Shortening of shotgun shells
 

There are threads on making a gadget to shorten shot shells but in a hour of looking I can not find them. Can someone direct me? This week I acquired a 28 ga. hammer gun with 2 1/2" chambers and Damascus barrels. I need to shorten some shells and reload them in a low pressure.
Thanks

Does this help?

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthr...t=shell+cutter

That's what I was looking for. Thanks

Is your press specifically designed for 2 1/2 inch shells?. MEC will make you a 2/1/2 inch press. Unless your going to shoot it a lot RST makes a 2 1/2 inch low pressure 28 shell.

When I have a lot to cut I use a sliding table on my table saw. 4 at a time.

Jig is simple want a photo let me know.

William

MEC makes an adapter kit (about $10) for a 600JR that converts the press to 2 1/2". I have kits for my .410 (3"), 16 (2 1/2"), 12 (2 1/2") and 10g (2 7/8") presses.

I also use a table saw for both paper and plastic. Here's how simple it is. Take a two foot long section of 2X4 and trim it so that it is 2 inches wide. Measure the diameter of the gauge you would like to trim. Drill holes through the 2X4 of that diameter ( I have 10 holes in mine so I can trim 10 hulls at a time ). Insert the hulls through the 2X4 and adjust your rip bar to the length of hull you want, then run the 2X4 with the shells in it very slowly thru the blade. Use a blade with very fine teeth for the smoothest cut.

I have had MEC make me their 9000 model for 2.5 inch 16 & 20ga. If you shoot a lot the 600Jr gets old real quick.

I made a jig and trim the hulls down using my band saw. Work pretty good.

I would rather use my bandsaw but real old and real big, it does not have a fence. Carter Products has a rare earth magnetic fence for bandsaws that solved that problem. Had one a couple weeks, works great.

Going to shift my hull trimming from table saw to band saw.

William

Thanks All
Not needing a large number of shells. Just like doing the reloading. Will try to get the MEC kit and try the 2x4 with holes and the band saw. Have everything else I need to load.
Gary

There is a fellow in Maine named Cliff-byrdog, on the 16 ga forum, who sells a little tool to cut down shells. Compared to the ones sold by BPI and Precision, it is like a fully automatic weapon vs a single shot. I can cut 100 16 ga shells down to 2 1/2 in about 5 minutes, really works slick. Costs $20. Attaches to your cordless drill. I have cut down over 500 of the Herters/cheddite this winter.
Have the info at home if interested.

Harold, why don't you post the info ? Sounds interesting.

Paul, it is a neat and simple little gadget. Do a search on You Tube for "The Shortcut Shotshell Cutter" to see video of it. The guys on the 16 ga forum love this little tool. $25.00 includes shipping. Info-
Cliff Russell
PO Box 338
Perry, Maine 04667
email: swansisland@tds.net
It comes in different ga. combos--I believe mine will do 10-12-16 ga, with smaller ga. also available. It is totally adjustable, so you can trim hulls to any desireable length. An enterprising soul could no doubt make his own, but I am not so cleverly inclined.

Harold, watched the video - it's quick. Wish I could have seen what he's using for the cutter itself. It doesn't look that hard to make.

Paused the video again and again but could not get a clear look at the cutter head. could someone post a photo of it?

I watched it over and over also - yes it would be nice to see the cutter head.

I think it is just some type of exacto blade glued/imbedded into the wooden dowel. It is kind of rounded off on top like a sheep's foot blade.
He also makes crimp starters for new hulls. you can see those on the 16 ga forum, which by the way is almost as active as the Parker forums.

I use a dowel with a number 11 exacto blade driven in at the right spot to have the length correct and put the dowel in the shell and make one turn with my hand and it's done. You can do them as fast as you can pick them up. Works for me. Carvel

Carvel, how do you do it with one turn of the hand ? It takes me several turns, and if going from 3 1/2 10ga to 2 7/8 it takes more.

Yup

End up with a pile of plastic curly-ques