Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .22 RF alternatives

Musta' missed my endorsement of the everlasting hot on that post's heels,... "Dies, neck tensions, annealings,....and on and on,....phoee.

I get little 'nuff time to shoot, and don't need to be screwing around with brass, anymore than I have to.

GTC

Oh,.....and as far as the endless supply of confused naysayers ( beleive me they ABOUND ) using an elastomeric polymer as part of a Black Powder, or White Powder cartridge case component.....
.......witness the modern shotshell
Those worried about the heat that BP generates,..... reflect on the fact that the ablative tiles that shielded our space shuttles belly and wing under surfaces are GLUED on.
All these now ancient polymeric cats are outta' the bag ( and some of them SHOULD have remained DOD classified / top secret), everybody has the formulas, read the specs, take yer pick, pick up the phone and have em' drop shipped. One lifetime's not going to be enough to try em' all,
.....GTC

Are you okay with a .25 and a .32 Sniffle,....e.g. putting the handle on the whole series ?
It's got my vote .
The next size up, case capacity wise should be Muted Cough,....e.g. " .38 Muted Cough"

GTC

And to that end, why not a .25, .30, .35 variation on the theme? We may be re-inventing the wheel here, but I posit that that the cycle of history may well have come around to where the reasons for the demise of Everlasting cases/reloadable without tools heel bullet designs, etc. are no longer valid. I betcha that a lot more people would take up experimentation with handloading if they weren't faced with a staggering amount of equipment choices and voodoo espoused by we who practice the art. What I'm saying is the KISS Principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid) of the system we are talking about here may be an avenue by which the average Joe can dip his toes in the water of reloading. (Never forget that we handloaders remain in the distinct minority of shooters.)

Carry it far enough forward where such practices could generate powerful enough loads/cartridges sufficient for the once a year deer hunter to seriously consider it as an option.

There it is, Gary,....there it is .

GTC

Viva the Lee Loader!!!

Gentlemen,

I think all you fellas are on to something here,

A simple loading system, and perhaps with a higher energy "Trail Boss type" powder that will keep the neophyte safe from over/double loading, with cases that never wear out, in a few 'common" calibers and you all might have a winner.

Greg, I am one who has no problem with polymers/composites. If they can help with the everlasting case idea, so much the better. Ceramic compositions too, after all, some ceramic items have been around and still working for hundreds of years.

Thanks guys,

Geno

PS is this a Back to the Future deal?

Sounds like a fun hobby pursuit for those so inclined.
As for technology naysayers, look at all the high performance shotgun slugs out there using only 1980s/90s plastic technology. Take it a step into the 21st century with currently available materials.
As for "too much trouble", it's a hobby. There are still guys out there turning cases for 1850's designs on their mini lathes. Way "too much trouble", but it's their hobby.

Only if you remember Chuck Berry.

I like the Everlasting idea as well, but ask divine forgiveness for getting bogged down on dims and trying to make this functional. Couple of options occur to me for the .22 Sniffle. Even the most aggressive .22 RF loads are mild insofar as pressure goes and if the spec here is for "standard velocity" I would guess we are in the 15-17 KPSI range, or ballpark black powder/shotgun pressures. What I don't know is whether or not this will prompt case sizing IF the wall thickness is increased significantly, say to .015". A heel is a heel, the dims are not significant in my mind, so make it smaller and carry on. Next question, can something of this sort be manufactured in a manner consistent with current production methods? I dunno.

If so, I think it entirely possible that simple reloading tools could work. Will it need sizing after each load cycle? Will a very mild taper crimp or light bump with a roll crimp suffice to keep loaded ammo in one piece?

In a perfect world the concept could be utilized in a wide array of circumstance/cartridge/calibers ad nauseum....but first we need a launch...

D

Another possibility is synthetic cases. A friend of mine's been working on such a project for a couple of years now, obviously through a large corporation, and has gotten them to work very well in cartridges up to and including the .300 Winchester Magnum. Of course, making them would probably be more involved than turning brass, but otherwise they might be very viable. I'll ask him about it.

Hmmmm? , again.

I refer the reader back to my Arte Johnson you tube post.

Thanks JB,

Geno

PS, something the "average Geno" could make up on a reasonably priced 3D printer?

Anyone remember "trounds" from a few decades ago?

Had the opportunity to burn a few
........neat , but underwhelming in terms of accuracy, IIRC.

This starting to sound like that song "Age of Alternatives". Wait, I meant Aquarius....

Live, from Caveman Country,

Hippy Dan

Hey, you and Cross related? Neighbors? Maybe he's a hippy too? Seems he had the opportunity and maybe even inhaled?



As for the average Geno comment, I just wanted to add a personal touch to it, not wishing to use the anonymous "one could".

Perhaps these lyrics from the song pertain to you? Visions of a new cartridge?

Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind's true liberation

Just keep the cranial wheels turning, the shooting public, at least the looniest of them, needs guys like "Hippy Dan".

Or else we'd still be shooting matchlocks!

Geno

PS, I continue to state that I neither will/can confirm nor deny whether or not I inhaled or had any other "revelation" type experiences. At least not on a public forum.

Maybe we should try to improve and perfect the Smith Carbine?

Variety of calibers, thick walled brass cases. Change from percussion to a firing pin.

I dunno that mere mortals should be allowed to play with such jewels.

Actually I was thinking more along the lines of a Burnside.

Have a tentative source for brass. OMG, what have I done?

Yup,....I re-booted a coupla' those, for a shop that bought em'....collector's inheritance sale,....one was MINTY, and one a junkyard dog parts gun.

NICELY built,....good craftsmanship.

Replacing the"Gutta Percha" seal rings with silicone O-rings was a snap,.....the really beat up and rasty one shot better groups,....not that we were seeking BR performance.

DGW , or Track had Italian replica brass at the time, ....honestly can't say how good / bad it was.

GTC