Welcome guest, is this your first visit? Create Account now to join.
  • Login:

Welcome to the NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.

DPT Night Vision NZ


User Tag List

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 22
Like Tree10Likes

Thread: Homebrew Snap Caps

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Featherston, Wairarapa
    Posts
    41

    Homebrew Snap Caps

    Hi,

    New here and looking for opinions on homemade snap caps and the best materials/manufacturing method please.
    I'm not new to the bush, but I am new to hunting. I am a volunteer track scout/cutter for a trust that owns a 12ha block of bush on the Rimutaka Range and they are looking for cullers to deal with the goat/pig problems in the block, so I bought myself a rifle (after much deliberation and advice, a Browning AB3 Stalker .308), as I keep running into the pesky critters on my travels and feel a sense of civic responsibility to do my part to preserve NZ native flora/fauna.

    Haven't even hit the range yet, but I'm now comfortable with cycling live ammunition and am moving onto dry firing drills; hence the question regarding snap caps.
    I know that pretty much all centrefire rifle manufacturers (including Browning) say it's completely safe to do dry firing drills without needing snap caps (most rimfire manufacturers these days claim the same), but I'm nervous about potential damage to the firing pin caused by over extension and considering what I've just shelled-out for the rifle, I'm taking the overly cautious road here.

    I've found a few videos on YouTube that show different methods of making your own snap caps, and I have made a few of my own using once-fired brass from a mate.
    The 'primer' in these snap caps is made from a leather belt, super-glued into the primer pocket on the cases. The shot of them after being fired, is after they have been through the rifle 20 times. The leather seems to be holding-up fairly well and the glue is still holding them in place. The largest hole punch I have is slightly smaller than the primer pocket diameter unfortunately. As I don't yet have a reloading press, there are no projectiles in the cases, which does cause feeding issues when the magazine is nearly empty, and also getting the casing nose into the rifle chamber cleanly. This was my first attempt, so some hiccups were only to be expected I guess.

    Most of the videos I've seen use either hot glue, or silicone sealant (for 'primers', filling the case, and casting projectiles).

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    TIA,

    Dave
    Attached Images Attached Images   

  2. #2
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    christchurch
    Posts
    17,992
    ultra high density polyethylene. has a bit of give but still firm enough to stop excess pin travel.
    dannyb likes this.

  3. #3
    Sending it Gibo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    The Hill
    Posts
    23,475
    My advice, go and shoot live ammo at a target

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Waikato
    Posts
    597
    Its not a big deal mate

  5. #5
    Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Mackay-QLD
    Posts
    144
    As Gibo said use live ammo if you are not sure of things get your mate to come over and sort the do's and don'ts out nothing better than a ''Bang , Thump'' to keep the mind clear safety is the main issue and the rest is practice and if you want to hit those critters then its practice you need and at all times don't loose sight of safety and the more you shoot the better you become you will develop and learn things shooting live ammo that you won't with dry firing like recoil tolerances ,correct breathing and so on and being a new rifle you can find out what kind of factory ammo it likes if you aren't going to reload I've seen blokes spend hours dry firing and be no better at shooting but then there are those that swear by dry firing but I think its just a personal thing but if you are that way inclined then do so although I find there is no better training than the real thing with live ammo and exceptional safety awareness which becomes natural after awhile Cheers
    outlander likes this.

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Turangi
    Posts
    1,373
    Yeah don't sweat it too much. Brought one of those Brownings in .243 for the Missus and kids to learn with. Needless to say it's been dry fired a bit.

    Side note, I love it so now it's pretty much mine.

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Featherston, Wairarapa
    Posts
    41
    Thanks gonetropo; following-up on some HDPE suppliers.
    Thanks Gibo & rigga; I hear what you're saying (theory is all well and good in a classroom, but there is no substitute for real life experience). I feel that I have to get some range work under my belt before I take a shot at a living target. I mean, I figure I'm giving myself the best opportunity for a clean kill with a .308 SP inside 100 yards, but I'm more afraid of maiming an animal than I am of recoil to tell the truth.
    Absolutely no problems with safety procedures; I worked in the forestry industry for a few years. A firearm is a new (dangerous and potentially fatal) tool, but a chainsaw makes a hella mess. I do things by the numbers.

  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Featherston, Wairarapa
    Posts
    41
    Lol Preacher - got a loan of a Stevens .243 from a mate, which I'm going to be using for the first time this weekend at the range (zeroed at 150-300 yards. Way out of my league, but he said I could re-zero it and and gave me 4 ballistic tips. Bought a box of 'from Serbia with love' PPU SP rounds for all the good they will do me). Bloke in the gun store who sold me the Browning .308 said that it would have less kick than the .243 (considering the ladies 16" barrel and the suppressor/muzzle brake). Got some entry level Hornady Whitetail to zero it in with.

    Name:  Stevens M200 .243 Win.jpg
Views: 329
Size:  96.5 KBName:  Browning AB3 .308 (suppressed).jpg
Views: 323
Size:  57.8 KBName:  Stealth supressor-muzzle break.jpg
Views: 331
Size:  66.7 KB

  9. #9
    Member Mathias's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Canterbury, home of the big Rakaia Red Stag
    Posts
    4,502
    @ocium Is the heeler pix on your profile yours? Looks like mine when I'm winding her up

  10. #10
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Waikato
    Posts
    2,093
    Good on ya getting out and taking "direct action" dont wait for The Government to save your bush. If its goats you're seeing , they do need some firm control in the rimutakas. My only advice is if you dont want epic shootouts dont fire at the small ones less than knee high leave them for another day.

    The leather disc might not absorb a lot of firing pin strike. I've bought a few commercial snap capd but they are very expensive for what they are.

    Try making wooden "bullets" to jam in the case mouth. It's pretty tough trying to feed empty cases from the mag !

    Good on you doing the dry fire practice. You need a thousand or so dry fire shots to get muscle memory going. Also practice reloading the mag while watching the target and dont drop the rounds on the ground.

    To some extent theres no substitute for actual shooting. Paper doesn't lie. However you'll only really get enough practice if you use a 22. If you're fortunate enough to be able to shoot two or three goats or rabbits a month your skills will develop quickly.
    dannyb likes this.

  11. #11
    Member Marty Henry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Tararua
    Posts
    7,069
    Whenever i get offered a shot with someone elses rifle, the first "shot" is on an empty chamber to avoid suprises regarding trigger pull.
    In your situation where you intend practicing to develop a technique for stock hold, cheek weld, and trigger pull as a whole you could try closing the bolt just to the balance point before the knob closes under spring pressure, it should sit there at about 45 degrees. The trigger will engage normally but having the mass of the bolt to move will slow the striker resulting in less potential damage. One extra advantage is that you can just lift the lever to recock the action balance the bolt again and repeat no need to cycle the action or try to feed empty cases or dummy rounds.

  12. #12
    Member Micky Duck's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Geraldine
    Posts
    24,725
    snap caps are good for piece/peace of mind....Ive always just used a fired case in the centrefires...primer takes a fait few hits before its munted.
    dry firing is good way to come to grips with triggers...plinking at simple targets is the best...balloons /clays/bit of wood its all good to begin with...if you can CONSISTANTLY hit a 3ltr plastic milk jug EVERYTIME at a certain range,well you can consistantly cleanly kill an animal at same range as the vital area id about the same...take out them front wheels and it aint going anywhere...the great creator fortunately placed the engine room between them there front wheels making our job so much easier.

  13. #13
    Member Cordite's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    NZ Mainland (Dunedin)
    Posts
    5,527
    Quote Originally Posted by ocium View Post
    .....Any advice would be greatly appreciated.TA,Dave
    Yes, would be a fickle rifle not standing up to dry firing. Still, I get it you want to look after it.

    Leather is wrong material as it deforms after a few impacts and after that makes no difference. Instead use hard rubber punched out of a tyre. Just drive along a state highway to find a chunk. You can even leave it a bit proud of the face of the cartridge as it will compress on bolt close.
    An itch ... is ... a desire to scratch

  14. #14
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Featherston, Wairarapa
    Posts
    41
    Quote Originally Posted by Cordite View Post
    Yes, would be a fickle rifle not standing up to dry firing. Still, I get it you want to look after it.

    Leather is wrong material as it deforms after a few impacts and after that makes no difference. Instead use hard rubber punched out of a tyre. Just drive along a state highway to find a chunk. You can even leave it a bit proud of the face of the cartridge as it will compress on bolt close.
    Thanks Cordite.

    Scoured the highway North and South but Murphy had his way again (every time I go out scavenging for street sweeper bristles for lock picks there isn't one in a six block radius. Plenty of them around when you're not looking for one though). Called into the local mechanic's shop and he was only too happy to throw a 4WD tyre my way, so now I have rubber for primers coming out my ears - lol.

    Name:  tyre01.jpg
Views: 244
Size:  154.0 KB

    Name:  tyre02.jpg
Views: 241
Size:  169.7 KB
    Mathias and Cordite like this.

  15. #15
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Featherston, Wairarapa
    Posts
    41
    Quote Originally Posted by Mathias View Post
    @ocium Is the heeler pix on your profile yours? Looks like mine when I'm winding her up
    Hi Mathias,

    Yeah the little bugger is mine. Got two boys from the same litter, he is the runt. What he lacks in stature, he makes-up for with ferocity. Gotta be careful I don't turn my back on him after pissing him off, or I'll be missing a cheek - lol.
    Here's a recent snap of him teasing his brother - they have just turned 2 years old (still got paint-on ears, but they're coming around).

    Name:  ratbags.jpg
Views: 283
Size:  163.4 KB
    Mathias and Cordite like this.

 

 

Similar Threads

  1. Snap caps
    By jakewire in forum Shotgunning
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 13-06-2016, 01:24 PM
  2. Alternative to 12g snap caps
    By Scottishkiwi in forum Firearms, Optics and Accessories
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 23-12-2014, 10:22 AM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Welcome to NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums! We see you're new here, or arn't logged in. Create an account, and Login for full access including our FREE BUY and SELL section Register NOW!!