Homemade Modified Case for Use in Hornady OAL Gauge

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • What do you use to determine OAL?


    • Total voters
      24

    eric_2902

    Retired Army
    Jan 13, 2010
    251
    Conowingo
    Well, did a little tinkering today. I've been wanting to make my own modified cases for use in the Hornady Lock-N-Load OAL Gauge for a while. Not sure if any of you use this nifty device but I love it.

    http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...en/common/search/search-box.jsp.form23&Go.x=0

    1) Saves Money...Cabellas and Midway and several others currently sell them for around $5+ each.

    (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...en/common/search/search-box.jsp.form23&Go.x=0)

    2) I have several calibers that Hornady does not make a modified case for. I know they have a custom service but wanted to try to make homemade before I spit out those kind of bucks for a custom modified case.

    Materials:

    1) An empty cartridge (in this case a 8mm Mauser that happened to be Berden primed)

    2) 1/4 Drill bit

    3) 5/16-32 tap. I bought one off Ebay for $5.95 from this guy http://myworld.ebay.com/roginsf/ . Fast delivery and very reasonable compared to any place else I found on line.

    4) Drill Press. I guess you could use a hand drill if you could get steady enough.

    5) Safety Glasses...spits out quite a bit of brass when drilling and tapping.

    6) Pliers..gotta find something better!

    Was a pretty simple operation...Here are the steps I took:

    1) Centered case under drill bit (I need to find a little better solution to stabilize the case)...Ideas?

    2) Use the 1/4 in. drill bit to make a starter hole

    3) Swap out for the 5/16-32 tap and gently tap the case through

    4) TaDa! You now have a modified case.

    Couple of notes on room for improvement (looking for some suggestions):

    1) What is best way to stabilize the case so you don't mar it up when drilling or tapping?

    2) I'm obviously not a machinist. What is best way to brace and get the case precisely center?

    Anyway, some pictures follow. Will send updates as I continue to tinker and improve my process.

    The pics:

    1) The 5/16-32 tap
    2) 8MM Mauser Berdan primed case
    3) My drill press
    4) After drill starter hole with 1/4 in drill bit
    5 & 6) The tapping process
    7 & 8) Perfect fit on the Hornady Lock-N-Load OAL Gauge :party29:
    9) Comparison. The modified case on the left is a Hornady commercial 30.06 that I bought from MidwayUSA for $4.99, the modified case on the right is the one I made :D
    10) Damn I really need to get a bigger reload bench!

    Any comments or suggestions greatly appreciated.

    Eric :gun2:
     

    Attachments

    • IMG00227-20100601-1610.jpg
      IMG00227-20100601-1610.jpg
      46.1 KB · Views: 2,191
    • IMG00230-20100601-1610.jpg
      IMG00230-20100601-1610.jpg
      45.1 KB · Views: 2,120
    • IMG00231-20100601-1610.jpg
      IMG00231-20100601-1610.jpg
      84.8 KB · Views: 2,120
    • IMG00233-20100601-1629.jpg
      IMG00233-20100601-1629.jpg
      68.4 KB · Views: 2,141
    • IMG00234-20100601-1634.jpg
      IMG00234-20100601-1634.jpg
      81.1 KB · Views: 2,270
    • IMG00239-20100601-1714.jpg
      IMG00239-20100601-1714.jpg
      86.5 KB · Views: 2,315
    • IMG00236-20100601-1634.jpg
      IMG00236-20100601-1634.jpg
      44.5 KB · Views: 2,251
    • IMG00237-20100601-1635.jpg
      IMG00237-20100601-1635.jpg
      53.9 KB · Views: 2,163
    • IMG00238-20100601-1637.jpg
      IMG00238-20100601-1637.jpg
      49.1 KB · Views: 2,404
    Last edited:

    K31

    "Part of that Ultra MAGA Crowd"
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 15, 2006
    35,632
    AA county
    Cool.

    1) Centered case under drill bit (I need to find a little better solution to stabilize the case)...Ideas?

    Get a cheap drill press vice from Harbor Freight, get two pieces of scrap wood. Cut a > shaped notch into each of scrap wood slightly less deep than 1/2 the case diameter. Put the two pieces into the vice with the notches facing each other, [<>] put the case in between [<o>], and tighten.
     

    eric_2902

    Retired Army
    Jan 13, 2010
    251
    Conowingo
    Great idea. Thanks. I wonder if they would have a drill press vice at Tractor Supply? Have to check on the way home tomorrow. Anyway, it was a fun afternoon tinkering. Will post up a couple of my other projects soon.
     

    eric_2902

    Retired Army
    Jan 13, 2010
    251
    Conowingo

    Attachments

    • IMG00241-20100601-1919.jpg
      IMG00241-20100601-1919.jpg
      91.3 KB · Views: 2,115

    K31

    "Part of that Ultra MAGA Crowd"
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 15, 2006
    35,632
    AA county

    Yeah. HF has one's for about $10 which are probably up to the job you are doing.

    That will probably help quite a bit but I still may have problems with the wood. I've been tinkering around trying to improve my mousetrap and I can't seem to get the case to NOT spin freely in the wood no matter how tight I get it. Thoughts?

    Wrap some leather around it.
     

    K31

    "Part of that Ultra MAGA Crowd"
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 15, 2006
    35,632
    AA county
    Damn, how many calibers do you load? I count something like 39 die boxes including the Lee round jobs,
     

    eric_2902

    Retired Army
    Jan 13, 2010
    251
    Conowingo
    Damn, how many calibers do you load? I count something like 39 die boxes including the Lee round jobs,

    Ha, I reload damn near anything and everything (or at least try to)...for the most part WWII service rifles though...everybody has to have a hobby right? The round ones are mostly the Lee sizer dies for sizing cat bullets.

    I need to add a .410 MEC press...I just know I'm gonna win one of those Judge pistols at the next NRA dinner.

    Currently trying to figure out how to reload the 7.62 Nagant Revolver...little tricky. It's fun though.

    Here is the rest of my little reloading corner in the man cave...
     

    guthook

    Grrr.
    Apr 7, 2008
    7,056
    St. Mary's
    Don't laugh....

    Had an idea for drilling out berdan primers and making centered flash holes a while back and jotted this down on a piece of paper.

    I made the jig in about 5 minutes with a piece of 4x4 and a circular saw. I ground a 1/2" paddle bit to the size of the shell for the main hole. The 1/8" cuts from the saw were enough to tighten the brass snuggly.

    After I made this, a week later, Half-cocked informed me that Graf's was now selling 8x56R brass. I no longer need the jig and recycled the piece for another project. So, sorry, no pics of the finished product.

    It looked better than the drawing and worked great.;)

    http://www.mdshooters.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22279&stc=1&d=1277781423
     

    Attachments

    • lastscan2.jpg
      lastscan2.jpg
      68.3 KB · Views: 1,183

    guthook

    Grrr.
    Apr 7, 2008
    7,056
    St. Mary's
    I bought a batch of 8x56R and a third were messed up in the primer seat to where they were not usable.

    Wow. That's a bummer. Did you write them an email? Mine are working great after around 4 loadings. No complaints here. I'd try to see if they'd send you a new batch. Good luck!
     

    eric_2902

    Retired Army
    Jan 13, 2010
    251
    Conowingo
    Wow. That's a bummer. Did you write them an email? Mine are working great after around 4 loadings. No complaints here. I'd try to see if they'd send you a new batch. Good luck!

    Actually, just went back and verified...bought this brass from a guy off gunbroker. I jet him an email.
     

    eric_2902

    Retired Army
    Jan 13, 2010
    251
    Conowingo
    Had an idea for drilling out berdan primers and making centered flash holes a while back and jotted this down on a piece of paper.

    I made the jig in about 5 minutes with a piece of 4x4 and a circular saw. I ground a 1/2" paddle bit to the size of the shell for the main hole. The 1/8" cuts from the saw were enough to tighten the brass snuggly.

    After I made this, a week later, Half-cocked informed me that Graf's was now selling 8x56R brass. I no longer need the jig and recycled the piece for another project. So, sorry, no pics of the finished product.

    It looked better than the drawing and worked great.;)

    http://www.mdshooters.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22279&stc=1&d=1277781423

    Digging your artwork man...I cant even draw a straight stickman :D
     

    eric_2902

    Retired Army
    Jan 13, 2010
    251
    Conowingo
    Had an idea for drilling out berdan primers and making centered flash holes a while back and jotted this down on a piece of paper.

    I made the jig in about 5 minutes with a piece of 4x4 and a circular saw. I ground a 1/2" paddle bit to the size of the shell for the main hole. The 1/8" cuts from the saw were enough to tighten the brass snuggly.

    After I made this, a week later, Half-cocked informed me that Graf's was now selling 8x56R brass. I no longer need the jig and recycled the piece for another project. So, sorry, no pics of the finished product.

    It looked better than the drawing and worked great.;)

    http://www.mdshooters.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22279&stc=1&d=1277781423

    doing a follow up with you here...im discouraged at the quality of 8x56R brass i have received...two batches from two different sources and the primer pocket is all jacked up...soft, not shaped correctly, and a bunch just flat out broken. privi brass...which is odd because i use it in other cals and does just fine. anyway, on your homemade dealy whopper...what keeps the brass from spinning? im no machinist but i watched one on tv once :)
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,915
    Messages
    7,258,419
    Members
    33,348
    Latest member
    Eric_Hehl

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom