up. thanks for the come back.

[kywoodwrkr]

Moot point at this juncture but Hornady makes tapered expander(s).
234773
Not sure which brand, but there was one with my 7mm TCU die set as well.

[BrassMagnet]

I have a mould and I can cast for this caliber.

[Drm50]

I have had dies for 7.35mm for 50yrs, have yet to load one. I’ve had a couple rifles over the years but never shot one either. I do have small amount of original WW2 ammo that came with one of the rifles.