16ga.com ~ View topic - Straightening case mouths before reloading

Hello All,

What method of straightening out the mouth of plastic hulls do you use on roll crimped hulls before you reload them?

Thanks
Mike

Guest

I use one of my wife's discarded hair curling irons. It's a Conair Model CD12. You will have to remove the clip to get it to fit into the hull but that is not a problem.

Guest

In all seriousness, I am just amazed at how much you folks go through to prepare hulls for roll crimping. I am a die hard fold crimper, after a SHORT foray into roll crimping. Too many steps involved. I did/do like the looks of a roll crimp though.

I have a Therm-Matic Plastic and Paper Shotshell Former, made by Forster Products, it is a 12 ga model and I use it mostly for Federal papers. I bet if you could get one of these it would solve your hull mouth forming issues, as it has a reostat temperature adjustment on it. Got mine on E-bay.

It wouldn't hurt if you fellas gave Forster a call, they are a smaller company, who knows maybe they have a bunch of these in a store room or maybe willing to make more in 16 Gauge. I would try to talk to whoever is really in charge. I wish I could remember the owner's name to give you more help.

Guest

Guest

Twice,

As you probably already figured out, style and class are words that I don't use too much, nor do I have a lot of either.

That Forster shell former is really nice, btw.

Thats what I like about Mark , Get the job done and do it well , style and class out the window .

Sounds like Mark is a Canidate for My Hillbilly Redneck Club or at least an Honorary Membership .

Mark Thanks for being a PLAIN OLE BROWN SHOE , I like that type of shoe no frills just well made , long lasting and COMFORTABLE .

Regards Charles

Guest

Charles,

Since the first time I went to the midwest in 1994, I knew that I lived, 1,500 miles too far east. Those boys from Iowa got a real kick, busting my butt, about what I thought I knew about hunting and shooting a shotgun.

Those fellas are good ol' boys and for the next 3 years, showed me what was what. I owe them A LOT. I went to Springfield, S.D. with them, stayed at their place, my repayment for a place to stay, was to clean each days birds. They were hunting big mallards with steel #4's on the Missouri River, and bringing home a limit everyday. That's how I learned that you really need to center the birds head and neck. Every bird I cleaned was bloody around the head hardly a pellet past mid-body.

I went pheasant hunting alone, that year, 1996, in S.D., just knocking on doors, and killing roosters. Cleaning my 3 roosters and their 15 mallards every night.

Bought a small place in Nebraska recently that I will call home, when I retire. Way out midstate, near the Sand Hills. I love the midwest and all you rednecks.

Yup, I would be honored to be in your club, Charles!!

There is no problem with being honest and direct almost anywhere I've ever been. There will be a problem if it is presented in an obstinate and insulting manner.

I've spent a bunch of time in the Midwest myself. Folks out there enjoy two things in a person besides honesty and directness. They appreciate a gentle sense of humor and good manners. Bring both and you will do fine. Leave them home and you will need a good corrective dental plan until you do acquire them. This tends to be true almost anywhere there are lots of decent folks.

skeettx

Have you check out Thermagic hull conditioners; they make em for lots of gauges too! They are a spin-off to the old 12ga Thermatic units.. Thermagic-sales@yahoo.com is their e-addy.

Good luck
Newly O'Brian

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

Charles & Mark--you boys dating? Laughing

Joined: 06 Aug 2009 Posts: 960

Woodcock,

I couldn't resist, the temptation was just too great. Please don't start any rumors, as bad news travels a fast horse!!

To answer your question, No Charles and I are not dating. But he sure is a good ol' boy.

We talk now and again and he is currently trying to get me in knee deep do-do with my wife, to go hunting in Canada this fall..

Mark -

The ONLY dogchaser37 - duroc - I don't care what they call me, as long as it isn't late for dinner!!

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

OK--(whew

) I'll take your word for it Mark, just had to inquire about the apparent MAS in Nick's post Laughing

.
His Canada shindig is worth it. If you can go, do so.

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2350 Location: West MI

[quote="skeettx"]

What method of straightening out the mouth of plastic hulls do you use on roll crimped hulls before you reload them?

Thanks
Mike[/quote]

I cut the cone end of a plastic kitchen funnel off as the tool and just wiggle/twist it around a couple of times in the hull mouth. Works great for all the gauges I shoot 24-16-10. Since there needs to be an inspection moment before reloading a hull anyways I do this the same time as reshaping; too burnt or cracked it gets put in the "cut back for shorty load" bin.

Hope this helps, Mike

Joined: 28 Aug 2009 Posts: 31

If I need to cure a 16 ga hull mouth that's less than round, I run it 1/2 way up the primer punch on my 12 ga MEC Grabber. It's a tight squeeze on and especially off but for short runs it makes a better roll crimp. Not as good as an unfired or a trimmed case, obviously.

I bought a hull mouth conditioner from BPI, which is a tapered cone shaped tool that is chucked up in a drill press or hand drill and inserted into the mouth of the shell. The resulting friction caused heat conditions and re-shapes the hull mouth. The use of the tool requires little pressure and works okay.

dogchaser37 wrote, "In all seriousness, I am just amazed at how much you folks go through to prepare hulls for roll crimping."

Now that my hunting loads are stuffed in all brass hulls, I can further amaze you by telling you of my normal reloading process.

1. Place fired hull in tumbler overnight.
2. Clean inside of hull mouth with bronze brush chucked up in drill press.
3. Final clean hull mouth with carburetor cleaner and a rag.
The remaining steps are similar to loading plastic or paper sans re-sizing and crimping, though I do weigh all powder.
4. Write load info on OSC and insert into hull.
5. Glue OSC in place.

On a typical pheasant hunt, I might shoot 3-4 shells and maybe 7-8 shells for prarie grouse. When I hunt dove, I reload plastic. If I'm hunting away from home, I pack my Lee Loader, carburetor cleaner, scale, primers, powder, wads, shot and glue. When on the road, I use steel wool to clean the hulls exterior and Emory paper to clean the inside of the hull's mouth. Sounds like a lot of trouble, but actuall takes very little time and I enjoy the process.

In the old days when paper and brass were the only reloading options, I put all of my many times fired paper hulls on the wife's cookie sheet and put them in the oven to redistribute the wax. Worked good for a few more reloads.