Reloading rimfire cartridges

[arjacobson]

This should give you a workable result. And is from the patent. Please read it.

http://www.google.com/patents/US4432...%2C819&f=false

Part 1
39% lead nitrate
01% gum arabic

Part 2
40% lead hypophosphite
20% grit

Either:
Method A
1. Mix water with part one
2. Mix part one with part 2
3. Load cases
Method B
1. Mix part one with part two
2. Load cases
3. Add drop of water into case

There are other ways of doing this also. FWIW, because of the closeness of the primer mix to the powder in rf, the mix used can be very different than what is needed in a Boxer primer.


Totally separate from the primer mix. From G. Frost's book "Ammunition Making". Warning this was typed now by me and I'll review it again latter to make sure it is correct.

You might have to make the lead hypophosphite. Buy calcium hypophosphite solution(it was taken off the DEA restricted list in 2011) say a 30%. On a dry basis you need 252 grams of calcium hypophosphite and 491 grams of lead nitrate to make 500 grams from . Dissolve the lead nitrate in about 2 litters of water. Pour the lead nitrate solution into the calcium hypophosphite solution. Lead hypophosphite will settle to the bottom and the calcium nitrate will stay in the water(for the most part). Filter out the lead hypophosphite and wash it well with water to remove any calcium nitrate.

FWIW. I have used sodium hypophosphite instead of calcium hypophosphite, because of the DEA list at the time. I used the part B solution from an electroless nickel plating kit. The amounts to mix to make the lead hypophosphite have to be rebalanced due to the difference in weight of the sodium vs calcium.

PS

I've just clarified part of the use of sodium hypophosphite .

Where can you find a supplier of lead hypophosphite or calcium hypophosphite? I cannot seem to find any suppliers???

[perotter]

Where can you find a supplier of lead hypophosphite or calcium hypophosphite? I cannot seem to find any suppliers???

Try using sodium hypophosphite. It is used in electroless nickel plating. For example, Caswell's part B is 25% by weight. You may be able to buy it from Midway, as they sell the kit. It can be bought directly from Caswell. Also there are other suppliers, but some of them sell only 55 gallon drums.

A 55 gallon drum would be enough, depending on how much you rely on the primer-vs-powder for propellent, for 1,500,000 to 7,700,000 cases. And a gallon for 25,000 or 110,000. Give or take.

One way to find chemicals when you start running into walls is to find what that chemical is used for and who might be using it. Than read the MSDS's from the makers/suppliers of the chemicals for that industry. In fact the companies seem very happy that you are asking for the MSDSs.

[destrux]

I found this... it may be of use to someone here. http://books.google.com/books?id=dHb...ed=0CG8Q6AEwCg

It's an excerpt from a book about firearms related chemicals. It details some primer compounds and substitutes for certain ingredients.

Of special note is the section about eley primer and it's revolution in priming compound manufacturing safety. It appears to be standard lead styphnate primer compound... but they mix it IN the casing so there's no stirring or heating of large quantities of explosive compounds required. If there is a detonation it would be limited to a single casing rather than the whole batch. This would be much more desirable for someone trying this type of thing at home. Much, MUCH safer. Not safe (you're still handling powdered lead and full strength acids here), but safer.

Just to give you the idea of the power of lead styphnate... 1/2 teaspoon of it will blow apart a stainless steel test spoon mounted to a lab stand, and blow pieces of the spoon 30ft across the room and implant them into a concrete wall. If you were holding that spoon you would probably die, or at the very least lose your hand and your eyes and blow out your ear drums. 1/2 teaspoon is enough to prime several hundred .22 casings (maybe even a thousand), but is the amount most people would consider "a small batch" and would deem "safe enough" based on how little there is in 1/2 teaspoon. There are videos of people making it on youtube and handling it dry and those people are idiots.

This is NOT stuff you want to be mixing and handling dry. Hopefully everyone here understands that.

[preparehandbook]

Years back I knew an old timer who reloaded .22 LR.

He would insert the half fill the fired .22 casing with water and insert it into a old section of chambered .22 barrel, place the base of cartridge/breech on his workbench and then fed a steel rod into the barrel and case mouth. One good smack with a light hammer removed all firing pin marks.

He then soaked or boiled out the old priming mix.

He packed the new priming mix in by hand with a wooden rod, though he said spinning it in with a drill was better.

He mostly used used round lead balls for bullets and had a big old sack of them. He said he had also cut some from lead wire.

[barnaclebill]

I happen to have an 1866 Yellow Boy Winchester 44 Henry rimfire rifle and of course I do not have any Boolits for it. Not that I really want to go hunting with it but I make it a point to have cartridges for all my guns, old or new. I would like to produce a box of fireable Boolits to display with the rifle as close to original as possible. I could use a little assistance here to determine how to achieve a proper brass and I am paying attention here on the primer formulas. I do have machining capabilities but I would prefer to use some existing brass to accomplish this. If any of you have even (1) 44 Henry rimfire cartridge I would like to purchase it.
Thanks
Barnaclebill

[perotter]

They list having one or more at $29.95 per round.
http://www.ammo-one.com/44Henry.html

Not as entertaining as making some, but faster. If you have a lathe, it isn't that hard to make a few. Spin the case without the rim. Then make a header punch to fit your reloading press. Download G. Frost's book that has a link over at the primer compound thread.

[w30wcf]

barnaclebill,
There have been at least 4 different bullet variations of the Henry cartridge. The most prevalent is the 200 gr. flat. One could use the Lyman 427098 and reduce the rear driving band for the heel.





w30wcf

[Texantothecore]

Mark this thread for layer perusal.

[clownbear69]

I didn't read the whole thread but I had an old timer tell me how he did it.

Took a dental pick to un dent the rim.

Used the white part of a match, used a little water , filled the cavaity of the case, let a few days to totally dry out

I forget the exact load but I remember using green dot and he cast bullets with gas checks

He did 10 of them and all of the fired

Wish I paid a little more attention to this but this was way before any .22 shortage

[w30wcf]

I loaded some .22 RF cases today with smokeless powder. The loads were:
Titegroup powder / 40 gr cast bullet
1.0 grs. - 0849 f.p.s. average
1.3 grs. - 1081 f.p.s. average
1.5 grs. - 1260 f.p.s. average

with a 30 gr. swaged bullet (North American Arms)
1.5 grs. - 1439 f.p.s. average

I did not test for group since it was cold and windy. Will be testing for accuracy when the weather cooperates.....

w30wcf

[amosfella]

There's a company making a mold these days... 22lr reloading...