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Thread: Making 35 Rem brass?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Making 35 Rem brass?

    I can't believe how scarce 35 Rem brass and ammo has become the last few years. I have a few guns chambered in this pleasant to shoot round and they all do very well with cast boolits. It has always been a consistent game getter for me on whitetails and black bear.
    Rather than pay upwards of $1 per piece of used brass I wanted to know if anyone has had any experience with making their own 35 Rem cases from something else? Something readily available like 308 would be ideal, if it could be done. Thanks

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master Good Cheer's Avatar
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    There was a gentleman on the forum in the past that made .35 Remington from .308.
    I believe he has passed on.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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  4. #4
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Try this in an external search engine:

    castboolits 35 Remington forming

    You'll get stuff in the forum plus stuff on other forums.

    After reading all the stuff that pops up, you'll have a good idea how to convert other brass into 35 Remington.

    Think I've done this one, seems it was pretty straightforward, know I've done 300 Savage, may be thinking of that.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    Maybe this will help. It is my edited version of Grumpa's thread where he explained how he did it. If the Mod's have a problem with this please delete.
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Spell check doesn't work in Chrome, so if something is spelled wrong, it's just a typo that I missed.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    This is how I do it. It works fine in my rifles, but I don't make any promise that it will work in yours. Start with clean brass. Lube brass and run it through a Lee 458 push through bullet sizing die. This will reduce the head to the correct size. It will also reduce the rim to 458 but that has not caused any problems for me. I then use a lathe to clean up the new rim, but it can be done with a triangle file and drill. Next I run them through a 35 Remington file trim die and cut to length. Next into the 35 Remington sizer die and load.
    Last edited by pworley1; 09-15-2022 at 07:39 AM. Reason: miss spell
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  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I made some out of 308 brass once, mostly just to see if I could. They worked, but was more of a PITA than it was worth and I won't do that again. After sizing them in a full length die, it was still necessary to chuck them in the lathe and lightly reduce the head and rim and deepen the extractor groove a little. Also needed to trim to length and turn the necks slightly to get them to chamber.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master ACC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pergoman View Post
    I can't believe how scarce 35 Rem brass and ammo has become the last few years. I have a few guns chambered in this pleasant to shoot round and they all do very well with cast boolits. It has always been a consistent game getter for me on whitetails and black bear.
    Rather than pay upwards of $1 per piece of used brass I wanted to know if anyone has had any experience with making their own 35 Rem cases from something else? Something readily available like 308 would be ideal, if it could be done. Thanks
    It is not based on any case so making it from something else is dangerous. This months handloader has a good article about the 35 Remington.

    ACC

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    After reading the ways some guys have been reducing the case diameter of 308s, I figured there has to be a better way or at least a way that is less strenuous on my equipment. Enter my Case Pro roll sizer and a little playing with shims. It seems like I won't need to jam brass into a 44 die and drive it out since I'm able to reduce the bottom inch of the case to the needed diameter. I'll play with the lathe as needed to make the rim to where it needs to be dimension wise. I'm looking forward to figuring out the steps when I get some time in the next few weeks.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ACC View Post
    It is not based on any case so making it from something else is dangerous. This months handloader has a good article about the 35 Remington.

    ACC
    Why is it dangerous?

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    As someone what has at least 300 rounds of factory cases some loaded, some once fired, or new, I would wait for .35 rem brass to become available. It seems like a lot of work to make your own, but if you need it, a man has got do what a man needs to do.
    I really have to go count again what I have since I might have more. For .35 jm marlin, 50 loaded rounds is generally a lot of ammo. Should equal at least 40 dead critters of 4-legged or 2-legged locomotion.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    The 35 Rem can also be made by turning the rim and cutting an extractor groove on 303 British or 30-40 Krag brass, neck expand, size and trim.

  13. #13
    Boolit Bub
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    I have not tried it, maybe someone can vouch. It looks like 6.5 & 7.35 carcano or 6.5x54 brass could be easily converted? Already has similar rim and base diameter.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Long, long ago I used 35 Rem to form short 6.5 Carcano. Late 1960's - plenty of .35 Rem, little 6.5 Carcano. Should be easier going the other direction.

  15. #15
    Boolit Bub
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    pergoman, you have a PM.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master


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    I haven't tried to make 35 Remington brass, but I did attempt to make 30 Remington cases. All I have to say is that it is better to wait and find the real thing, then treat them like gold.
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

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  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy paul edward's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by huntj3 View Post
    I have not tried it, maybe someone can vouch. It looks like 6.5 & 7.35 carcano or 6.5x54 brass could be easily converted? Already has similar rim and base diameter.
    There is no need to make 6.5 or 7.35 Carcano, as Grafs again has PPU brass in stock for these caibers. I have made 7.35 Carcano from 6.5x54 Mannlicher. These need swaging to reduce the base diameter so that cases will not stick in the resizing die.

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