Brass Rifle Case Powder Measure's

[MikeC]

Does anyone know what different size cases hold in volume of BP?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[arquebus]

If you have a Dixie Gun Works catalog I'm pretty sure they have a table showing the BP capacity of various cartridge cases, towards the back I think.

 

[bwhoffman]

....and you can file them down for volume!
a 30-30 cut off just at the bottom of the shoulder will hold 35gr 3f.
I got a 300 h&h that goes 65gr.


look in an old dixie cat. big list in there!

 

[Blizzard of '93]

that's as good as it gets but unforunately not PC
I use 'em myself. an '06 caseful of 3F is a good load for a .50 cal. a 30-30 case is a good practice/plinking load.
a 7.62X39 case (AK or SKS case) is good warm load for a '58 Rem. (3F or Pyro 'P')

 

[rice1817]

Depending on the era, brass cartridge cases may actually be PC. Madison Grant's book on hunting pouches shows original bags from the late muzzleloading period with 45-70 cases hanging from the pouch as powder measures. Likewise, Sketches of Hunting Pouches, Powder Horns and Accoutrements of Southern Appalachia by Jim Webb shows a lot of small bore cartridges used as chargers for squirrel rifles, and cut down shotgun hulls used for charging ML shotguns. I use a 45-90 cartridge with the rim turned off, and a wire loop soldered in where the primer pocket is as a charger for my 58. It throws about 85 grains of powder.

 

[sidelock]

Dosen't matter--- just pick a large cal. and cut to suit the load you want. If you can get some 45:70 brass-- they are great. I also use #12 copper elect wire twisted in a loop and solder to the sized brass to use as a handle to make a neet scoop. Good luck. :thumbsup:

 

[Big Sky Trapper]

.45 Long Colt measures 45 of 3f and a 38 Spl measured 25 3f.....

 

[paulvallandigham]

I have a list of charges ( capacity ) for a whole long list of metal cartridge casings, in the back of my Hodgdon Data Manual No.23. I think you can also find a similar list in the back of any Dixie Gun Works Catalogue.

The problems with all these numbers is that different manufacturers make these casings slightly differently, leaving more or less metal on the inside of the "web". We are only talking a couple of grains, MAX for smokeless powders, but it can make a difference with black powder--- not enough to blow up a gun----but enough so that someone else's " Favorite " load just doesn't shoot as well out of your dipper, and gun. Very old brass casings, like those made for the .45-70, and .45 Colt, have what is called " Balloon Head " casings. They hold several grains more of powder than do the modern casings for the same cartridges. The old Balloon head .45-70 casing could hold 70 grains of FFg powder. The newer casings hold about 65 grains of FFg powder- some more and some less.

If you are trying to avoid getting an adjustable powder measure for Black Powder, or a powder scale to weigh powder, you are being penny wise and pound foolish. I think every BP shooter needs a powder scale to weight the charges to check to see how close their volume measures are to what data you find written here, or elsewhere, which is given in "grains ", or " drams".

If scales cost a fortune, this would be alarming news. However, you can buy a good balance beam scale from RCBS, or Lyman, and several other companies for under $40.00. Check the big on-line suppliers, like Midway, or MidSouth to see about their prices. The last time I looked for this kind of thing, I found them for under $30.00, and that was in the last year.

I have an RCBS scale I bought 30 years ago, and it works just fine.( HINT: Look for used reloading equipment to get real bargains!) MY brother decided he just had to have one of those new electronic scales, and paid a lot of money for it. He gets a reading faster than I do with mine, but I don't personally think that " convenience " is worth the extra cost. If I was doing volume reloading of cartridge cases, I might be able to justify such a scale, as I like to check every 10th case of powder for weight to make sure the powder measure is throwing the same weight. Again, that is very important with smokeless powder loads. Its not with Black Powder.

One of my adjustable powder measures for BP has been set in the same setting for years. I decided to give it a good cleaning, to remove tarnish, and some vertigris that had formed. I loosened the set screw and saw a substantial difference between the oxides on the exposed shaft compared to that part that was inside the trunk of the measure. After cleaning the brass up with some copper cleanser, and then oiling everything, I put it back, and set the screw in the same place. Its gained a new patina in the last year just sitting in the bag.

Because handling Black Powder is going to get your hands dirty, that dirt is going to transfer to every brass think you have on the range, or in the field. Soap and Water will clean your hands, but most new shooters never think to take towels, water, and soap with them to the range. I have shared my gallon jug of water, soap, and paper towel roll with guys at my gun club for years at the end of a shoot- and sometimes during it!

Obviously, my " crud " level is not particularly low. I get around to cleaning brass stuff once a year or 5! :rotf: :surrender: :wink: I know men who spent way too much time in the military :hatsoff: polishing brass, and can't live with tarnished brass for a minute any more. Its in their blood! :shocked2: Just make sure you clean that powder measure along with everything else brass that you clean after a trip to the range, or field.

:thumbsup: :grin:

 

[jethro224]

45-70...75
40-65...73
30-06...70
25-30...43
30-30...42
45colt...42
44-40...41
44wcf...41
38-40...40
38wcf...40
44s&w...39
44colt...35
45acp...28
35slr...25
38spl...24
32-20...22
32wcf...22
25-20...20
30carbine...20
44bulldog...19
32cf long...15
41cf short...15
32short rf... 11
32short cf...10
25rf long...8
22long...5
22short...2
22bb...2

Lots of good info in the back of the Dixie catalog. :thumbsup: Well worth the $5

 

[longcruise]

Only one I've ever checked was a Remington 45-70 case. Fired and unsized it will hold about 75 grains of ff by volume. Don't know what the actual weight is.

If you load for 45-70 you could reduce the volume a bit at a time by resizing it to get to a lower volume. My recollection is that a full length resized 45-70 case held pretty close to 70 grains.

You can always start trimming to get lower.

You can load up on (no pun intended ) powder measures by picking up some brass tubing at the hardware store or hobby store and cutting them to various lengths. Figure out how much powder one inch of tubing holds and then you can cut close to the desired charge and then fine tune with a file. You can cap the ends with copper plumbing end caps and solder or use a piece of wood, bone, antler, etc. with a hole drilled to match the OD of the tube and just glue it in.

 

[mazo kid]

I've used brass cases for fixed measures for a long time. I turn the rim off and round over the end of the case so you can't tell it was a cartridge case. If you don't have a lathe, you can chuck the case in a drill press and file it off, including the head stamp if any remains. Then solder a loop on the end for attaching to the bag, mark the case for the amount of powder you want to throw, and cut/file it off to size. I have also made up a dozen or so cases with brazing rod handles soldered on for dipping powder for BPC guns.

 

[BCBruce]

used a 303 British case. filed the body down till it gave the correct measure. Instead of filing it off level I left half the case intact to form a pouring spout both for pouring in and out. gave it a coat of lacquer to keep it bright. works great. best with necked cases since they make a better pouring spout