Thread: Installing Lyman 525 slugs into factory shotgun cartridges.

Hi, i have these slugs now but after tipping out the shot and installing them in a shell the crimp doesn't close very well. I cut the top off one shell and that looks ok. I'm sure it won't fall out but will it affect accuracy or velocity? I could add some wax to keep it secure. Any ideas on this?
Thanks

hmmm don't think that's safe to be honest. My understanding is that shot gun cartridges need a crimp. I believe most people roll crimp the shells after doing that.

so take flat screw driver and work your way around the star crimp pushing it back in,each fold of crimp in turn...it wont be pretty as a bought one...it doesnt have to be...and less wad pressure wont make load hotter/more pressure...if anything it will be less.consider a couple of thin layers of cardboard onto p of slug to bring it up to base of crimp if you want to.... its reasonably low pressure low tech shell to begin with...dont overthink it. you have replaced 1 load of shot with lesser load of slug...so reduced pressure right off the bat.

Maybe go one step back...

Shortening the shell means the slug has too much chamber to misbehave in before it engages the barrel bore.

Why not seat your slug and just leave the star crimp to flap about. It will still retain the slug, the conical form may cycle and feed better (try loading the magazine with empties and cycle them). You will still have full magazine capacity, and on firing will it help guide the slug to the centre of the bore and not wander round in the chamber.

Alternatively, immerse the crimp in boiling water and straighten it with a rounded dowel of suitable dimension, then seat the slug further out, again ensuring it engages the bore central with its axis. Or just seat it so far out it keeps the star crimp open. If you are worried about the slug falling out, you could put a cardboard wad ahead of it that you spot glue in with some hot melt glue at the edge.

Some good ideas. I'll try each one. I understand about shorting the cartridge so I won't do that.

Yeah Nah don't do that mate, a roll crimp is required, plenty of YouTube vids on how to and what it should look like. Go have a dig around and stay safe

Originally Posted by hamsav

I'm pretty sure the shell needs the initial resistance of the crimp to build up a bit of pressure , likewise the wad compression is needed .
I think the only safe way to get uniform combustion rates and pressures would be to adjust the ejectia column height ....like change your wad .
I don't recall ever seeing a slug load with a star crimp . I think ( maybe , don't know for sure ) that the flat end of the slug would be likely to tear the petals off a star crimp rather than unfold them , specially on a used hull......and the last thing you need is something getting pushed up the barrel ahead of the slug . Maybe that's why they are normally roll crimped.
I would be looking at roll crimping once you have the ejectia height sorted

I seem to remember that there is some risk in a spike in pressure with loose shotgun powder. It could be devastating in a shotgun. I was concerned about this in a subsonic rifle load but the loads of powder are so small and most rifles overwhelmingly strong that i'ts probably a low risk.

That sounds like I would need to buy new cartridges and a roll crimper. Winchester slug cartridges are $2 each so I'm wondering if it's worth while although I have 50 Lyman slugs now to use up. Can the red cut off shell be roll crimped still? Or the open crimped blue cartridge?

Originally Posted by gactrx

That sounds like I would need to buy new cartridges and a roll crimper. Winchester slug cartridges are $2 each so I'm wondering if it's worth while although I have 50 Lyman slugs now to use up. Can the red cut off shell be roll crimped still? Or the open crimped blue cartridge?

you can definitely load slugs into used hulls. Again, there is lots of info on the internet including Youtube how-to's. Google is your friend

as already noted, look online there's heaps of info. yes you would need a roll crimper but I believe i't possible to crimp a cartridge where you have swaped the shot for a slug like the red cartridge.

https://youtu.be/GgBWsNjySHo

This Guy makes a roll crimper!

I'm also interested in loading slugs. I checked through the web and the most informed website I found had this whole subsection on loading cast bullets for shotguns:
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/for...g-for-Shotguns

The red one is the perfect length for a roll crimp.
Those "air rifle pellets" are designed to replace a 1oz shot charge and sit in the same wad from memory I used a few sent to me by a forum member a while ago but went back to round balls as I didn't want another mold.

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Great, any idea where I can get a roll crimper? Looks like I'll need a bench drill too.