cartridge pen info

[Rifleman1776]

On another thread, the question was asked why some nibs fit cleanly onto cartridges set up for pens and why some did not. Of course, some kits might vary. But another consideration could be the size [diameter] of the cartridge mouth. Since I reload ammunition, I have access to fired and reloaded ammunition. My recent pen is from a 30-06. But, for those not familiar with firearms and ammunition, it should be understood that both 30-06 and .308 ammo (FOR OUR PURPOSES) are identical except for length. I measured the outside diameter [OD] of five fired cases and five resized and reloaded cases. Measurements were consistent for all. The fired cases measured .341" OD. The resized/reloaded cases measured .333" OD. I do not have any brand new cartridges on hand but they could be expected to measure smaller than the .333. I also measured the largest portion of a nib/writing tip from a 7mm European pen bought from CS. It measured .354". The instruction sheet from CS says the correct bushing for this fitting is .359". The pen I just assembled does have a tiny, nearly imperceptible, difference between the nib and casing. That would, according to these measurements be a difference of .013". Folks, I ain't sweating it.

 

[gerryr]

Slimline nibs work best in the 30 caliber casings. At least that's been my experience.

 

[mrcook4570]

Frank
Slimline nib will fit any .30 caliber round. The euro nib will fit any .33 caliber round. Or, if you have a die for a .33 caliber round (e.g. .338 win mag), neck up the .30 caliber case prior to installing the brass tube.

Also, if you have the right dies, you can make almost any cartridge work, even a .223.

 

[Mudder]

The only thing I can say is that the o.d. of a fired case would have a lot to do with the diameter of the chamber but the difference will be so small it would hardly be noticed.. My buddy the benchrest shooter cannot get standard rounds to chamber in his gun. He neck turns them to a specific diameter.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Originally posted by Mudder
<br />The only thing I can say is that the o.d. of a fired case would have a lot to do with the diameter of the chamber but the difference will be so small it would hardly be noticed.. My buddy the benchrest shooter cannot get standard rounds to chamber in his gun. He neck turns them to a specific diameter.

Yeppers. A benchrest gun would have very tight tolerances. That is one reason why brand new brass is smaller than what is often used. The ammo makers don't know what kind of rifle it will be put in. Hunting rifles are not as close in tolerances. Some older military rifles are downright sloppy. I know about neck turning and did it when I was unhappy with groups over .75" at 100 yards. Bet your friend is finicky about everything he does. Is he an accountant or brain surgeon?

 

[Rifleman1776]

OK, has to be more than one way to skin a cat....er.... [] fit a brass cartridge to a nib. It occurred to me that brass is very malleable, that is why it is the material of choice for ammunition casings. So, without having to have specialized ammunition reloading tools, here is a simple way to make the mouth of a .308/30-06 casing fit a Euro, or any oversize nib. As can be seen in the picture, I held a case to the dead center on my lathe and tapped lightly with a mallet. I tapped once, measured, still too small, tapped again and it was perfect. A caution, putting too extreme a bell on the mouth will be ugly and could split the brass. This, of course, would have to be done before the tube and filler are installed in the brass. BTW, the amount of tapping/hammering on the dead center was very gentle, not nearly enough to be a concern for the lathe.

 

[Rifleman1776]

So...wars my image? Try again.

<br />

 

[hook]

My first post... I make a few cigar pens and mini European's. I really like the looks of the cartridge pen. I got a few empty 30 06 casings. I would like to see a detailed instruction on how to. Someone mentioned a filler in the cartridge?? what's that. What do you use as a "filler"? Whick kit is best?

 

[Arthritis]

I tried my first cartridge pen today. A lot of trial and error. Ended the construction with an error. While seating the transmission I pushed the bullet in a little farther than I wanted. Now I know what to do the next time! Any good detailed instructions would be appreciated.

 

[Rmartin]

Welcome to the board Hook.

The slimline works best for the 3006 and 308. There are many ways to make casing pens. When people talk about inserts, it's because the nib of a slimline matches with the outside of the casing, but the 7mm brass tube is loose inside the casing. Some turn a wood insert, or wrap the tube with plumbers tape. I use a brass tube inside a brass tube. I glue the 7mm tube into a 5/16 brass tube and then glue that into the casing. I'm sure there are plenty of other ways. Use the search feature at the top of this site and type in casings. you'll find some good info there.

 

[Texasbeachbum]

You can use shrink wrap like the electricians use, it works good too. That is for slimlines. 30-30 and 308 are just the right size for them. I have started drilling the real lead bullets for the nibs now so I guess any size cartriage could be used.[]

 

[hook]

Thanks for the response. I'll go get a few slimlines and jump right in..

Thanks Again

 

[tntwoodcrafts]

Here is a recent 30.06 pen I made for a customer who wanted antler and a sport fishing clip............... ?? I had to buy some 10" lenths of 7mm tube so I could cut the proper length for the 30.06 casing.
At the nib end of the brass tube I slide on a 1/4" piece 1/4" shrink tube which gives a snug fit once the tube is in place. Make sure when you drill the primer hole out for the other end of the tube that the dry fit is not tight otherwise when you press in the tranny it will collapse....trust me on this!! The tranny needs room for expansion and the brass doesn't have much give. Make the hole a little over size with a small round file or find a bit that is slightly larger. I put a small dab of CA on both ends of the tube and insert it from the nib end. You will also find that the tranny will have to be pressed in farther than normal.

TH