Military cartridge pens?

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GaryMadore

GaryMadore

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2007
Messages
775
Location
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Heya guys and gals,

I've seen some .50 cal pens here and am wondering if anyone has ever tried making a pen (or, he asked hopefully, a pen kit) out of 5.56mm or 7.62mm cartridges.

I am willing to bet my bottom dollar that a 5.56 or 7.62 pen/kit would sell like hotcakes to us M-16 and M-60 carrying military people.

In fact, if someone made a kit available out of bonafide military brass, I know one guy (ahem) who would be in for at least 10 or so of 'em....

Cheers!

Gary
 
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Slimline kits are rather easily adapted for this. If you can get your hands on the brass, you can even do the powder coating yourself too. Look in the Library for the tutorials.
 
Are you after pens made with military headstamped brass, or just brass with the same dimensions? Lake City 7.62 NATO brass is hard to come by nowadays - current production is all going to the army. 308 Winchester brass is available, though, as are pen kits using it.

Regards,
Eric
 
Sylvanite said:
Are you after pens made with military headstamped brass, or just brass with the same dimensions? Lake City 7.62 NATO brass is hard to come by nowadays - current production is all going to the army. 308 Winchester brass is available, though, as are pen kits using it.

Regards,
Eric
Click to expand...

Eric,

Yeah, I am looking for something identifiable as military, as in "5.56 NATO Ball"

I imagine that I can get my hands on the brass, and then any old .308 and/or .223 bullet will fit....

Hmmmmmmmmm......

Cheers!

Gary
 
A few months ago I saw an article in a woodturning mag about making pens from spent rifle shells. The resulting pens were really slick looking, too. Issue #19 of Woodturning Design, Fall 2008, actually (had to look it up). Came with a friendly how-to. :)
 
GaryMadore said:
Heya guys and gals,

I've seen some .50 cal pens here and am wondering if anyone has ever tried making a pen (or, he asked hopefully, a pen kit) out of 5.56mm or 7.62mm cartridges.

I am willing to bet my bottom dollar that a 5.56 or 7.62 pen/kit would sell like hotcakes to us M-16 and M-60 carrying military people.

In fact, if someone made a kit available out of bonafide military brass, I know one guy (ahem) who would be in for at least 10 or so of 'em....

Cheers!

Gary
Click to expand...

Gary,
I make powdercoated military casing/bullet pens. Here is a sample of what I have

http://www.penturners.org/forum/showpost.php?p=803971&postcount=89

I have been selling these to a few members who attended the 2008 MPG but have not posted an ad on this site for these. I did have an ad for the 50 BMG casings and bullets last year. PM me if this is what you are looking for.
 
Be careful Paul, I have recently sold almost 300 50 cal kits. I don't know what got in the water but you might find your self in it pretty deep if this one catches on.
 
I did a few out of brass that i picked up in Iraq and gave them to a couple of friends. I didn't really look at what was written on the cartridge though.
 
most of the bullet pens I see use the standard pen kit tip I have seen a few that were made with bullets that were drilled out does anyone know where to get these in kit form?
 
gspalding said:
Can the upper barrel also be from some brass?

George
Click to expand...

Yes.
A couple of simple choices would be:

1) Use a 7.62 mm (308) casing reversed so that the neck is at the top. A tube can be mounted inside so that the clip and cap from a simline should provide a very close fit. A centerband will be REQUIRED that is about 1/4 inch long, or longer, that matches the base diameter of the casings (0.47 inch).

2) Use a long 7.62 mm (30-06) casing reversed so that the neck is at the top. A tube can be mounted inside so that the clip and cap from a simline should provide a very close fit. A centerband will NOT be required.

These can be polished and powder coated to match the lower assemblies.

More complex designs can be made similar to those shown by some of our members in SOYP. I can provide the plain casing for this. Powder coating, if desired, needs to be applied AFTER the casing is machined for your design and before you install the tube and/or wood.
 
There are very few modern day military rifle and handgun calibers I have yet to make a pen or two out of. Drilling the bullet is easy enough as I usually melt the lead out first. Tracers sure make that part fun!!
 
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