Making steelhead cases

C

Charles E

curmudgeon
This may just be a passing fancy, but I thought of a number of problems I could solve if I could make my own cases. I've heard about making steel heads for existing brass cases, and this technique would address everything I'm interested in too.

Anybody know of an "instruction" source (internet or print)? Also, the pluses and minuses of steelheads, aside from the amount of work involved?

TIA

Charles
 
There was a review of commercial cases with steel caseheads in Handloader Magazine, probably about 1980 IIRC. As I recall, they were made in the belted mag only, but that may be all that I was interested in at the time.
You might find a ref to this in the CD that Wolfe Pub. sells for Handloader and Rifle Magazines.
I think that they had a very fine male thread on the steel portion and matching female thread on the brass body.
They just never caught on and disappeared.

Jay
 
Charles E said:
This may just be a passing fancy, but I thought of a number of problems I could solve if I could make my own cases. I've heard about making steel heads for existing brass cases, and this technique would address everything I'm interested in too.

Anybody know of an "instruction" source (internet or print)? Also, the pluses and minuses of steelheads, aside from the amount of work involved?

TIA

Charles
Click to expand...


Hi Charles,

I used to shoot with a guy, decades ago, that made his own steel head cases for his 1000 yard competition rifle in 30-06, which would chrono to maximum 300 Winchester Mag. velocities. Very impressive and accurate for the amount of powder and recoil.

If I remember correctly, he started out by purchasing his steel heads from a company called Ramshot or some such, back in Indiana, which subsequently disappeard, so he started making his own out of both 12L14 and 416 stainless round stock.

After awhile he began making the entire cases out of steel in 2 separate pieces, the head and the body-shoulder-neck, which were threaded to each other.

The most impressive thing about the all steel cases is that they required no sizing after firing, due to not exceeding the elasticity limits of steel and staying within the rebound capabilities of the material.......... just re-prime, re-powder, and seat a new bullet. Also, the cases lasted forever, he would make 20 for the rifle and that was all that was ever needed for that caliber case.

I do remember him saying that he prefered to use boat tail bullets in the all steel cases because the steel necks had a tendency to shave the heel of a flat base bullet and caused subsequent inaccuracy. I think he also stated the steel necks had to be considerably thinner than brass necks in order to get proper release properties.

The only limitations in the velocities that he could run in the rifles that used steel cases were the primers when they would start to blank. And, this was well before the small firing pin diameter fad, which I am sure would have increased the velocity capabilities considerably................Don
 
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Thanks Don, just what I was looking for.

Every now & then I toy with the idea of trying Palmisano's design for a long-range case, with the deep-V combustion chamber. If you're making your own cases in two parts, that would be pretty easy to do. You could even get comparison data about the design -- well, sort of, because the home-made v-case would have much smaller capacity than it's one-piece brass counterpart, requiring a different powder.

A lot of work. But as you point out, the cases should last, and making cases is one of those tasks I don't like. As with most things, I'd prefer to pay up front.
 
Has anyone done any experimentation with 7.62 NATO surplus steel case ammunition?
 
O'Conner Rifle Products, Edisto Island SC I don't know if they still exist made these in the past. I have a 5rd box of these 2 are formed into 308 and the other 3 look like a straight wall 30.06 length case
 
Charles E said:
Thanks Don, just what I was looking for.

Every now & then I toy with the idea of trying Palmisano's design for a long-range case, with the deep-V combustion chamber. If you're making your own cases in two parts, that would be pretty easy to do. You could even get comparison data about the design -- well, sort of, because the home-made v-case would have much smaller capacity than it's one-piece brass counterpart, requiring a different powder.

A lot of work. But as you point out, the cases should last, and making cases is one of those tasks I don't like. As with most things, I'd prefer to pay up front.
Click to expand...


I too was very tempted to experiment with the self made, 2 piece, steel cases, but knew that I would be seduced by this mistress, out of all proportions to the benefits that I might receive, so I put it on the to-do list, and made it get in line with the rest of the fancifull ideas..............Don
 
Don said:
but knew that I would be seduced by this mistress, out of all proportions to the benefits that I might receive, so I put it on the to-do list, and made it get in line with the rest of the fanciful ideas..............Don
Click to expand...
I know what you mean. I have a similar list. Just what on that list ever gets tried depends on how long it will take, and how badly I need an idea to keep life interesting.
 
Charles,

Jamie Cass used steelhead cases he made and shot at Hawks Ridge many years ago. I think they were for a 22-243, and he could move 80 and 90 gr. bullets near warp speed. Last I knew, he was working at a machine shop in Winston Salem. I have a couple of those cases somewhere. They had very fine male threads on the casehead, and female in the case. The caseheads were about .5" in length.

Jeff
 
This seems odd to me, both references are for female brass, male steel.


Why put the brass outside the steel?

I've never done it, I know NOTHING about it, I just would have started the other way.......

al
 
Al

Most steelhead cases have a male thread on the case and a female thread in the steel base.

Steel cases are not new, they've been around since before WW II. Just about every country experimented with them, the Germans in particular. Steelhead cases, likewise, have been around for a long time. I have several in my collection that are at least 50 years old. The O'Connor steelheads were the only commercial venture that I'm aware of. You can still find boxes of them on the various ammunition auction sites although they do command collector prices. He made them in both 30-06 and belted magnum rim diameter basic cases.

The use of steel or steelhead cases in military applications is practical. Using them in hunting or competition type cartridges has no advantage over conventional brass cases. If they were practical someone would have run with the idea long before now.

JMHO

Ray
 
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Only steel cases I've used were primed 7.62X54r cases salvaged after the ammo had been broken down to use the bullets in experiments with the .303.
The bullets turned out to work quite well in oversized two groove .303 bores.

I don't own a mosin Nagant but a friend did at the time so I used some of the cases to assembled some downloaded hunting rounds for him using hornady .312 soft point 150 grain bullets and winchester 760 powder.

I used a jury rigged bullet seating outfit, simply putting a piece of aluminum tubing in the chuck of my drill press and using the handle as a lever.

The downloaded ammo proved exceptionally accurate.

Despite the age of the ammo there were no misfires and ignition seemed perfect.

These were berdan primed so they were used only once, so I can't say how they'd behave if reloaded normally.

I've read that a special case able to withstand in excess of 120,000 PSI is used for some proof testing, and that these are not commercially available.
If they were perhaps these would suit the purposes as well or better than the steel head cases.
 
Since this thread seems to be getting some attention, I'll list my reasons for the interest in making steelhead cases. Several of them won't apply to most people, and even with all the reasons, Don's point about fantasies is well taken -- it is 50-50 at best that I'll get a round tuit.

1. I shoot a case based on the RWS 8x68 case. Once again, RWS brass is unavailable in the States. Rechambering means a new reamer & headspace gauge ($150+ $40 plus some begging with Hugh Henricksen), and new dies (another $250 or so even if you make your own seater).

2. I've found, with more than one chambering, that the best accuracy comes from pretty hot loads. The sound the rifle makes actually changes about that point, more of a crack. Wonderful. Except that's just about the pressure where even tough cases last maybe 3-5 reloads.

3. Making your own cases lets you experiment to a degree, with both case volume and he interior shape. If you want to test Palmisano's deep-V combustion chamber, you're out of luck unless you make your own cases.

Others may come up with other reasons.

* * *

Jeff, I remember the Cass brothers. I knew Jamie was planning on making steel heads for the 6/06 they used with the 105 Sierra's at 3,600+, but didn't realize he'd made them for that .22/243 wildcat.

* * *

Berdan primers aren't an insurmountable problem -- as long as you can get new ones. There are reports that they actually give more consistent ignition. Of course, there are always reports that something either unobtainable or very hard to get is better.
 
alinwa said:
This seems odd to me, both references are for female brass, male steel.


Why put the brass outside the steel?

I've never done it, I know NOTHING about it, I just would have started the other way.......

al
Click to expand...

Al,

I think that it would be relatively easy to do a slight bore cut (if needed) and tap the inside of a brass tube (case), compared to threading the o.d. up to a shoulder. The case could be supported in a die and pulled out with the tap after threading.
The steel head can have a thicker wall and better withstand the pressure of single pointing the thread.
Opinion of one,

Jay
 
Jay

I have made a few steelheads for my own experiments and the biggest problem with a female thread in the brass case is expansion. The brass will tend to expand more than the steel resulting in a loose joint.

I never found the idea to be practical. Modern brass can easily handle 60,000 psi or more and while the idea of going even higher with a steehead or all steel case may sound good, there are a lot of reasons why it's not too practical.

here are the two O'Conner cases plus a couple that I made from a US military steel case.

Ray
 

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Charles E and Cheechako
Charles
2. I've found, with more than one chambering, that the best accuracy comes from pretty hot loads. The sound the rifle makes actually changes about that point, more of a crack. Wonderful. Except that's just about the pressure where even tough cases last maybe 3-5 reloads.
I agree with this statement 100%.With the 300 Ackley you can both feel and hear the difference and the grouping is very good.
You can still buy RWS loaded ammunition just not the empty cases which makes no sense at all to myself.There is a guy in Canada selling RWS who will ship here but naturally he is pricey.

Cheechako
How many of the magnum cases do you have and what is there length? Also were are the ammunition auction sites that carry those cases?
Lynn aka Waterboy
 
Lynn

I have only one of the Magnum O'Connor cases. It is 3.065" long. They show up on Gun Broker.com. I don't find any on there right now. But, they are expensive when they do show. They usually come in sets of 5 heads and 5 cases or possibly 5 heads and 10 cases. I seem to recall that the last set of 5 heads and 5 cases were $60 or so, maybe more. As I said, they are collectable.

Ray
 
Cheechako
Is there a better name for them than Steelhead cases? I am doing some searching and getting alot of fish stories or stories from none other than Jack O'connor or court cases.
Lynn aka Waterboy

Edit
Found this
"Steelheads" is the name given to a radical new style of cartridge case offered by O'Connor Rifle Products Co., Ltd. (Rt. 1, Box 572, Dept. GA, Edisto Island, SC 29438). These cases, which are of "basic" design and meant to be formed by the user into any appropriate standard or wildcatwildcat, common name of two Old World cats, the European wildcat, Felis sylvestris, of Europe and W Asia, and the African wildcat, or kaffir cat, F. lybica, of Africa and Asia.
..... Click the link for more information. rifle cartridge configuration, are of two-piece design, with a brass body which is threaded to screw into a stainless steel stainless steel: see steel.
 
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Lynn

i think if you Google O'Connor Steelhead Cases you'll get some hits.

ray
 
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