Homemade 45 acp shotshell die

[PapaG]

Hartcreek....how is soft, or even hard lead shot going to ruin rifling? Might lead up a little but won't damage it any more than lead bullets.

 

[BCRider]

This whole thing was a first rate project from beginning to end.

Your shot pattern size and density is far better than any of the, admittedly very few, shot rounds I've tried from my handguns.

If you get tired of opening up the old shot shell hulls for wadding the flat plastic portions of cheap dollar store food containers would likely do just fine. Or go with paper and buy a sheet of the heavy Bristol board card stock from an art store. Or I've also seen the unbleached card packing that is up around .045 to .050 thick that would work as well.

 

[blarby]

This whole thing was a first rate project from beginning to end.

I could not agree more.

 

[seh]

I punched 15 of them from a 12ga hull, I'll give them a try first.

Would a oil or antifreeze container work for the overshot card?

 

[jmorris]

Yes and thats a good idea, be a lifetime supply out of one jug. From what I have read a lot of people just use cardboard for both wads. I figured the cut down .410 wad would keep the barrel clean and the shot shell was the first thing I came across to punch the others out of.

 

[Walkalong]

I used to cut them from milk jug caps and lightly roll crimp over them for .38 and .44 Spl. They were thicker, but I imagine the anti freeze jug thickness would work fine. Thicker than milk jugs.

 

[jmorris]

For 45 ACP revolvers, Intel6 had some photos of some he made once and finally got around to it myself.

308 brass cut and trimmed to 1.600", expanded at the mouth with a 40 S&W expander, a slightly cut down .410 wad and .53oz of #12 shot.

 

[PapaG]

Lead shot will not hurt rifling. Might lead it but it comes out easily enough and with a 410 was not much will touch anyway. I did this a few years back with 44 and 41 mag dies to form the step. I like your method better.