doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT--Pinfire Reloading

A friend of mine has two pinfire double rifles, he would like to reload / have reloaded some cartridges for these guns. Does anyone out there do this and would they be willing to post a "short tutorial" / direct me to a site that would show how it's done. Any input would be appreciated, Thank you---John Can.

Check in back issues of Double Gun Journal.

Ross Seyfried (I think) wrote an article or two about loading for pinfire rifles.

There are a number of possible methods, depending on the type of case and its size. I haven't actually done it yet, but want (I know... I just love old things that go bang!) to, and have looked into it.

Most methods involve priming with a no 11 percussion cap. One is to drill a hole transversely through the case head for the pin, and to enlarge the hole on one side to accept the percussion cap primer; you may need to fiddle with pin hole to make it large enough for the flash to reach the charge.

Another is to turn up and drill a battery cup arrangement to replace a normal 209 primer in a shotgun case which will hold a cap, pin through the case head as before.

In all cases, a lathe may be your friend, as may a good drill press and a selection of bits.

Keep in mind that pinfire rims (at least in shotguns) were smaller than for those new fangled central fire saftey cartridges by that Daw bloke! I have saved posts for this from elsewhere if you want me to try and link to them.
RG

Everything you need is here:
http://www.hammerdouble.com/index.html

Pete

Everything needed may or may not be there depending on the chambering of the DRs.
RG

cadet,

You are correct. I missed the DR part...

Pete

I own and shoot two somewhat different 16 bore SxS double rifles.
Both of them are chambered for the paper case, not the thin brass case.
I haven't handled a pinfire double rifle yet that was chambered for thin brass cases.
It's highly unlikely that the HammerDoubleCompany product will end up working with your friend's rifles.

First thing to do is cast the chambers with cerrosafe casting alloy and identify exactly what you have.
From there have a roundball mould made up to cast roundball of groove size or a few thousandths of an inch larger.
While you're waiting for that roundball mould, determine the length, diameter, and taper of your cases and have Rocky Mountain Cartridge make you some solid brass cases.
While you're waiting for them to be made, you can start studying old pinfire or large bore rifle loading tools and start in on a set of hand held sizing dies that you can maintain your cases with.
You'll also need to get set up to make proper gas seal cards and felt cushion wads. I made a die to make perfect little 'dixie cup' shaped powder cards, and a set of punches to do the card wad blanks and felt cushion wads. I use one flat cushion and one donut shaped cushion wad, both packed with good soft black powder bullet lube.
By the time you're close with the loading tools, the brass will arrive from RMC and you'll have some nice pure lead roundball of the right size cast and ready to go.

Head out to the range with a can of FFg and a can of percussion caps.

Work your load up until you get the rifle shooting together.
What bore size are these rifles?
Make double damn sure they're fit to shoot before you chamber anything in them.
If they're 16 bore rifles, start with 2 drams powder. Work up just a little at a time.

Don't use any kind of 'lead sled' or other type of prophylactic rifle holder or rest while you're working up your regulation loads. Stand at a rest holding the rifle, and if you really think you need a rest for the rifle, do no more than get a sandbag under the support hand that's grasping the barrles at or forward of the forend.

Right barrel, quickly followed by the left.
You should get two shots very near each other, near the point of aim. Start at 25 yards.

This is one of my pinfire double rifles, likely the first time it'd been shot in well over 100 years.





--Tinker

Tinker,

Glad to you see you posting again. We missed your expertise...

Pete

Pete-

Thanks for the kind words.
I've been hammered with work, also have new baby boy in the house!
Things are well, I just wish I had more time to hunt and shoot.
Did manage to get a bear this winter, plans for hunts this spring too.

On the topic of this pinfire rifle -
I wonder if the original poster has visited this thread.
I'd like to hear from him on the chamber casting situation.
Without that information he's not likely to be able to pursue this in any kind of scientific manner.

Perhaps a personal message is in order...
I prefer that this kind of discussion happens on the forum though, so that others with experience can chime in and so we all can share our experience with others who might just be 'stopping by' for a look.

I was very careful getting my bore rifles running. I'm glad I did so. A pinfire rifle in good condition is very hard to find. It doesn't take much to screw such a thing up for good, and there are many more wrong ways to go about this than right ways...



--Tinker