"Modern reloading SOP" vs "Old School"

[Bwana John]

I have been reloading for a .310 Cadet rifle and have figured out the variable heal diameter/brass thickness. (.321" bullet, .314" heel, .010" case thickness on cut down to 1.10" Starr 32-20 brass)

I have been full length resizing, decaping, priming, belling the case mouth, sizing/lubing the bullet, seating the bullet, and crimping. The end product is good ammo.

If I take a deprimed/reprimed case that has been fired in the rifle with nothing else done to it, put in powder, start the raw cast bullet into the case with my fingers, seat the bullet to correct OAL by pressing the bullet home against a piece of wood, then dip the projectile into melted beeswax it fits and fires in the rifle just fine for 5 reloads so far.

With the modern way I get a cartridge that is very robust, and take rough handleing, chambers and extracts well.

With the old school method my cases should last for many more reloads without work hardning, cases should fire form to the chamber being theoretically more precise, but the end product is fragile and a little messy and easy to contaminate the lube, and may have problems chambering if the chamber gets dirty. I have old factory Kynoch .310 ammo where the old lube must be laboriously removed before the cartridge will chamber.

What other pros and cons am I overlooking?

 

[Scooter22]

Sounds like your doing fine old school. Keep it up. I have a Martini/Greener 14ga Egyptian police shotgun I like to shoot once in awhile. Luckily it's a early one with straight case and single tip FP. After pricing out 14ga ammo or components I figured it's a wall hanger. Then I read what the criminals would do to shoot captured ones. Wrap smaller shells with paper. I have a 16ga shotgun and a lot of factory ammo. So I full length wrap 16ga ammo tightly with 2 1/2" masking tape so it will just drop in. VOILA! 14ga ammo. No splits, ruptures or sticking. I did ask around on some shotgunning sites back when I first did this and got the green light.

 

[Bwana John]

I wonder what it would cost to turn a chamber insert out of steel on a lathe that was drilled out for a 20 ga cartridge for your Martini/Greener?

With a Cerrosafe chamber casting even a hobby machinist should be able to produce one.

Your tape method is pretty field expedient though!

 

[Scooter22]

I wonder what it would cost to turn a chamber insert out of steel on a lathe that was drilled out for a 20 ga cartridge for your Martini/Greener?

With a Cerrosafe chamber casting even a hobby machinist should be able to produce one.

Your tape method is pretty field expedient though!

I'm not worried about it. I toss the cases. It's pretty much open cylinder bore. I measured the brass head and there was no expansion. I'm only using field loads. Many of the cases were old paper cases that were given to me so adding the extra paper tape made them thicker.

You might want to try a bottle of the Lee Liquid Alox for lube. It works great and won't be as sticky as straight bees wax. I tumble lube all my cast boolits. Good stuff.