latest issue of the Vintager newsletter has an ad by "The Hammer Double Company" showing" all brass pinfire primed shotgun hulls, 2.5" length, wads included, new , primed, empty, and ready to load" Anyone heard of this? there is no website given but the phone numbers are 480-222-1202
and 800-543-5988
makes me wish i hadn't passed on a really neat pinfire combo gun, last year! nice ad shows the shells and a beautiful double pnfire shotgun!

Thank you Cable!- I will be checking on monday and report back. If this turns out to true and less than an arm + leg, you just saved me a big project.

Peter Dyson in the UK has plastic primed pinfire 12 g for 3.5 pounds each - and the cost plus the plastic plus the import issues made it a non-starter.

I'm interested to see what you guys come up with there.
I just modified 28, 16, and 12 bore magtech brass to run in my pinfire guns. The cost for each piece of brass, less my time and percussion caps was under $0.50 each

I had to turn the rims back (thin them), drill holes for the firing pins, and make firing pins from brazing rod. Fairly simple work but nice to have for the shotguns. The double rifle brass for the 16b rifles was a little more involved as there are bullets to seat, but I can imagine that particular kind of extra work would be needed with this guy's brass too.


--Tinker

I have some 70 shells loaded and hope they all work at a vintage shoot on the west coat. I would have shot them at the last shoot in California but it was raining way to hard when I was there. I do have some information on loading. jas

Looks like they're asking $75 per box of 25 hulls, that's primed brass with "permanent" base wads, firing pins, wadding, and a plastic storage case.

They noted that they have a patent on shells with firing pins sticking out of them,
:rolleyes:
another patent on the base wad they're using.
I was told that there is no such thing as pinfire loading data and that there was no such thing included with these shells, but that they do make 209 primed brass, that it comes with load data, and that they -themselves- use said *smokeless* load data to load for thier own personal pinfire guns which reportedly consume thousands of rounds a year. When asked how may reloads the base wads would take, I was just told that when the cases wear out you just throw them away and buy new ones.
They don't seem to think black powder is a viable propellant, and stated that they don't run black in thier guns. It was suggested that the pinfire loads would run lower pressures due to the decreased flash of a percussion cap compared to a 209 primer.

For three bucks a pop, primed with a percussion cap and firing pin and set up with a base wad and supplied with wadding, the price doesn't seem too bad for someone who can't do it themselves with existing resources. I'd be hesitant to take loads generated for 209 primers with smokeless powder and run them with percussion caps in my pinfire guns. I'm interested to see how well thier "permanent" base was arrangement holds up to black powder too.

I'll let others do the experimenting with thier money in thier guns and off thier own shoulders. If this product proves well to hold up to black powder I might get interested. Bore rifle loads are different than shotgun loads.
Working nitro for black loads up for a pinfire side by side double bore rifle isn't anything I want to fiddle with at this point, black works great and I'm not having any trouble with black powder. With Bore Butter soaked wadding, the fouling's soft and neutral, easy to swab and it doesn't make my guns rust.
I don't even need to clean my rifles between days of shooting Goex black powder loaded with Bore Butter soaked saddle felt wads. That combination of powder and lubed wads, when run with a milk carton cup wad creates an excellent gas seal, getting me very consistent ignition and velocities with undersized lead roundball.


Again, for three bucks a pop they might be just the trick for those wanting to shoot thier pinfire shotguns but aren't or can't set up to do it themselves, especially if they'll work out with black powder.

As this thread was listed in the Double Rifles, Paradox Guns and Gauge Rifles department, I'd warn anyone interested in using this product in thier pinfire bore rifles against using load data *worked up with smokeless powder and 209 primers in shotguns with wads and shot* in thier rifled pinfire guns with solid projectiles and percussion caps...
Things could get messy.
Same goes for black powder and thier "permanent" plastic base wads in rifled tubes with solid projectiles -or- in smooth bores with shot and wads. Be careful with that stuff. I've seen and heard what burning black powder will do to plastic reloading comonents.


--Tinker

continuing with alternatives! here are some NEW german pinfire cases on auction arms:

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=6889221

this is a box of 100 shells, new in box, for buy-it-now price of $40.00; seems good to me!

Talked with an owner of this company today. The shells come with fiber lubricated and non lubricated wads and a cardstock disc.
Seems he shoots only pinfire guns himself. The price is $65/box of 25 for the next five weeks.
The shells are only 12 and 16 gauge at the present.
When asked trhe life of these brasses, he says that the average is 30 loadings and the pin is the first to go. They sell replacement brass pins. All other componants are available through them or Circle Fly to name one.
He also says that the use of gauge mates or Skeeters works well in the larger bore guns with his shells.
Hope that this helps.
Best,
John

Did you talk to him about the use of blackpowder with his shells and wether or not the base wad would survive repeated firing and reloading with blackpowder?
I got the sense that he didn't support the use of black powder with thier proprietary base wad.


--Tinker