Many hunters prefer to fill the cartridges themselves - for fun and economy. Not everyone is satisfied with the standard equipment: it is believed that there is too much shot in the factory cartridges, but not enough gunpowder.
It is necessary
- - big table,
- - dispenser for gunpowder and shot,
- - scales with weights,
- - UPS device with mandrels for different calibers,
- - table spin,
- - measurements for gunpowder and shot,
- - a wad for sending wads - with a large handle,
- - crimping rings for metal and cardboard sleeves,
- - holder for the cartridge - with a hole that protects the capsule,
- - stands for finished cartridges.
Instructions
Step 1
Calculate the amount of shot and powder depending on the weight of the gun. For example: a 12-gauge gun weighs 3200 g. Dividing 3200 by 96, we get the weight of the shot - 33, 3 g. By the weight of the shot, we determine the amount of powder. For a 3.2 kg 12-gauge shotgun with a 33 g shot, 2 to 2.2 g of smokeless powder is required. But the weight of the charge must not exceed the maximum weight indicated on the package.
Step 2
The loading of cartridges should begin with an inspection of the cartridge cases. Discard liners with burnouts, cracks and dents. Knock out the spent capsules. Clean metal sleeves from carbon and oxide with a weak vinegar solution, dry and lightly lubricate the outer surface with neutral oil. For cardboard and plastic sleeves, sometimes it is necessary to crimp the metal part of the base. Cardboard sleeves with a loose mouth can be strengthened by dipping into molten paraffin wax. The plastic sleeves are put on the mandrel and the edge is ironed with a hot iron. The muzzles of 12-gauge plastic cases can be easily straightened by putting them on a 16-gauge metal case.
Step 3
Prepare the required number of primers for pressing. It is more convenient to press-in the capsules using the UPS device. The capsule should fit tightly, not tilt, sit flush or 0.1 mm below the bottom of the sleeve.
Step 4
The powder charge is weighed on a balance with an accuracy of 0.05 g and poured into the sleeve using a scoop or funnel. You can measure gunpowder with a measure, but before loading a new batch of cartridges, the measure must be checked. When loading a large number of cartridges, a powder dispenser must be used.
Step 5
Insert gaskets cut from thick, but non-rigid cardboard with a thickness of 2.5-3 mm into the cartridges. You can use factory gaskets, but you need to put them in two or three pieces. When using a polyethylene seal, the gasket is not fitted.
Step 6
Install pre-prepared wads in the cartridges - felt, wood fiber or polyethylene. But for metal sleeves, only felt wads are suitable. After installing the wad, sometimes there is free space in the sleeve - in this case, you need to install an additional wad. As additional, it is better to use wood-fiber wads, which are stratified in height.
Step 7
Measure and add the shot. Small shots are measured with a gunpowder dispenser, and large shots are measured by a measure or by count. When filling the shot, the edge of the sleeve is left for twisting - up to 4-5 mm. To press in with an "asterisk" of 12-gauge cartridges, it is necessary to leave 11 mm, for 16-gauge - 10 mm, for 20-gauge - 9 mm. After filling the shot, knock on the sleeve with your finger and cover the shot with a cardboard gasket 0, 4- 0.5mm. The sleeve can then be screwed on. When pressing with an "asterisk", the gasket is not installed. In metal sleeves, the gasket must be secured. It is best to cover the shot with a 3-5 mm thick cork wad.
