Winchester replica WWII 12 gauge shells

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Because brass was easier to make the shell and probably cheaper. It very fun making brass blackpowder shells to bring a lot of them old guns back to life.
 
Brass is far more water resistant than paper. This was a time that was slightly before the introduction of plastics and composites to make the hulls we know today. (Bakelite was an early plastic, but it's nothing like a shotgun hull.)
 
Try and find them for actual sale. I haven't.
I want some! Up to now I was making my own, using these Magtech hulls: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1657554245

The Winchester web site says that these are available in my local area only at Dick's Sporting Goods. That creates a dilemma, because we all know about Dick's attitude toward gun control....
 
I've been on the lookout for these as well. Doubt I'll shoot them but I have a spot in mind on my firearm and hunting paraphernalia shelve for some sweet brass hulls. Okay I'll shoot a few but definitely not all of them.
 
Before plastic shells became the industry standard, shells were often made from paper. I have several old paper shells I have obtained over the years in a small collection. The reason the military selected the more expensive brass shells is that they are more robust in general and do better when wet. Think about the muddy, wet conditions in the trenches of WW1, or Marines with all of their equipment being totally submerged in salt water during amphibious landings, or in the jungle conditions during the "island hopping" campaigns. I think by VN plastic shells had become standard issue, based on photos I have seen from the era - I imagine paper shells would have also been a mess in the very wet/muddy environment in VN.
 
As I understand it, trench guns were popular with the US in WWI - the Germans hated them because, as one Britisher put it, they blew the points off their helmets - but wet paper shells don't work and even a dry paper shell left under magazine spring tension can get out of shape. Troops would cycle all their ammo through the guns before a trench raid. So a supply of even then obsolescent brass shells was ordered. They didn't get many in before 11/11/18 but they were still on hand for WWII.
By Viet Nam, plastic shells with the crimps heat sealed as for duck hunters were waterproof but still subject to getting squashed if left in the magazine too long. Not an insurmountable problem, lots of pictures of "door kickers" in Kuwait with shotguns.
 
I found these in my grandfather's attic when we were cleaning out the place a few years ago. They are waxed cardboard hulls.They still worked, but you could tell the powder in some had degraded more than others.
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When I was a frequent Trapshooter, I usually used plastic shells, preferably AA in those days, they lasted through a lot of reloadings.
But I always liked the chance to shoot some paper Federals. They just smelled right and the wax they left in the chambers kept them from rusting. A few rounds with AAs and my Broadway's chambers would be red by the time I could get home. Federal paper, no such thing,
 
I found these in my grandfather's attic when we were cleaning out the place a few years ago. They are waxed cardboard hulls.They still worked, but you could tell the powder in some had degraded more than others.

Be very careful with those old wax-hull shells. I bought a passel at an estate sale some time ago and our dogs tore through them like cats & catnip! Ate the boxes and chewed up a great many shells. Must have been the wax.

Todd.
 
Interesting. I wonder if they are reloadable? I doubt that roll crimp is completely blown out during firing. I make my own with Magtech, as well as the much nicer but hideously expensive "Parker" brass from Track of the Wolf, and use just the slightest crimp to ensure smooth feeding. Even the small roll does not get completely ironed out. And of course a brass case fired with blackpowder never looks quite as neat as it once did. I think if I come across a box of those Winchesters at an affordable price I will get a box just for looking at, and a box for shooting, just to see what they are about.

Edit - I see they are selling for around five dollars per shell, which is not unreasonable considering how much good quality brass hulls go for. I think I need to try some!
 
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The Winchester web site says that these are available in my local area only at Dick's Sporting Goods. That creates a dilemma, because we all know about Dick's attitude toward gun control....
Out of curiosity, I went to my local Dick's today to see if they had them. It was pathetic. According to the salesman, this was the one store in the area to which they were channeling the gun stuff as the gun departments in the other stores were being phased out. Even so, they had hardly anything left. As for the Winchester brass shotshells, they weren't even in their computer system. What a fiasco.

Winchester picked a lousy partner to market these shells.
 
It’d be fun to be a sponsored shooter and run a WWII themed rig in 3-gun with a trench broom and those brass shells. And shoot a 1911 one handed all match.
Oh....... HELL YES!
Bring out a *Cowboy Action* circuit for WWII only.

I'm all-in with a Stevens, Garand and 1911.

Todd.
 
Happily found them at Grab a Gun for $19.99.
Still kinda spendy for 5 rounds. You are partly paying for the fancy dovetailed wooden box, which, incidentally, has room for 2 cardboard 5-round boxes of shells, but contains only one plus a spacer.

I think I'm back to loading my own, using Magtech brass.
 
Still kinda spendy for 5 rounds. You are partly paying for the fancy dovetailed wooden box, which, incidentally, has room for 2 cardboard 5-round boxes of shells, but contains only one plus a spacer.

I think I'm back to loading my own, using Magtech brass.

I load Magtech now and use for both CAS and a special slug load for a rifled 20 ga H&R, but want to see if the Winchester brass is compatible with smokeless components.
 
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