8x56 from 7.62x54
- Thread starter jongun
- Start date
Actually tried the fireform thing with a piece of x54 brass and it formed nicely but had some cracks around the neck. This brass was probably fired 7-8 times and of course the expansion of the neck thinned it considerably. Just looking to save a bit of dough on brass since x54 is considerably cheaper than the 8x56 but guess it wouldn't be worth it if my cases are finished after only a couple firings.
Back in the old days before boxer primed PRVI brass was readily available I fireformed some Norma 7.62X54R brass in my 8X56R rifle and carbine.If I remember correctly the brass formed out OK but the necks were quite short,still OK to use but not a lot of holding power to support a bullet after forming.Things are much,much better now with the wide selection of components available to the handloader of milsurp firearms.My opinion only,but I would snag some boxer primed PRVI brass and go from there,just my experience.
Canada ammo had a couple boxes left of Privi for $30. I got 3 boxes and pulled all the bullets from 2 boxes. Lee makes a mold for them that I've loaded up some plinker loads with trail boss. I Have yet to try them
.For me 7.62x54r brass is a bit easier to get, but since I can't shoot rifles alot 60 brass is more then enough assuming they last 5 or more reloads.
I'll be using the Lee 8x56 205gn .329 bullet. Need some x54 brass so I figure I'll dedicate some to my M95 and if it doesn't work out I'll shell out the extra cash for the genuine 8x56 brass. Thanks for the replies fellas.
First off, it doesn't matter if the base isn't flat. Look at the face of a MOSIN bolt. Secondly, .013 is next to nothing when it comes to rim diameters.
It's the web diameter and the thickness of the rim that may cause issues.
If the case will feed into your rifle and the bolt will close on it and if the web diameter is close enough, give it a try. If the web diameter is to small, then you run the risk of splitting the case or even a case head separation.
OP, do some due diligence of your own. Your rifle, your mistake if you haven't done the DD.
I am always amazed at what people actually get away with.
All true - in fact I've done this conversion and it works.
If the rim diameter is too large, it's easily reduced, but that likely won't be necesary.
The bevelled part is moot as already mentionned.
I have used cartridges 0.020" undersized, and all it does is bulge above the web 0.020". Multiple firings at 50K psi were no problem.
Tried a "fresher" piece of brass and it formed nicely without any splitting of the neck. Slightly bulged but not all that excessive.
That is a good looking fire formed case. Looks like you're good to go.
Andy is pretty savvy and knows his stuff. He has experimented a lot to get some of his old hard to find ammo for rifles shooting.
At present, when I finally get my new to me 30-06 ZKK 600 running happily and can settle on a decent BP load for my 1874 Sharps rifle, my next project will be to make up 50 cases and cast bullets for the Kropatschek rifles I've picked up. I have 3 different models. I am on the look out for one of the rare carbines. I do have one of the rare short rifles. This will likely be a winter project.
Shooting cast bullets out of some of these old girls makes a lot of sense. I'm never going to hunt with them, I am sure as hell not going into battle with them and I don't do substantial recoil as well as I used to.
I am really looking forward to baking enamel paint onto my hard cast bullets in lieu of messy lubes. Hopefully they will stand up to BP loads as well. The Kropatschek rifles were loaded with both types of powder. Smokeless Rottweil Flake and FFG compressed BP under paper patched bullets.
Cast bullets may also be a good alternative for your Steyr M95. That's why I went on about it.
Bearhunter, mold is on the way. I reload and cast for all my rifles except the 22LR of course. I'm sure the enamel coat will standup to your BP loads as the stuff is really durable. Good luck with your bullet projects and on the hunt for that rare Kropatschek!
jongun, those neck cracks will not happen if you anneal the brass from the shoulder to the case mouth before necking up. I have necked a lot of 30-06 brass up to 40 cal, on the way to reforming to 9.3X62.
Very few failures occur if the brass is annealed first.
Ted
Very few failures occur if the brass is annealed first.
Ted
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Both test pieces were annealed prior to fire forming. The first case's neck split due to the fact that it had seen a fair amount of firings and the brass in the neck area was already fairly thin. The second test piece was much fresher and as you can see formed rather nicely with no cracks/splits in the neck.
