Wildcatting a .50BMG?

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Dave L.

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I bought a bunch of 'deactivated' .50 BMG brasses at a store and tried necking them up using a hand reamer. My goal is to neck them up to .700 calibre, and load them up with 1000-grain flat-point bullets tuned from solid bronze. However, reality continues to ruin my life; the 'brasses' cracked as I tried to get them to neck up. I'm wondering if this is because they were supposedly 'deactivated' so they could be sold as fashion accessories and something was done to them, or maybe is this because there just isn't enough material on the case walls to get them to neck up that much and this project is a failiure?

- Dave.
 
I have belted wildcat made that way, and annealing is what
makes it work,It's 700 HE. Rob on AR forum has one that
has small shoulder, the 700BMG Imp.Ed
 
The term annealling means softening the brass by heating it, then quickly cooling it in water. Only anneal the neck, NOT THE BASE (or head, same thing).
Have your cases standing in a shallow dish of water, perhaps an inch deep. Heat the necks with hand held propane torch (Gently! Dont cook them), then knock them over into the water.
 
Aww, it's a pity it's already been done. :(

Alright, awesome. I got a propane torch somewhere in the shed...

So I heat just the neck very slowly with the propane torch until they start to lose their hard-ness, keeping the rest of the brass cool, and then tip them over? That's it? Is there anything else I should know?

BTW - I was able to get the glue out of the flash holes. I'm putting a rivet through them and bending it into a loop so they can accept rings.

Thanks guys!

- Dave.
 
Never-Fail Annealing -

Hornady sells a kit, or -

Get some Templaq (sp?) -a heat indicator product that can be found in welding-supply outlets. Available in different temps - you want 475 degrees F. Come in a bottle with a brush inside like nailpolish. (Comes in Hornady kit)

Paint a line around brass with this stuff, just below the shoulder.

Chuck the brass into a electric screwdriver or similar. ( The Hornady kit comes with holders - 50BMG won't fit any of them - I had to homemake one of the right size)

Spin the brass with the propane torch flame directed onto the neck. When the Templaq stuff turns from white to clear - dump the brass into water to cool.
Use fingernail to chip off the bit of hard crud left on brass.
 
Seems that the 475F temp that was in the first batch of Hornady kits was wrong. Was supposed to be 650/675F.

Seems 650 to 725F is a common range that others are annealing brass to. Use the temp sticks instead of the paint. Does not leave any residue when it burns off and is commonly available at welding supply shops. I had to special order in the paint.

I just tried doing some and kept going after the mark melted...ooops. Yes, you will cook the necks rendering them useless. Oh well, they were heading for the trash anyways.

Good luck with the annealing. The key is figuring out a way to slowly and consistently turn the cases so that the 'firing' is as consistent and even as possible. Of course, there are machines you can buy for big bucks but I am sure a bit of fiddling will yield equal results.

Jerry
 
Mysticplayer - Thanks for the info - didn't know about the temp thing. Guess I been half-annealin my brass for years.:(
Interesting tho - I have 50BMG brass been around 15 times - 3 annealings - and still going strong.
 
Dmay, If it works for you, don't change. When using the higher temp, you are close to when it is too hot. I let mine go a little too long and they are cooked. Over annealing BMG brass can get very expensive.

From other BR shooters, the web area usually lasts through a lot of firings (assume tight enough chamber that the primer pockets don't open up). The shoulder and neck harden/grow and that can limit life. Annealing and proper sizing, these guys are burning out barrels with the same batch of brass.

Talking 30 to 50reloads. That is why I am looking into annealing for myself. Keep brass costs down and I don't have to waste all the time/money on forming new brass every 6 firings.

Any more tips from your experience? Speed of rotation? location of flame on neck? where you paint on the case shoulder? How often you anneal?

Jerry
 
Practise annealing on cheaper cartridges. I annealed and converted 1,000 223's into 222's. You get a 'feel' for it quickly. As soon as the brass starts turning that bluish colour, it goes in the water bucket. Take a look at the milsurp Portugese FNM 7.62 brass scattered around most ranges to see what annealed brass looks like.
 
My opinion only -

speed - I use cordless screwdriver, don't know RPM. Don't know that speed is a big issue as brass conducts heat well.
location - same thing, I just try to keep necks to the "end" of the flame, I figure slower it heats, the more even.

I paint the brass just under the shoulder. In the case of the 50 - I'm probly getting a higher temp on my necks because of distance to the temp indicator.

50BMG brass I do every 5 reloads, been working, although some guys do more often.
Other brass - to be honest - when a neck cracks, I usually judge whether to toss the batch or anneal.(I know - not the way its supposed to be done.....)
 
I use an old barbecue rotisserie .I set it on an empty icecream pail beside one half full of water.Do it in a dimmly lighted room.Set the brass on the spinning rottiserie moter ,Heat neck until it starts to glow ,tip in water pail.Once you get it set up it is quite fast.
Jerry
I would love to try some of your temp stick with this method to see how close I am to the right temp.
Rich
 
I've given it a shot - some of them have softened up, but I haven't achieved much consistency.

I found out what was 'deactivating' them. They were sold with 'inert' primers, so I knocked one with an awl, and the primer fell right through the pocket into the body of the brass, it had been glued in.

At about a dollar each, they're the best I can get without going into 'illegal territory.' (I can't buy real ammunition or reloading components - yet) :(

- Dave.
 
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Dmay, sounds like our methods are similar. I just need to pay more attention to the temp guage. There is little doubt it works if I can figure out a way to do it consistently.

RR, my shooting buddy does the dim glow thing too. Would be curious to see what the temp is. I am limited to having open flames outside so will keep with the temp sticks. Besides, it will eliminate operator error.

Maybe not :)

Dave L., there is/was a member that has a great stockpile of BMG brass and does sell them. Not sure why the appeal given that primers are brutally expensive and equally hard to find. Are you planning on shooting this thing?

Jerry
 
I had very good results anealing with molten bullet alloy when I was making found .30-'06/.270/7x57 brass into 6.5x55.

I used my Lee production pot (because of the varable control), and set it to the normal casting setting for wheelweights.
Dip the >unprimed< case to roughly where the new shoulder was going to be in a dish of graphite powder and give it a little twist and shake, then, holding it in your bare hand, with your fingers about half way down the new case length, into the alloy it went.
Let it soak until you feel the heat starting to creep up, maybe 3 of 4 seconds, take it out and give it a smart snap-of-the-wrist to shake any molten lead off (obviously you are doing this outside, in the carport or someplace similar), and into the bucket of water with a little bit of soap in it.

Now with casting thermometers available from RCBS of Lyman for 50 bux, this would be even more exact.

In the couple hundred I did like this I don't recall any that had the bullet alloy solder to it. and it's impossible to overheat the brass, unless you have leprosy and can't feel your fingers.
 
Dave L. said:
At about a dollar each, they're the best I can get without going into 'illegal territory.' (I can't buy real ammunition or reloading components - yet) :(

- Dave.
Click to expand...

Really? Unless things are slacker out here, you don't need any ID to buy components.
 
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