Pinfire rifle.
Re: Pinfire rifle.
I agree with the CP&J.
"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it." - Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain)
Re: Pinfire rifle.
60 grains of 3f is nothing to sneeze at with a 400-500 grain bullet will kill anything on this continent……It will
Be easy to shoot too. Roll with the 500 brass
Be easy to shoot too. Roll with the 500 brass
- Justsomedude
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Re: Pinfire rifle.
Yeah, you guys are probably right. I guess I probably shouldn't have ordered the brass tubing already. It's literally called cartridge brass and it wasn't cheap. I got it to where I could ream the majority of it to .500 but not to full depth and turn down the outside to .530 which would leave a web thickness of whatever I figured looked about right at the time in the bottom of the case. Then silver solder caps in place. I determined last night that 2.5" long would hold the 100 grains just right. I MAY still experiment around but will likely just use the abundance of 500 brass I have, because you guys made solid points. I could always just bump up to using Unique if I wanted more performance but there's really no use because I'm not a hunter, just Tim the Tool Man of the firearm world
. Oh yeah, I plugged and soldered the primer pocket and flash hole of my brass and am amazed that you can't even see a hint of a seam or solder.
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Re: Pinfire rifle.
I’d try those first!! Nice work!
Re: Pinfire rifle.
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh... your singing my song....More power!
- Justsomedude
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Re: Pinfire rifle.
I seriously have a love affair for weird things 
350 grain bullet.
350 grain bullet.
Re: Pinfire rifle.
That is amazing! Would be cooler with cast bullets!
- Justsomedude
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Re: Pinfire rifle.
Unfortunately its all I have until I buy the mold that I need.
Re: Pinfire rifle.
Oh I’m sure whatever you make is effing cool!!Justsomedude wrote: ↑Sun Nov 16, 2025 1:13 am Unfortunately its all I have until I buy the mold that I need.
Re: Pinfire rifle.
OK, I couldn't help myself! I didn't know much about Pin Fire cartridges so down the rabbit hole I went. I found a lot of interesting history (Ask Ian) and how one man makes his own pin fire cartridges. Its a lot of work but looks like a fun project. I'm sure JSD has a more efficient way but...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cVc34vOtAs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cVc34vOtAs
- Justsomedude
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Re: Pinfire rifle.
That's pretty much how I make them also, with the exception of making plugs and soldering them in the primer pockets before I face the back of the brass in the lathe. Apparently alot of people have the misconception that pinfire cartridges are/were low powered but they were really no different than any of the other black powder cartridges that came later. And I can't remember the exact number, but if I recall I was getting 32acp velocities out of the 7mm revolver I converted to 32 pinfire.Freezer wrote: ↑Sun Nov 16, 2025 12:44 pm OK, I couldn't help myself! I didn't know much about Pin Fire cartridges so down the rabbit hole I went. I found a lot of interesting history (Ask Ian) and how one man makes his own pin fire cartridges. Its a lot of work but looks like a fun project. I'm sure JSD has a more efficient way but...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cVc34vOtAs
- Justsomedude
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Re: Pinfire rifle.
Since I got the brass, I might as well just to see 
Ended up holding 120 grains of powder and this thing is a hoss. The first one took a bit of time to make and I didn't have any brass to solder as end caps so I just used steel. I'm sure I could make the rest pretty quickly but this really is overkill.
Ended up holding 120 grains of powder and this thing is a hoss. The first one took a bit of time to make and I didn't have any brass to solder as end caps so I just used steel. I'm sure I could make the rest pretty quickly but this really is overkill.
Re: Pinfire rifle.
So how does one resize a straight wall case without a rim? Is it like a lee single cartridge setup, tap in and use a rod to remove from the die?
- Justsomedude
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Re: Pinfire rifle.
I have not made it that far yet. I lathe turned this one but I assume I could use my press to push it into a die and then knock it out with a wooden dowel. It's my understanding that most BP cartridges don't expand alot in chambers, but who knows if that's true or not. I'm guessing it'll be easier to just neck size it.
Re: Pinfire rifle.
You might to put a "wonder wad" behind those jacketed bullets to help keep the fouling soft, or go with some 20:1 or 30:1 soft lead bullets with SPG BP lube on them.
Looks good though
Looks good though
"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it." - Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain)
Re: Pinfire rifle.
Sticky extraction could prove tough without a rim. I’d full length size so they just slide out…..Justsomedude wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 12:52 am I have not made it that far yet. I lathe turned this one but I assume I could use my press to push it into a die and then knock it out with a wooden dowel. It's my understanding that most BP cartridges don't expand alot in chambers, but who knows if that's true or not. I'm guessing it'll be easier to just neck size it.
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Wambli Ska
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Re: Pinfire rifle.
BP cartridges that do not expand in chamber are tough to extract because cases will not seal the chamber and fouling makes a mess and makes for sticky extraction. My son in law is having an issue with his 50-90 Sharps extracting cases that have massive amounts of fouling on the outside even after just one firing. I read that all cases that are to be used with BP should be annealed to soften them so they expand and seal the chamber so science will be following shortly.Justsomedude wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 12:52 am I have not made it that far yet. I lathe turned this one but I assume I could use my press to push it into a die and then knock it out with a wooden dowel. It's my understanding that most BP cartridges don't expand alot in chambers, but who knows if that's true or not. I'm guessing it'll be easier to just neck size it.
- Justsomedude
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Re: Pinfire rifle.
I didnt consider that scenario but it makes sense. The only thing I'm not happy with is the lack of ability to extract these cases but I can always just use a wooden dowel down the barrel if worse comes to worse. I have zero experience with black powder cartridges so this is all new territory for me.Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 3:54 pmBP cartridges that do not expand in chamber are tough to extract because cases will not seal the chamber and fouling makes a mess and makes for sticky extraction. My son in law is having an issue with his 50-90 Sharps extracting cases that have massive amounts of fouling on the outside even after just one firing. I read that all cases that are to be used with BP should be annealed to soften them so they expand and seal the chamber so science will be following shortly.Justsomedude wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 12:52 am I have not made it that far yet. I lathe turned this one but I assume I could use my press to push it into a die and then knock it out with a wooden dowel. It's my understanding that most BP cartridges don't expand alot in chambers, but who knows if that's true or not. I'm guessing it'll be easier to just neck size it.
- Justsomedude
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Re: Pinfire rifle.
Thank you. A buddy of mine put me onto "Puff-lon," a lubricating ballistic filler. I'll likely give it a try to see how it works. Of course the real game plan is to use those 404grain lead cast bullets with grease grooves. Right now I'm mostly just screwing around for the hell of it and using what I have but I'm a bit aways from actually firing a round anyhow.
Re: Pinfire rifle.
Unpopular opinion with dyed in the wool real black powder fans….its over rated. Use a cleaner burning substitute like pyrodex or better yet black horn 209.
“Bu bu bu but it’s not traditional!”
Neither is a hand built pinfire rifle.
“Bu bu bu but it’s not traditional!”
Neither is a hand built pinfire rifle.
“The shepherd slaughters more of the flock than the wolf ever will.”
- Justsomedude
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Re: Pinfire rifle.
Oh I'm not using actual BP. I'm using 777. It's much cleaner, more powerful and not corrosive. It also cleans incredibly easy. I hate actual black powder.
Re: Pinfire rifle.
Excellent.Justsomedude wrote: ↑Thu Nov 20, 2025 5:42 pmOh I'm not using actual BP. I'm using 777. It's much cleaner, more powerful and not corrosive. It also cleans incredibly easy. I hate actual black powder.
“The shepherd slaughters more of the flock than the wolf ever will.”
Re: Pinfire rifle.
Better (and water soluble)
Never used the "puff-lon" but I'm doubtful of it keeping, even the smaller amount, of 777 residue from making life difficult.
Even lubing my maxiballs for my inline, and using 777 myself, after 2-3 rounds, the amount of fouling makes loading difficult using 75gr equiv of 777.
Never used the "puff-lon" but I'm doubtful of it keeping, even the smaller amount, of 777 residue from making life difficult.
Even lubing my maxiballs for my inline, and using 777 myself, after 2-3 rounds, the amount of fouling makes loading difficult using 75gr equiv of 777.
"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it." - Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain)