Gun Accessories & Gear
Handloading and Reloading
What is the best way to reseal shotshells when reloading?
Posts by Alan R McDaniel Jr
reload shot shell shotgun
Alan R McDaniel Jr
Many years ago, when I knew everything, I lived in South Louisiana. My dad wouldn't let me take my 22 hunting. I could take my shotguns anywhere I wanted to go, but no 22. Also, I couldn't use buckshot (I don't think he wanted to have to go into the swamp and drag out a dead deer). Well, I decided that I could circumvent the two restrictions by achieving a compromise, and a clandestine one at that. This was before plastic shot shells. I found that if I cut off the 410 paper shell about half an inch above the shot wad I could drop a 36 cal ball inside and fold over the crimp with my fingers it would hold. Additionally, it made a neat little "plunk" sound when fired. It wouldn't kill a deer (not that I saw many) but it would kill a rabbit right now, and wouldn't tear it all up with a bunch of shot. It worked great and I brought home quite a few rabbits done up that way. One evening we were enjoying some fried swamp rabbit at dinner and my dad suddenly stopped chewing. He then dropped a 36 cal ball in the plate with a "clinkityclank". He just looked at me and took another bite. He never said a word about it, but I decided not to push my luck.....
There were some older noitalls that told of the devastating effects that a stack of dimes fired from a shotgun would have on a target. One day I decided to see for myself if it were true. Fortunately my frugality was stronger than my common sense and the thought of blasting off a $3 (which was a lot of money for me in those days) blast was not worth it. I think a box of 12 ga then was less than $2.
My grandfather told of a time during and after WWII that rifle ammunition was nearly nonexistent. They would cut through a shotgun shell at the middle of the shot wad and fire it at deer. The whole front of the shell would travel out of the muzzle intact. It worked and killed deer too (when they could find a deer. They were scarce also.). More than one shotgun had a ringed barrel as a result of that practice.
The point....
There's a lot of monkeyshines you can do with guns and reloading. Most of the time the guns are very forgiving and God does suffer fools quietly at times, but, not for very long... There are a lot of things that can go wrong. When loading or reloading any type of ammunition, the ultimate goal is to produce the safest, highest quality product possible. "Almost good enough" and "It'll do" may produce at best something that works, and at worst a mangled gun, hand, eye or brain.
As expensive as ammunition is right now a $1 shot shell is not worth your gun, hand, eye, or brain. There's plenty of places to get what you want. Or, as has been suggested, buy a loading manual, read it, study it, and load your own properly. A used Mec loader and gear can be had pretty cheap and they work great for what you are wanting to do. There's a good chance you may regret doing it wrong, but it is unlikely you will regret doing it right.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.-Thomas Jefferson
Reactions: Coalcracker, Ziggidy and Wag
Man, you've got the whole setup! What do you use for depriming?
Reactions: Coalcracker
Many years ago, my grandfather started rebuilding shotgun primers. He had a little tool (one of the few things that got away from me) which would press the primer out of the bushing it's in and then press another LR or LP (I think) into the bushing. It was kinda tedious work and primers were plentiful. Who woulda thought things would have digressed to the point they're at today....
Square target 4 mo ago
National Gun Forum
A forum community dedicated to all firearm owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, gunsmithing, troubleshooting, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
General Gun Discussion News Room - Latest Headlines New Members Introduction Semi-Auto Handgun Discussion Rifle Discussion
Mad Scientist 522 Replies
IowaShooter 189 Replies
underdog 148 Replies