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C. Rodney James

Brief Discussion on the Extreme Range of .22 Ammunition

What's the reach of .22 ammunition?
What's the reach of .22 ammunition?

The .22 rimfire reigns supreme when it comes to American shooters. But just exactly what are these nifty little rounds capable of at the extreme end of their range? You'd be surprised.

The extreme range of the .22 LR from a rifle is listed by SAAMI as 1,800 yards. This is achieved at an angle of departure of about 30 degrees. Army Ordnance publications cited in Julian Hatcher’s writings give a figure of 1,500 yards with the standard-velocity ammunition at a velocity of 1,145 f.s.

This raises the question of the difference between a standard velocity vs. a high-velocity LR at 1335 fps. States Hatcher regarding the HV LR:

Ballistic tables show us that its muzzle velocity is reduced to 1,145 f.s. after 65 yards flight, so obviously if the higher-velocity bullet were fired from 65 yards behind the firing line of the standard velocity .22 Long Rifle bullet, it would pass that firing point with the same velocity and would go to the same spot, so that we may merely add 65 yards to the figure for the standard velocity cartridge.

While serving as a U.S. Army Ordnance officer, during and after the First World War, Hatcher established a “Ballistic Station” in Florida, which used beach areas to study bullet behavior, utilizing shallow water and sand beaches to recover fired bullets.

One of Hatcher’s assistants was E.C. Crossman who, like Hatcher, later became a firearms writer. Crossman cites a 1,400 yard figure, and in his small-bore rifle book offers a photograph of a Long Rifle bullet beside the crater it made in the sand at a measured 1,325 yards.

This is the nearest I have come to any empirical evidence of such testing.

While the range statements from SAAMI of 1,800 yards for the LR., 1,950 for the .22 WMR, 2,225 for the .17HMR and 1,900 for the .17 Mach2, don’t jibe with empirical testing, they are worthy of consideration in terms of caution.

A mile is 1,760 yards, so those range-warnings on the boxes of 1 to 1 1/2 miles are in the ballpark.

.22 Shooting: Measuring Field Accuracy

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.22 Accuracy Shooting.

Here's a useful way to determine the accuracy of your rimfire .22 under field conditions.

Ed Matunas, writing on accuracy, takes to the field for a practical look at this subject. The field is the realm of exterior ballistics where wind, temperature, and light conditions make a world of difference along with firearm mechanics and shooter errors.

The machine-rest in the tunnel is not bothered by a lousy trigger pull, poor sights, a badly fitting stock or a shaky rest on a tree limb.

Matunas stresses Schiffelbein’s point of the need for adequate practice firing, stating: “Having fired countless tens of thousands of groups during more than forty-five years of extensive shooting has proven that a few groups can, in fact, be very misleading.”

Master overlay target reveals day-to-day changes in point of impact under field conditions.
Master overlay target reveals day-to-day changes in point of impact under field conditions.

Matunas proposes the use of a target overlay system at a distance commonly fired. He uses 100 yards. Depending on the quality of your rimfire rifle, you may wish to use 75 or 50 yards. The preferable distance is the one you use, or wish to use for hunting or target shooting. After selecting your load/ammunition for testing, precisely overlay two commercial, printed targets.

Shooting should be done at the pace normally used in the field or at a match. If you wish, 10-shot groups may be used. Fire your group. Next, overlay a new target on the first in precise alignment. After the barrel has cooled, fire a second group. Mark the bottom “master target” and preserve all. Testing is over for the day.

On another day, bring back the “master target,” overlay a new target and fire one group. Preserve both. Repeat this operation on different days until at least 25 shots have been fired. The greater the number of test-fires the more reliable your data. More data is always better. Fire at different times of day with varying light, breeze, humidity and so on to cover the variety of conditions under which you will shoot. Mark each new target with time of day and other relevant data. Save everything.
When you finish you will have in your master target a composite group of at least five, five-shot groups from different days under “field” conditions.

This will give you a good idea of what to expect from a particular rifle and ammunition with your original sight setting. Individual targets reveal shifts of groups over the point of original impact. These may be caused by humidity warping a stock, lighting conditions affecting aim (most common with iron sights), or temperature variations.

On the issue of barrel cleaning, Matunas recommends doing or not doing what you would do under your normal shooting conditions. On the first shot from a cool barrel, that shot may strike higher. You may mark it on your individual targets. Check for average differences if they exist.

This is an excerpt from the Gun Digest Book of the .22 Rifle.


Recommended Rimfire Rifle and Pistol Resources

Gun Digest Book of the .22 RifleThe Gun Digest Book of the .22 Rifle

Customize the Ruger 10/22

The Ruger 22 Automatic Pistol

Rethinking the Power of the .410

.410 ammo
A variety of ammunition is making the .410 more versatile than ever.

 

For those who think of the .410 as a weak sister to heavier gauges, this is not the case.

Lethality

Penetration tests in plywood sheets and water cartons yielded travel equal to buckshot from a 20-inch 12-gauge riot gun barrel at the same distance. The main difference between the 00 Buckshot and No. 4 is that the 00 penetrates more deeply.

Wound ballistician Dr. Martin Fackler ran close-range (10-foot) tests into gelatin with both 00 and No. 4, with the result that the 00 penetrated about two inches deeper and was effective for self-defense use.

The No. 4 may be suitable for some pest shooting, but penetration is lacking for self-defense purposes.

Slugs

Winchester 9410 and Model 42 .410
The test guns were a Winchester 9410 and a vintage Model 42 with a Cylinder barrel.

What practical use is a .410 slug? In Ohio, where I live, .410 slugs have been alternately illegal and (currently) legal for deer hunting. Since our major ammunition companies produce them, somebody must be buying them.

The late Frank Barnes, in his Cartridges of the World, made contradictory observations about .410 slugs. On page 386 of the 7th Edition is the statement, “The .410 slug is not good for anything but small game at short range.”

On page 393, however, he states that, while inadequate for deer, the slugs are quite effective in guns such as the Savage M-24 combination gun (with rifle sights) and that it is possible to hit rabbit-size targets at 80 yards and claim clean kills on bobcats and coyotes at this range.

Slug Lethality

The best method of bullet testing for effect on living bodies is ballistic gelatin. A reliable and cheap substitute for this medium is water-filled, halfgallon, coated-paper juice or milk cartons placed standing in a row and touching one another. Penetration in water-filled cartons divided by 1.5 yields a penetration roughly approximate to that in ballistic gelatin.

For police combat use, the FBI recommends 12 inches of gelatin penetration. Assuming that an adult male person and a deer are of about the same weight class, this fi ure seems a valid
standard.

Penetration tests were made with the Winchester 42 into water-filled cartons at a range of 50 yards. The Barnaul, Remington, Federal, and Winchester slugs all penetrated 11ÂĽ inches.

Divided by 1.5, that converts to 7½ inches of penetration through gelatin. The RWS was the only one that stood out, penetrating the cartons to 26 inches, which equates to 17.33 inches of gelatin penetration.

In terms of performance, there is really no comparison. The flat-point and hollowpoint Foster slugs, with Winchester at 93 grains and Remington, Federal, and Barnaul at 97, are completely outclassed by the 114-grain Brenneke. The Fosters tended to shatter into flat slivers, while the Brenneke maintained its integrity, expanding to .455-inch. The Brenneke’s performance is roughly comparable to a hot, light-bullet load in a .40 S&W pistol.

The performance of the Foster slugs is somewhere around the .32 S&W Long to .32 H&R Magnum level. The greatest fault with the Foster design is that the slugs come apart after relatively short penetration.

The Brenneke could be considered an adequate deer load at close range. The Fosters are strictly for small game. Having said this, it must be admitted that a lot of deer have been taken with the .22 LR cartridge, and my local gun shop owner told me of one of his customers who claimed a deer a year for eight years with Foster .410s. Unfortunately, that customer is no longer living, so no insights are available.

The .410 must ultimately be classed as an expert’s gun for hunting and used much like a rifle—sights are mandatory and careful aim must be taken. If you have one, it might be worth your while to explore its potential.

For the security minded, the Mossberg M-500 .410 pump with its 18½-inch barrel offers harder hits than a handgun, a better grip with less muzzle blast (about like a .38 handgun), and more manageable recoil. The three-inch loads will fit few revolvers and, while the kick is noticeable in a long gun, in a handgun recoil it runs towards the .357/.44 Magnum class.

Primers: An Important Factor in Precision Reloading

The purpose of primers is to ignite the main powder charge. However, there are more considerations than mere caliber and type when looking at the ignition end of a cartridge.

Pistol primers should not be used in rifle cases since they will seat too deeply as in the case on the left. Center case shows proper seating depth while high primer on the right will give poor ignition and possible slam-fire in an autoloader.
Pistol primers should not be used in rifle cases since they will seat too deeply as in the case on the left. Center case shows proper seating depth while high primer on the right will give poor ignition and possible slam-fire in an autoloader.

Match locks, equipped with a slow-smoldering fuse made of chemically treated rope called a “match,” would burn out in damp weather and could be blown out by wind. Wind and damp were the enemies of flintlocks that could blow the priming charge out of the funnel-shaped pan or saturate it with moisture to the point where it would not catch fire. Rust and powder fouling in the tiny tube that connected the charge in the pan to the propelling charge in the barrel often prevented a successful firing with only the priming charge burning.

The expression “a flash in the pan” is still used to describe a person or enterprise that shows promise, but fails to get past a good beginning. Under the best of circumstances, the flintlock system gave only reasonable reliability. A small piece of cut flint held in the jaws of the hammer struck a steel cover on the pan called a frizzen, knocking it open and scraping the inner side to throw sparks into the powder charge in the pan.

In terms of speed it was slow. Anyone who has seen a flintlock fired is familiar with the puff-boom! sound of the report as the priming charge burns with a one-beat pause before the propelling charge fires. History is filled with untold numbers of targets, animal and human, who have ducked to safety during that beat, which was sometimes two beats if the day was damp and the tube to the barrel a bit clogged.

Berdan (left) and Boxer primer pockets show the differences in the systems. The ease of reloading made the Boxer primer standard in the U.S. (Photo courtesy CCI.)
Berdan (left) and Boxer primer pockets show the differences in the systems. The ease of reloading made the Boxer primer standard in the U.S. (Photo courtesy CCI.)

Explosives such as fulminate of mercury and mixtures including potassium chlorate that detonated when crushed or struck, were discovered late in the 18th century. After attempts to use them as substitutes for gunpowder failed, they received little attention until the early 19th.

The breakthrough to improved ignition was made by a Scottish Presbyterian minister, hunter, shooter and gun buff — Reverend Alexander Forsythe — who was the first to come up with the idea of using these detonating explosives to ignite propelling charges in firearms. He received a patent in 1807 for a system that did away with the priming pan on the flintlock and filled the tube leading to the barrel with a percussion explosive made of sulphur, potassium chlorate and charcoal.

A metal pin was inserted on top of the explosive which caused it to detonate when struck by the gun's hammer. The ignition was far faster and more certain than the flintlock. Forsythe improved his design by attaching a small iron bottle containing a supply of percussion explosive to the side of the lock. The bottle could be tipped or turned to deposit a small pellet of explosive on a touch hole which would be struck by the hammer. The system worked effectively. However, it involved having a small iron bottle filled with explosive very close to the firing point and to the face of the shooter. I have never encountered a report of an accident with a Forsythe lock, but if one happened, it would almost certainly have been fatal.

The superiority of the Forsythe system was soon recognized and dozens of priming systems were introduced including percussion wafers, tubes and strips of paper caps, much like those used in toy cap pistols.

The most successful was the percussion cap invented in about 1814 by Joshua Shaw — a British subject who emigrated to America. Shaw's system featured a small steel cup, about the size of a modern large pistol or large rifle primer. The closed end contained the explosive held in place by a tinfoil cover then sealed with a drop of lacquer. This made it waterproof as well as damp proof. The cap was fitted on a short iron nipple, hollow in the center, screwed into the breech of the barrel.

This allowed the fire to enter the chamber of the gun. Shaw came to America in 1814 and began perfecting a lock to work with his invention. Shaw caps were on the market by 1821 and were soon adapted to sporting guns. Improvements were made by changing the cap metal to pewter and later copper. Similar caps were in use about the same time over most of Europe. The percussion cap was not adopted by the U.S. military until after the Mexican War. The military thinking at the time was that the percussion cap was yet another component the soldier had to carry and not reusable in the manner of a gun flint.

Percussion caps made the Colt revolver a practical reality, but the shortcomings of this system became apparent when repeating rifles were made using this system. A “flash over” from one chamber to the next would occasionally send a bullet coasting by the side of the gun. With a handgun this was of little consequence since it was a one-hand weapon. With the rifle or shotgun such an event often amputated the fingers or thumb of the hand supporting the fore-end of the weapon. Revolving rifles, not surprisingly, did not gain much popularity.

Breechloading arms, other than revolvers, using percussion ignition did not fare much better mainly because no one was able to come up with an effective means of engineering a gas-tight seal at the breech closure.

Not surprisingly the first really successful breechloaders and successful repeating arms, other than revolvers, required a self-contained, self-primed cartridge. The step to the rimfire cartridge from the percussion cap was a small but logical evolution. George Morse placed a percussion cap in the head of a metal cartridge using a hairpin-shaped anvil inside the case to fire it. Hiram Berdan shortened the hairpin to a tiny knob, while Edward Boxer placed a tiny anvil inside the cap.

Lee Hand Press Kit is a modern version of the old “tong tool.” This kit includes dies, case lube, powder dipper, etc., for a little over $65.
Lee Hand Press Kit is a modern version of the old “tong tool.” This kit includes dies, case lube, powder dipper, etc., for a little over $65.

CENTER PRIMED
Centerfire ammunition soon pushed all the other non-reloadable types out of the market because it was reloadable. Rimfires were gradually reduced to those types that were small and efficient in calibers that would not lend themselves to reloading.

The military had great influence in ammunition development stipulating that any ammunition developed for a military small arm had to be reloadable. Spent cases were collected and returned to a government arsenal for reloading during peacetime. Professional hunters in the American west needed cartridges they could reload themselves with simple tools. It was this type of equipment that first appeared in the 1870's.

Early priming mixtures used fulminate of mercury or potassium chlorate, eventually, a combination of both. These fulfilled most of the criteria for good ignition — speed, reliability, uniformity and cleanliness, with the possible exception of cleanliness. While the chlorate-based primers did not leave an appreciable residue, they did leave a highly corrosive deposit — potassium chloride — that would eat away a percussion nipple or the web of a cartridge unless neutralized by cleaning with water that removed the salt deposit. The mercury-based compounds were both clean and non-corrosive. Their drawback came when used in combination with brass or copper primer cups and brass or gilding-metal cartridge cases.

When fired, the mercury would amalgamate with the copper or brass, making it extremely brittle. The heavy fouling of blackpowder had a mitigating effect on mercury contamination, keeping it in the fouling allowing removal. With smokeless powder, reloading and firing such a contaminated cartridge case can lead to a case-head rupture. In a high pressure loading this can wreck a gun and possibly your face. Mercuric priming was gone from commercial ammunition by about 1945, but mercuric primers made prior to this time were used by commercial reloaders after that and some of them may still be on shelves somewhere.

Because fulminate of mercury contains free, liquid mercury, this mercury will actually migrate through the priming mixture and into the metal of the primer cup or cartridge head after a certain number of years. Ammunition primed with mercuric mixtures made in the early 1930's will probably not fire today while ammunition loaded with chlorate priming made during the Civil War is often still viable, so long as neither the powder or priming compound has been exposed to moisture. Thus a fifth criterion should be added to a successful ignition system — long life.

From 1928 through 1935 American manufacturers worked to perfect a priming mixture akin to the one developed in Germany that was non-corrosive and did not contain mercury. The basis of such priming is in compounds of lead, barium and antimony.

>Early non-corrosive, non-mercuric primers did not work very well, giving uneven ignition. Priming material often fell out of the rim in rimfire cartridges as the binding material — a vegetable-based glue — deteriorated.

THE MODERN PRIMER

The RCBS APS primer feeder uses plastic strips instead of the conventional stacking tube, reducing the hazard of sympathetic detonation. (Photo courtesy RCBS.)
The RCBS APS primer feeder uses plastic strips instead of the conventional stacking tube, reducing the hazard of sympathetic detonation. (Photo courtesy RCBS.)

Modern primers of the lead, barium and antimony type fulfill all the necessary criteria for good ignition. The binders are now stable and remain stable for long periods under normal “house” storage conditions where temperatures are under 125 degrees Fahrenheit and moisture is kept at a reasonable level. The newest are the “lead free” primers of tetracene. These, however, are not presently sold as reloading components since the production demand is for finished ammunition. The primary use of such primers is in handgun ammunition to be fired in indoor ranges where airborne lead could present a health hazard.

Because of the difficulty of reloading them, cartridges using Berdan primers and the Berdan primers themselves have virtually disappeared from the U.S. Foreign cartridges often still use this type of priming and can only be reloaded with Berdan primers.

Any attempt at “converting” Berdan cases to Boxer priming by drilling them in some manner will not work and such attempts are very dangerous since they will greatly enlarge the flash hole and may damage the web. At best such conversions give uneven ignition; at worst they can raise pressures to dangerous levels by causing too rapid a burn of the powder charge. The only current source for Berdan primers and Berdan decapping equipment is The Old Western Scrounger.

A modern Boxer primer differs little in structure from those made over a century ago. It is a brass cup containing the priming compound. A paper seal keeps the compound in the cup and is held in place by the metal anvil made of harder brass. A better understanding of metallurgy and chemistry has resulted in a more uniform primer as well as ones which are specifically tailored to a particular type of cartridge.

Primers for pistols and rifles come in two basic sizes: “small” (.175″ diameter) and “large” (.210″ diameter). There is a .317″ primer manufactured by CCI used only in the .50 Browning machine gun cartridge – loaded by a few shooters using extra heavy bench-rest rifles in this caliber.

Small pistol primers are used in such calibers as 25 and 32 caliber handgun ammunition while the large size are used in 41, 44 and 45 caliber handguns. Large pistol primers are also made in a “magnum” variant. These are for large capacity cases using slow-burning powders that are harder to ignite and require a longer-burning, hotter primer to draw the most uniform and complete burning from these powders.

Rifle primers are made in the same two diameters as pistol primers and are designated “small” and ”large” although they are slightly higher to fit the deeper pocket in the rifle cartridge case. For this reason pistol primers should not be seated in rifle cases since they will seat too deeply and will thus often give uneven ignition. Rifle primers contain more priming compound than pistol primers since they have to ignite more powder in larger capacity cases. If you are loading both handgun and rifle ammunition, care must be taken not to mix rifle and handgun primers.

If rifle primers are seated in pistol cases they will not fit properly. They can also raise pressures to the danger point. Pistol primers tend to burn cooler, and produce more of a flame type of explosion — good for igniting fast-burning pistol powders. Rifle primers burn longer and hotter. They often contain metallic elements such as aluminum which create burning sparks that are blown forward into a charge of slower-burning powder.

This separates, the grains thus setting the charge on fire in a number of places at once to achieve an even burning of the charge. This explosive quality is known as “brisance.” Magnum rifle primers have still more compound, burn longer and hotter and are used in very large-capacity cases such as the 458 Winchester Magnum. Companies such as CCI also market a “bench rest” rifle primer.

This is simply a standard rifle primer, but made to very strict tolerances assuring the reloader that each primer in a given lot will have a very precisely measured amount of compound and that the diameter and hardness of all components are within very strict tolerances. These premium-quality primers give very even ignition needed for the exacting demands of the expert, competition target shooter.

Shotshell primers have special characteristics needed to work properly in modern, plastic shotshells. Early shotshells were made of brass and were generally of a rifle-type of construction. They used rifle-style primers. Modern shells are of a composite construction with a metal head surrounding a paper, now primarily a plastic body. Inside is a base wad made of plastic or compressed paper.

Shotshells have unique ignition problems. As the mouth of the shell becomes worn and softened with repeated reloading the opening of the crimp becomes progressively easier. Modern shotgun powders require a certain amount of pressure and confinement to function properly. This decreases as the crimp softens. For proper ignition, the powder requires a very high temperature over a longer than usual burn time but without the brisant quality of the magnum rifle powder which would tend to blow the crimp open before much of the powder was ignited. A shotshell primer produces what is often referred to as a “soft ignition.”

Because of the design of modern shotshells, the primer is held in a large, longer than normal housing called a “battery cup” which extends well into the base wad so the flame issuing from the primer mouth will not be inhibited by any part of the wad and can direct its full blast into the powder charge.

Brass Basics: Case Selection and Prep

Plastic boxes are best for ammunition storage and come complete with information cards.As firearms technology has advanced, guns have become more powerful and sophisticated. Cartridge case design has had to keep pace with this evolution. In reality, cartridges are often designed first and then guns are designed or adapted to fit them.

The basic design of contemporary centerfire cartridge cases include some of the following variations:
1) Straight walled rimmed. These date from the 19th century. They include the 32 and 38 S&W revolver cartridges, the 45 Long Colt and the 45-70 rifle. They also include modern cartridges such as the 38 Special, 357 Magnum and 44 Magnum revolver cartridges.
2) Straight-tapered. An effort to improve extraction led to this design. It is now nearly obsolete, the 38-55 being the only current survivor.
3) Rimmed bottleneck. These include late 19th century smokeless powder cartridges such as the 30-30 and 30-40 , 303 British, and .22 Hornet.
4) Semi-rimmed straight. These include currently made 32 Auto and 38 Super Automatic cartridges. The semi-rimmed design was to facilitate feeding through box magazines, with a slight rim to keep the cartridge from entering the chamber.
5) Semi-rimless bottleneck. Now rare, the 220 Swift is an example.
6) Rimless-straight. A common example is the 45 Colt automatic.
7) Rimless-tapered. These incude the 9mm Luger and 30 M-1 carbine.
8) Rimless-bottleneck. This is an improved smokeless design from the 1890's. Most modern rifle cartridges use this design.
9) Rimless belted. This design is used only on high-pressure magnum rifle cartridges such as the 458 Winchester Magnum.
10) Rebated head. This case features a rimless head smaller than the body permitting a slightly increased case capacity. Examples include the 284 Winchester rifle and 41 and 50 Action Express cartridges.

CASE SELECTION

When buying cartridge cases for reloading, the first thing you want to be sure of is that you have the right one for your gun. Most civilian guns are marked on the barrel regarding the ammunition to be used in it. Military arms, however, are not, or at least not very often. When in doubt, check it out with a good gunsmith. If there is no question about caliber, you want to get new or once-fired cases from a reputable source — marked with the headstamp of a known manufacturer and not from the “Royal Elbonian Arsenal.” Military cases referred to collectively as “brass” are often sold at bargain prices.

What headstamps tell you. Commercial ammunition is marked with the caliber and name of the manufacturer, at least in this country. Military ammunition is stamped with the code of the arsenal or manufacturer and the date of manufacture. Top, L. To R. 45-70 current head stamp; pre WWII commercial Winchester and Remington head stamps – good candidates for being mercuric primed; inside-primed military centerfire from the 1870's and 80's. “R” indicates a rifle load, “F” is the code of the Frankford Arsenal, “2 82" indicates it was loaded in February 1882. Bottom, (left) a Frankford Arsenal round loaded February, 1904. Right, Spencer 52 cal rimfire was made by the Sage Ammunition Works.
What headstamps tell you. Commercial ammunition is marked with the caliber and name of the manufacturer, at least in this country. Military ammunition is stamped with the code of the arsenal or manufacturer and the date of manufacture. Top, L. To R. 45-70 current head stamp; pre WWII commercial Winchester and Remington head stamps – good candidates for being mercuric primed; inside-primed military centerfire from the 1870's and 80's. “R” indicates a rifle load, “F” is the code of the Frankford Arsenal, “2 82″ indicates it was loaded in February 1882. Bottom, (left) a Frankford Arsenal round loaded February, 1904. Right, Spencer 52 cal rimfire was made by the Sage Ammunition Works.

Sometimes they are a bargain if they are fired only once and are not battered up by being run through a machine gun. The best military ammunition bargains are loaded ammunition. That way you get to shoot it first. Military cases do, however, have a few drawbacks. Assuming they are not Berdan primed, they may have been fired with corrosive primers. A wash in hot water and detergent will remove corrosive primer salts after firing.

The main problem with military cases is the crimp holding in the primer. Removing this crimp means a heavy-duty decapping pin and either chamfering the primer pocket or removing the crimp with a primer-pocket swage die, as explained in the chapter “Reloading Rifle Cartridges.”

With the exception of new unfired cases in the box, all cases should be given an initial inspection. Bulk, once-fired, military and commercial cases may have loose debris including primers (live and dead) rattling around inside them that should be removed. Cases should be sorted by manufacturer and kept in separate containers. Although the dimensions for all cases of a particular caliber are basically the same, internal dimensions (caused by varying wall thickness and head thickness) and the size of the vent in the primer pocket will vary. This will yield different pressures and velocities.

Mixed cases will thus give less accurate shooting. Varying pressures can be dangerous if the load you are using is a maximum one. If for instance this load is worked up using one type of case with a fairly thin wall and thus a comparatively large internal capacity, in combination with a small vent, the internal pressure will be significantly lower than one with a thicker wall, smaller capacity and larger vent.

Beyond separation by manufacturer, cases should be checked for splits in the neck, heavy corrosion and any anomalies indicating pressure or headspace problems or serious battering in the firing process, such as seriously damaged necks, that would render them unreloadable. Oil, grease, grit and dirt should be removed before reloading.

READING HEADSTAMPS

The headstamp markings of cartridge cases contain valuable information that will prove useful in buying ammunition and brass cases. Commercial manufacturers mark their cases with their name or trade mark, the caliber of the cartridge and the name of the cartridge, e.g., WW 45-70 Govt. This tells you it was made by Winchester/Western and it is the 45-70 Government cartridge originally made for the 45 caliber Springfield army rifle.

Markings on cartridge cases made for the military contain similar information, plus a two-digit date of manufacture.

L C is the Lake City Ordnance Plant. W R A is Winchester Repeating Arms Company. R A is Remington Arms Company. A stamp of R A 79 indicates the cartridge was made by Remington in 1979. American military cases are not marked by caliber. Early cartridges made in the Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia were marked F or FA 3 05. This indicates the source and the month of manufacture (March) and the year 1905.

This is not ammunition you would want to shoot, especially if it shows any sign of corrosion. American-made military ammunition used corrosive priming into the early 1950's. Different arsenals switched to non-corrosive priming at different times with all being changed over by 1954. Non-corrosive priming will require less cleaning of your gun.

CASE CLEANING

Vibrator/tumbler case cleaners use ground corn cobs or ground walnut shells to clean cases through abrasive action. This is probably the best system for cleaning large numbers of cases.
Vibrator/tumbler case cleaners use ground corn cobs or ground walnut shells to clean cases through abrasive action. This is probably the best system for cleaning large numbers of cases.

Most shooters like to keep their cases shiny and bright. They look better and are easier to find on the ground. Shined cases are less likely to collect dirt and grit and can be easily checked for damage caused by corrosion. Dark cases hide flaws that may run deep.

There are two basic methods of case cleaning. The first is wet cleaning. This uses a concentrated, acid-based cleaner that is mixed with water. This must be done in a glass, plastic or stainless-steel pan. Warming the pan, with the cases in the mixture, on the stove speeds the process. The cleaned cases must be rinsed to remove all residue and oven dried on “warm.” Too much heat can ruin the heat treatment of the cases. Cases should be decapped before wet cleaning.

Dry cleaning is tumbling the cases in an abrasive cleaning media made of ground corn cobs or ground walnut shells. This requires a motor-driven tumbler or spinner-type tool into which the cases and media are put for cleaning. The cleaned cases must be wiped free of dust, and any media trapped inside must be removed.

CARTRIDGE CASE & AMMUNITION STORAGE

“Store in a cool dry place” is good advice for keeping about anything, but this isn't always possible. Depending on one's paranoia and/or notion of thrift, the decision may be made to buy a large quantity of cases. Sometimes quantity simply accumulates in the form of various loadings, always expanding with the addition of new guns to a shooting battery. Ultimately the questions arise: how long will this stuff last (both cases and finished ammunition) and how do I take care of it?

In answer to question one, the shelf life of modern ammunition (both commercial and good handloads) is virtually indefinite if kept under ideal conditions — sealed, cool and dry. Most of us don't have this kind of storage. Experts have preached since time immemorial the avoidance of heat and damp when storing. Actually, heat and damp by themselves don't do all that much damage to quality ammunition. Heat does drive off volatiles in lubricants and exposed propellent-powders and to a degree accelerates decomposition in smokeless powders.

Liquid case cleaners contain a mild acid and require no more equipment than a stainless steel, plastic or glass pan to soak them in. Cases should be decapped before cleaning and either air-dried or oven-dried at no more than 150 degrees F.
Liquid case cleaners contain a mild acid and require no more equipment than a stainless steel, plastic or glass pan to soak them in. Cases should be decapped before cleaning and either air-dried or oven-dried at no more than 150 degrees F.

Heat and damp together are most injurious because water absorbs pollutants and heat accelerates chemical reactions between these pollutants and ammunition. The triple threat in airborne pollution consists of acids, ammonia, and sulfur compounds. All occur naturally in the atmosphere in addition to being man-made pollutants. They are also found in a variety of household products. Salts, through direct contamination, are a fourth hazard. Pinpointing the exact reason why a particular batch of ammunition went bad is a mystery to be solved by an expert metallurgist-detective through chemical analysis and examination of cartridge surfaces with a scanning electron microscope.

I have often heard it said that certain metals “crystalize” and become brittle with age. I put this question to Professor Bryan Wilde – a metallurgist and director of the Fontana Corrosion Center at The Ohio State University. He assured me this was not the case. Cartridge brass has a crystalline structure.

When exposed to pollutants in the atmosphere, notably ammonia, a breakdown of the alloy begins as ammonia dissolves the copper. Acids in the atmosphere dissolve the zinc in a process known as “dezincification.” In areas where the metal is stressed – case necks, shoulders and crimps – the crystal edges are farther apart, thus speeding the breakdown in a process known as “season cracking.”

Season cracking begins as tarnish, gradually turning into deep corrosion which often follows the edges of the crystals, giving the surface a frosted appearance, leading to the impression the metal is changing its structure. This phenomenon was first recorded in nineteenth-century ammunition used by the British in India, where it was exposed to the ammonia-rich fumes of cow dung and urine in a hot, humid climate.

Salts occur in perspiration and are a problem mainly because they are hygroscopic – they draw and hold water which combines with the salt to corrode metals the wet salt mixture contacts. Sulfur, notably sulfur dioxide (SO2), causes a tarnish when it combines with lead and copper to form sulfides. When SO2 combines with water (H2O) the result is sulfurous acid (H2SO3). Lead and lead alloy bullets are subject to damage mainly from acids. These attack lead, causing a hard white crust to form. If the bullet can be hand-turned in the case there is not a hermetically tight seal and sooner or later moisture will enter.

Manufacturers continue to come up with better priming, powder, lubricants, case materials, sealants, and packaging. What you buy represents the manufacturer's state of the art combined with his sense of economy at the time the product was made.

Plating cases with nickel and plating or jacketing bullets with copper inhibits corrosion by acid. Non-hygroscopic bullet lubricants keep moisture away from bullets and out of case interiors. Paper boxes absorb moisture but are no problem if kept dry. Those that contain high levels of acid residues should be disposed of and the cartridges repacked in plastic boxes which are chemically inert and if sealed, keep most moisture out. Therefore, if the cases/ammunition are in good shape when stored, and if kept dry and cool, they will remain in good condition for decades.

A second problem that still crops up is brittle brass. After cartridge brass is formed it gets a final heat treatment called “stress relief.” This process involves less heat than annealing and is done to bring the brass to the optimum degree of springiness. Occasionally a batch will get through that is improperly treated.

It will perform fine when new, but after ten or more years, the brass will have returned to its original brittle state. This is exacerbated by the process of firing and resizing. Cases will split and sometimes burst. Any corrosion taking place will hasten this process. One advantage of the old gilding-metal cases is that they were less subject to corrosion and stress changes because they were softer.

Beyond cool and dry there isn't much to be added regarding shelf-storage. For the longest run, the best means is a military ammunition can with a rubber gasket along with a fresh packet of desiccant, closed on a dry day and opened as infrequently as possible. If ammunition is stored in a can or tightly sealed cardboard container, don't break the seals (letting in pollutants) to have a look.

Second-floor rooms are perhaps the best for shelf-stored ammunition, avoiding attic heat and basement damp. Cartridges should be stored away from cleaning products containing ammonia, bleaches, or acids. If it must be stored in a basement, run a dehumidifier and keep ammunition off the floor. It is a good idea to make timely checks of shelf-stored cartridges in non-sealed boxes – twice a year is fine – to inspect for case tarnish or a haze of white corrosion forming on lead bullets.

To the above might be added a list of dumb things not to do. Slathering a gun with Hoppe's No. 9 may do well to keep it from rust, but if this is the one kept for home defense the ammonia in No. 9 spreading onto the cartridges therein will eat right into them. The same is true for any ammonia-bearing solvent cleaner. A rust inhibitor such as WD-40 spray may work preservative magic, but WD-40 is designed to penetrate and will do so in the seams between primers and cases, eventually working into the priming compound and neutralizing it. Leaving cartridges in leather belt loops may look nifty, but if the leather has residual salts or acids in it these will eat into the metal, etching a ring which adds nothing to the looks or strength of the cartridge case.

Lastly, it should not be forgotten that cartridges are interesting. People can't keep their sweaty hands off them. Ask any collector how often he wipes down his collection after “showing” it to friends. Two suggestions passed to me by collectors are treating specimens with a light coat of rust inhibiting grease or liquid car wax of the Rain-Dance variety as the best defense against repeated attacks of finger-borne corrosion. Like the guy at the gas station used to say: “Rust never sleeps.”

This article is an excerpt from the ABCs of Reloading, 9th Edition.

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