Sand brass headstamp?
- Thread starter Slowbalt
- Start date
It could effect headspacing so you may want to fire form your cases with light loads to bump the shoulder up after doing it. Full length sizing afterwards should be fine since you are sizing the new dimension case.
It could also effect primer seating depth since you could reduce the primer pocket depth. A primer pocket uniforming tool could return them to proper depth but at a cost of case wall thickness between the primer and powder.
It really depends on how deep the stamping is on the case head. Just from what I have sitting in front of me it looks like Remington has really deep lettering, Winchester is really shallow, and Hornady is somewhere in between.
I've only done it for converting worn out .303 British cases to .410 shotshells. The rim is a tad thick on the .303 cases so needs to be filed down. I use pistol primers for the shotshells anyway so the loss of depth is made up for in that way.
Are you doing some cartridge conversions and don't want someone mixing up the ammo? I've converted a couple hundred .30-06 to 8x57mm and just kept the .30-06 head stamps. I don't often use headstamps to verify correct ammo since I prefer to use known samples I keep on hand (and I use a lot of military brass with no calibre markings). I have a pile of .243 and 7mm-08 I have converted to .308, some .30-06 I converted to .308 just to see if I could, the .30-06 I converted to 8x57mm, a pile of .32 Win Special I converted to .30-30, and probably a couple others I'm missing. I keep them all in clearly marked boxes.
It could also effect primer seating depth since you could reduce the primer pocket depth. A primer pocket uniforming tool could return them to proper depth but at a cost of case wall thickness between the primer and powder.
It really depends on how deep the stamping is on the case head. Just from what I have sitting in front of me it looks like Remington has really deep lettering, Winchester is really shallow, and Hornady is somewhere in between.
I've only done it for converting worn out .303 British cases to .410 shotshells. The rim is a tad thick on the .303 cases so needs to be filed down. I use pistol primers for the shotshells anyway so the loss of depth is made up for in that way.
Are you doing some cartridge conversions and don't want someone mixing up the ammo? I've converted a couple hundred .30-06 to 8x57mm and just kept the .30-06 head stamps. I don't often use headstamps to verify correct ammo since I prefer to use known samples I keep on hand (and I use a lot of military brass with no calibre markings). I have a pile of .243 and 7mm-08 I have converted to .308, some .30-06 I converted to .308 just to see if I could, the .30-06 I converted to 8x57mm, a pile of .32 Win Special I converted to .30-30, and probably a couple others I'm missing. I keep them all in clearly marked boxes.
So might not be the best idea ever...
Reason for asking is I am looking at buying a french 1892 revolver in 8mm lebel and use cut 32-20 brass in it. Since 32-20 is on the no go list for antiques I thought I'd erase the headstamp to avoid any confrontation with LEOs.
Thanks!
Reason for asking is I am looking at buying a french 1892 revolver in 8mm lebel and use cut 32-20 brass in it. Since 32-20 is on the no go list for antiques I thought I'd erase the headstamp to avoid any confrontation with LEOs.
Thanks!
Go read the flow chart in the Antiques forum and learn that which you speak incorrectly of. If it was made before 1897, it is an Antique, as Prescribed by law.
If made after, then correct, but it has nothing to do with the bore size, simply the date of manufacture.
If it is NOT CHAMBERED in the calibers on the list AND it is made before the cut-off date, it IS a Prescribed Antique.
Cheers
Trev
Pick up a loaded factory round of 32-20, or keep a original case with you to show that the cases are modified.
A picture of the two rounds together (32-20 and 8mm Lebel, will adequately (one hopes) show that the 32-20 markings are just markings. Easy enough to have in with any other paperwork you may carry to be able to prove that the handgun is Antique if need be.
.218 Bee cases and 25-20 cases can also be used.
Cheers
Trev
There is that too, but I think the concern was with an Antique class handgun having cases marked as being one of the NOT Antique calibers. Pretty easy to demonstrate that they are not 32-20 cartridges, just that they were based upon modified 32-20 cases.
Cheers
Trev
Chinbullco
Regular
- Location
- NW Alberta
You can get away with taking cartridge stamps off rimless cases, but rimmed cases would be spooky. For uniformity a Wilson or CH-4D case trimmer that uses cylindrical shell holders would allow stamp removal with case trimmer cutter.
I just did up 150 cases for my 38-72 and 40-72 from 405 cases, did them in the lathe, now these two had to be thinned to headspace correctly as the 405 has a .020" thicker rim. The 32-20 also has a quite thick rim and as was mentioned W-W has very shallow stamping. I didn't encounter any primer problems, I just seated them with a little extra gusto and they came up flush (not exactly bench cartridges) If you are truly concerned about legality then buy yourself a Mod 92 in 32-20 and bring it anytime you want to shoot the pistol..........voila, here's my 32-20.
If the rim is too thick is should be thinned from the shell side not the head stamp side. Think of the cartridge as a metal gasket that contains the pressure, taking material off of the head side will thin the gasket. Taking material off the head side will also require uniforming the primer pockets; whatever thickness is taken off the head will have to be taken out of the base of the primer pocket also (might get a wee bit thin).
I too would be worried about the head stamp and trying to explain to an authority who knows more than anyone else on the planet; rely on the common sense of an authority at your own peril. I have a Swiss 7.5 that will use the 32-20 cartridges also, I was just going to make a mandrel to hold the cartridge and then us a small letter stamp (an X or 8 would be good), and simply stamp over the existing head stamp.
I too would be worried about the head stamp and trying to explain to an authority who knows more than anyone else on the planet; rely on the common sense of an authority at your own peril. I have a Swiss 7.5 that will use the 32-20 cartridges also, I was just going to make a mandrel to hold the cartridge and then us a small letter stamp (an X or 8 would be good), and simply stamp over the existing head stamp.
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