I've seen articles in the past describing how to make a modern plastic cartridge into a pinfire. For the life of me I can't google one up now. I just read an article in Dig's online magazine about it but it leaves a lot of info out that I think would be needed for a 1st timer. Anyone know of an article or post on how to convert? Thanks.
trying to find an old post or article on how to convert modern shotgun cartridges to pinfire. I've seen a few years ago but now that I need them I can't find them of course.
As Roy says it is described in that book. It was an invention by my old friend (now sadly deceased) Derek Fearn. I have a small number of these inserts. A small brass cylinder that inserts into the old primer pocket after a little drilling out. It then requires a hole to be drilled in from the side for a pin after first either swaging the cartridge head down or removing the brass head. In the article he shows this using a compression formed Winchester case which was Derek's preferred method. A friend has made some inserts for me on his principle which is very much the same but used the head swaging method. Then, quite by chance last Sunday, at an outdoor sale, I picked up 26 brass 12 bore purpose made turned cases which will allow unlimited reloads. I only have a 12 bore pin-fire so that is perfect. Lagopus…..
I've loaded for numerous pinfire rifles and shotguns Your biggest issue will be the case rims
There's a guy in Europe who offers some simple and elegant 16b brass pinfire cases Just buy them and shoot your gun
I make all my own stuff I'm a machinist though so it's not a big deal for me You should just flex the PayPal account and get the ready made solution for the problem
at $33 for 1 case HLE are way to expensive. Henry doesn't offer 16 bore pinfire cases unfortunately. Lagopus I read that article last night. To me however it lacks clarity on how to do some steps. The largest obstacle seems to be where to get the inserts. I know no one with a lathe. I can hire them done but I'll have to come up with a clear photo/design and measurements.
Mike, the case rims will be something to deal with. Look closely there.
At some time there were shotgun cases with solid plastic case heads. I've heard of guys using them with the rims turned/ground/trimmed off. Haven't seen these cases around anywhere though.
A lathe might not be necessary, you might get away with getting crafty with a drill or something like that and some sandpaper or a file.
Still - at the end of the day, that thirty bucks might seem like a bargain once you have to deal with all the other hurdles. Buy once, cry once but you get to shoot your gun. Also, if you are considering having someone make adapters for the 209 primer pocket - they will cost money too.
I do have the book described above. Just have to get home to look it up. That might be where I saw the "how to" before. I'd like at least 6 cases. I'm going to use it grouse hunting I am not going to pay $180 bucks. I'll figure something out. Thanks for the help everyone.
Note the comment on base wads. When you mess with the head of a shotshell, you might be messing with the way the base wad is secured. Not all shotshell hulls are the same.
I just skimmed it but as I stated above it leaves a lot to be desired on details. Such as how do you remove or trim the brass? Sketch description to me. Other's might get it. I don't. What size is the plug? Not enough details for me. I'm thick I guess.
This is the stuff that that HLE Books sells, but directly from the manufacturer without the markup.
I have ordered many things here fine and they always arrive with no issue.
Since it is coming from France you will have to source your own black powder percussion caps, but you can get those anywhere. The hardest thing for me was actually finding small round toothpicks that fit in the case to hold everything down.
Here is what everything broke down to shipping it here:
That is about $20 each with plenty of extra pins and wads for loading many times. The benefit of these is that they can be cleaned and reloaded relatively easily.
Another option is buying original period 16g NPE shotshells. I have loaded many myself and sold hundreds to others and the vast majority go off fine even though they are over 100 years old.
Here is what those metallic ones look like loaded:
And here is what they look like after being shot (along with some original period ones I shot in another gun):
Aaron I can get good wads and overshot cards here cheap. That site makes it a whole lot less painful. Thanks for the heads up. I appreciate it. If my all plastic hulls don't work out I'll most likely buy 6 cases from there.
Mike, sorry I've been off air for a few days. I was lucky enough to pick up some brass cases which make for easy loading. I don't use the tooth pick method but just seat an over shot wad and use either a glue gun of waterglass (sodium silicate) as an adhesive. The case heads, if using standard fired cases, can be swaged down using a tapered brass tube and knocking them through otherwise with compression formed cases like Winchester AA's is to just peel of the brass head. If you get really, really stuck I can send you one of my inserts to use as a pattern. Beauty with those is that they can be used in any bore case. Lagopus....
Lagopus I'd appreciate one of your inserts. that's the piece I believe I'd have the most trouble fabricating. I've sourced 70 active all plastic hulls to try and 50 brass magtech.
Mike, P.M. me your address and I'll send one along. If I call it a 'valve', which I suppose it is, it should go through customs o.k. I don't know about the Activ cases as the ones I have have steel rim bases. The Magtech won't work as they are too thin at the vital part of the base; I tried that thinking it a way to go. Most success comes from passing fired cases through a swage or getting hold of compression formed type cases and peeling the metal heads off. I'll wait to hear from you. Lagopus…..
One question regarding the plastic cases. I have read on numerous occasions that Black Powder burned too hot for use in plastic, that cases would be very short-lived. I have thus refrained from loading BP in plastic, so have no personal experience.
I have a W&C Scott 12 ga pinfire I have been wanting to make up some shells for, but for the work involved would want more than a couple of shots per each.
Where are you saying the Magtech brass is too thin? Is it for the purpose of swaging the rim or for holding the "Valve"? I could turn the rim so that would not be a problem. If there is not enough Meat to provide strength enough to hold the cap adapter that would another matter. I have a box of 25 of the older Magtech 12 gauge brass which used the Berdan primers which would be a good use for them if I could work out a suitable conversion for them.
I have looked into an original pinfire hull that I have. It seems to have a 1/8" wad with a hole in the middle to hold the cap. See photo. I'm going to try and duplicate that as one of the methods I'll try.
Where are you saying the Magtech brass is too thin? Is it for the purpose of swaging the rim or for holding the "Valve"? I could turn the rim so that would not be a problem. If there is not enough Meat to provide strength enough to hold the cap adapter that would another matter.
The Magtech case is a very thin walled 'baloon head' type of construction. Also it doesn't use a 209 primer. A fellow could simply drill the base of the primer pocket and tap some suitable threads in the primer pocket walls and thread in a plug, then cross drill the firing pin hole.
As noted above, the case walls are thin and if the percussion cap is nested against the inside case wall opposite the externally protruding firing pin the case can dent from firing pin strikes.
