Alcan shells
 

David Lien, a fellow Parker member, sent me 50 steel Alcan 12ga shells. Nice Christmas gift - thanks. Anyways, he thought they took Rem 57 primers, but the regular 209s work just fine. Because the walls are so thin, the 10ga paper wads work ok if they're started by hand on my 12ga Mec jr, or they can be loaded on my 10ga Mec jr without having to start them by hand. I'll try 4 shells tomorrow at the club. In two there's just below 7/8oz of shot with 16.7grs of Promo in one, and 22grs in the other. The other two have 1 1/16oz of shot and 19grs of Promo. Didn't have any OS cards so I cut a OP card in half to use for one . Didn't glue them in because they fit so tight. We'll see how they shoot. Has anyone ever seen any of these before ?

I've never seen them in steel, but I have a box of brass 16ga. They would not take 209 primers until I reamed them out. I've never shot any of them.

I'm sure that any Alcan hulls that take a 209 primer have probably been reamed out. However, there are tens of thousands of 57 primers out there for those with undrilled hulls.

They shot just fine - they felt like normal shells, not the punkie loads I had before with Mag techs. Must be the really tight wad fit creating some pressure. Try 8 more today.

Alcn metal shells
 

Here's what I found in the Alcan catalog X dated 1962.

wish you could still get some of these old hull..glad they shoot good...charlie

Got a few 4s if you got the gun !

I can't remember when I got these, but it was a long time ago. I know I had a dozen boxes, but must have given most of them away.
The primed ones have been reamed for 209s.

nice ones these are..i have one alcan 10 hull that musta been reamed because a 209 primer works good in it.it is now loaded with buckshot for a deer hopefully.. charlie

These Zinc Alcans are a PITA. The whole hull stretches and has to be resized if they're shot in a different gun with slightly small chambers. Had to take my old Lee hand set and use the big tube that holds the shell and force it in with a arbor press. Then adjust a vice so the tube wouldn't fit through but the shell would and with a wooden dowel beat it out. Guess that's why they never caught on. My guess, shooters got pissed and threw them away.