Lee PrecisionRotoMetals2Reloading EverythingTitan Reloading
WidenersMidSouth Shooters SupplyInline FabricationLoad Data
Repackbox
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 36

Thread: Homemade 45 acp shotshell die

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    5,268

    Homemade 45 acp shotshell die

    I found a suitable donor die in my stash, an RCBS 44mag/SPL die. Ran a file across it and found that it was way too hard to machine.



    So I heated it up to take the heat treat out of it.



    At that point I drilled and tapped it 1/2-20 and and reamed the inside to resize the case and form the neck down portion.

    With the cases formed I then machined down a grade 5 bold to act as a mandrel to push the over shot wad down below the crimp. The crimp mandrel was made with a 1/2" ball end mill and slides over the over shot wad mandrel.

    This way you only use the one die, just remove the insert to form and replace it to seat the over shot wad and crimp.



    With the old Remington shot rounds I am about out of I had to use a specific magazine but the new formed cases feed with all that I tried, in my "farm" 45 at least.



    Cases are made from cut down 308 brass. Now all I need to do is make some over shot wads and cut down some .410 wads, to load a few up.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master


    williamwaco's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Dallas Texas
    Posts
    4,690
    Have you fired any yet?
    First reload: .22 Hornet. 1956.
    More at: http://reloadingtips.com/

    "Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the
    government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian."
    - Henry Ford

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    5,268
    Not yet, just barely got that done before the sick kiddo got up from her nap.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

    Reg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Gateway to the Rockies
    Posts
    1,423
    Now thats neat. I usually try to pick up older, odd used dies if the come across cheap and keep a few around for experimenting with. Looks like your experiment worked out well.
    Facta non verba

  5. #5
    Boolit Master


    Walter Laich's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Cypress, Republic of Texas
    Posts
    3,483
    Do you think it will cycle or just be a single shot cartridge?
    NRA Life
    USPSA L1314
    SASS Life 48747
    RVN/Cambodia War Games, 2nd Place

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy danomano's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Oregun
    Posts
    150
    That is slick! Cant wait to hear how they shoot

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    5,268
    Do you think it will cycle or just be a single shot cartridge?
    They are supposed to cycle.

    After reading the contents of this I decided to give it a try. http://www.avr-developers.com/45shotshell/


    The end result is pretty clost to the CCI shot shell except you can reload the cases and they don't cost $1.50 ea.


  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    5,268
    Loaded up a few, the wads were cut down to 11/16" and hard to get in on the first one. After that my brain started working and I used the wad guide off of one of my shotshell reloaders.

    They hold 84.9+\- grains of #12 or around 425 pellets. Used 6 grains of 231 and over-shot wads punched from a 12ga hull.

    Step by step.




    They patterned tighter that my other pistol shot loads using Speer capsules, maybe because of the wad.?

    15ft


    Video link of them running.
    http://s121.photobucket.com/user/jmo...b35-1.mp4.html

  9. #9
    Boolit Master


    williamwaco's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Dallas Texas
    Posts
    4,690
    Quote Originally Posted by jmorris View Post
    Loaded up a few, the wads were cut down to 11/16" and hard to get in on the first one. After that my brain started working and I used the wad guide off of one of my shotshell reloaders.

    They hold 84.9+\- grains of #12 or around 425 pellets. Used 6 grains of 231 and over-shot wads punched from a 12ga hull.

    Step by step.




    They patterned tighter that my other pistol shot loads using Speer capsules, maybe because of the wad.?

    15ft


    Video link of them running.
    http://s121.photobucket.com/user/jmo...b35-1.mp4.html

    WOW.

    I am impressed.

    That would be bad news for a snake or a rat.

    If necessary I bet you could even get dinner with it.
    First reload: .22 Hornet. 1956.
    More at: http://reloadingtips.com/

    "Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the
    government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian."
    - Henry Ford

  10. #10
    Boolit Master




    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    WV
    Posts
    4,709
    Thanks for posting this, I am impressed and thinking about trying it myself.

  11. #11
    Banned Bullshop Junior's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Gonzales Texas
    Posts
    3,631
    Those look a lot like the ones used during ww2. I've been wanting to try making a few for my 454 out of 460 cases but can't get my hand on any.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Butler, MO
    Posts
    9,020
    I never thought about cutting overshot wads from shotgun shells, the few I have made I used either .35 cal gaschecks or cardboard wads cut from primer sleeves.

    The picture of your pattern is impressive, and reminds me I need to order some #12 shot; my trial loads were made with #9.

    Robert

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy LaPoint's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    In a house by the creek
    Posts
    188
    I looks like they feed quite nicely. Great job!

    Did you, or are you going to re-harden the die?

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    5,268
    I did not heat treat it after I finished. To be honest I doubt I will. I did it mostly because my little girl was sick and I needed something to do during nap time. I still have about 3 left out of a box of 20 Remington factory shot loads for 45 acp and they quit making them in 1993.
    I think the amount I have formed up and loaded should last me a few more decades.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master cheese1566's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Black Hills, South Dakota
    Posts
    1,786
    can you post a few pics of the seater and crimp mandrel?

  16. #16
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    8
    when I was a kid my uncle had a die or a set of dies (not sure) that he used to make 45ACP shot loads with. they seemed to work great from what I remember. I wish I had gotten them when they were available.
    yours look great.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master

    blikseme300's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Deep South Texas, RGV
    Posts
    1,595
    Jmorris, your ingenuity is legend in my mind. Your solution is very neat.
    Liberalism is the triumph of emotion over intellect, but masquerading as the reverse.

    I don't know how we ever shot maximum loads before P/C come along and saved us all. R5R

    "No mosque in the United States flies an American flag."

    "Dueling should have never been made illegal in this country. It settled lots of issues between folks."- Char-Gar

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    5,268
    Quote Originally Posted by cheese1566 View Post
    can you post a few pics of the seater and crimp mandrel?
    Here you go.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_20140327_225004_199.jpg   IMG_20140327_225042_772.jpg  

  19. #19
    Super Moderator




    Buckshot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    So. California
    Posts
    11,833


    Some old original Remington WWII 45 ACP shotshells.

    .............Buckshot
    Father Grand Caster watches over you my brother. Go now and pour yourself a hot one. May the Sacred Silver Stream be with you always

    Proud former Shooters.Com Cast Bullet alumnus and plank owner.

    "The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."

    Shrink the State End the Fed Balance the budget Make a profit Leave an inheritance

  20. #20
    Banned Bullshop Junior's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Gonzales Texas
    Posts
    3,631
    Quote Originally Posted by Buckshot View Post


    Some old original Remington WWII 45 ACP shotshells.

    .............Buckshot
    These are the ones I was thinking of. I had some stamped wcc

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
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