Fadi
02-01-2024, 03:28 PM
So, anyone else out there have an old shotgun with 2-1/2" chamber(s)?
I bought an old Belgian SxS lately and need 2-1/2" shells. Up to now I've only reloaded metallic cased ammo, and in that only the more expensive rifle calibers and BPCR I use.
Old guns with diets for obsolete ammo often force us to expand our toolset - literally and figuratively. Which is a lot of the fun for me.
So now I've bought a single stage shotshell press, an old roll crimper, and started accumulating the components and load data. I'll load 2-3/4" too now that I have the gear, but the 2-1/2" was the catalyst.
And I know there are 2-1/2" shells in production, but in the US the options are slim and imported. There are Fiocci and Gamebore, and I'm sure others, but they are tough to get and expensive to ship.
So my first simple solution has been to take factory 2-3/4" loads and cut out the folded crimp with a 3-D printed tool I bought, punch out an over-shot card with a homemade punch, and roll crimp with my new-old roll crimper. They aren't all beautiful, and I have no idea how they will pattern, but I have a box of shells I can use now. It's a little bit of a process, but I can turn factory 2-3/4" shells into 2-1/2" after 30 min of work.
I'll attach some pictures of my final product after I take some.
Here's my card punch. I had some dollar store storage boxes that were cracked, so I punched out clear over-shot cards rather than throw them out. Place plastic on 2x4, set punch on plastic, apply hammer vigorously.
It's slowish and loud, but pretty easy.
322901
...So of course I need to complicate it. I'm working up a simple modification to use my 12ga wad/card punch in a press. I had already used 7/8" pipe to make the punch, so I can just thread it to 7/8x14. So strictly speaking it's actually a die, and I would add a punch on the ram side. The ID of the tube is only 0.627", but the cards seem to work. I'm guessing that's just because the roll crimp is tighter than that. It's probably not ideal now that I see it in print. I don't really want to confirm that as fact the first time recoil from barrel 1 loosens up the shell in barrel 2 and shot spills down the barrel.
It seems like I should open it up, because logically I should be nearer 0.729", right? But I don't need to go over since the crimp is doing the work, not friction from the card. I don't want to make my life harder trying to squeeze overly tight cards into place.
And then, totally separate, I'll be reloading 2-1/2" shells from scratch. I've trimmed a bunch of once fired shells down and figure I have two options:
1. load the same as a 2-3/4" shell and then roll crimp.
2. use a shorter wad and fold crimp
- is this as simple as using a 1/4" spacer under the shell when crimping?
Who out there has done this? It seems pretty simple.
I bought an old Belgian SxS lately and need 2-1/2" shells. Up to now I've only reloaded metallic cased ammo, and in that only the more expensive rifle calibers and BPCR I use.
Old guns with diets for obsolete ammo often force us to expand our toolset - literally and figuratively. Which is a lot of the fun for me.
So now I've bought a single stage shotshell press, an old roll crimper, and started accumulating the components and load data. I'll load 2-3/4" too now that I have the gear, but the 2-1/2" was the catalyst.
And I know there are 2-1/2" shells in production, but in the US the options are slim and imported. There are Fiocci and Gamebore, and I'm sure others, but they are tough to get and expensive to ship.
So my first simple solution has been to take factory 2-3/4" loads and cut out the folded crimp with a 3-D printed tool I bought, punch out an over-shot card with a homemade punch, and roll crimp with my new-old roll crimper. They aren't all beautiful, and I have no idea how they will pattern, but I have a box of shells I can use now. It's a little bit of a process, but I can turn factory 2-3/4" shells into 2-1/2" after 30 min of work.
I'll attach some pictures of my final product after I take some.
Here's my card punch. I had some dollar store storage boxes that were cracked, so I punched out clear over-shot cards rather than throw them out. Place plastic on 2x4, set punch on plastic, apply hammer vigorously.
It's slowish and loud, but pretty easy.
322901
...So of course I need to complicate it. I'm working up a simple modification to use my 12ga wad/card punch in a press. I had already used 7/8" pipe to make the punch, so I can just thread it to 7/8x14. So strictly speaking it's actually a die, and I would add a punch on the ram side. The ID of the tube is only 0.627", but the cards seem to work. I'm guessing that's just because the roll crimp is tighter than that. It's probably not ideal now that I see it in print. I don't really want to confirm that as fact the first time recoil from barrel 1 loosens up the shell in barrel 2 and shot spills down the barrel.
It seems like I should open it up, because logically I should be nearer 0.729", right? But I don't need to go over since the crimp is doing the work, not friction from the card. I don't want to make my life harder trying to squeeze overly tight cards into place.
And then, totally separate, I'll be reloading 2-1/2" shells from scratch. I've trimmed a bunch of once fired shells down and figure I have two options:
1. load the same as a 2-3/4" shell and then roll crimp.
2. use a shorter wad and fold crimp
- is this as simple as using a 1/4" spacer under the shell when crimping?
Who out there has done this? It seems pretty simple.