Aluminum Maynard Cases?

[threepdr]

The Harpers Ferry Maynard that I acquired recently came with a double handful of cases. Including three aluminum ones. Are these still made? I've never heard of these until I got these in hand. They have an unusual dished base.


6412
6413

[RaiderANV]

harpers ferry arms made both brass and aluminum cases. They only fit the chamber on their guns as they are over-sized on purpose. I have a couple 100 of them in both Brass and Aluminum You can have your chamber sleeved to take the correct cases.......if the gun can even hit where it's aimed.

[threepdr]

Pat,

This HF is one of the later ones that is approved by the NSSA. All of the brass cases that came with it have the same diameter as those I bought recently from Lodgewood. They all run about .544 or so. One of them is marked "Yeck." The chamber on mine is about .552 or so. It is hard to get a good reading with my cheap digital calipers.

Whether the gun can hit anything or not is yet to be determined.

[RaiderANV]

Charlie hahn makes aluminum cases also. He custom makes them to your gun

[Kevin Tinny]

Pat,

This HF is one of the later ones that is approved by the NSSA. All of the brass cases that came with it have the same diameter as those I bought recently from Lodgewood. They all run about .544 or so. One of them is marked "Yeck." The chamber on mine is about .552 or so. It is hard to get a good reading with my cheap digital calipers.

Whether the gun can hit anything or not is yet to be determined.

Hello:

That .544" case OD on the brass "Yeck" case seems normal to me for a "normal-sized" chamber. YOUR .552" chamber seems LARGE for that case.

My cases are nominally that diameter, BUT my chamber is .546" at its neck and .548" at the breech.

The photo of the dished base alum one appears to show a thin and irregular flash hole. Maybe those were for blank firing.

Several vendors should have fresh brass cases and Charlie Hahn can make high strength alum alloy ones. Just be sure of YOUR chamber dimensions and that new ones have, at most, .002" clearance to prevent over expansion and splits.".

All the best,

Kevin Tinny

[Maillemaker]

How much are Charlie Hahn's aluminum cases? I don't see them listed on his web site. The brass ones are about $2.60 a piece from Lodgewood. Holy Cow! We were doing some testing of a Maynard just yesterday and the plastic cases were disintegrating on us. Looks like a neat little gun (first time I have ever fired one) but man you're looking at close to $300 just get 100 pieces of brass!

Steve

[Charlie Hahn]

My Cases are 2.30 but I an not sure they will work in a Harper's Ferry Maynard. I believe they reamed the chamber to .562.

Charlie
410-208-4736

[Maillemaker]

I think the one we were playing with yesterday is a Harpers Ferry Arms repro. It was using plastic cases so I guess it's "the right size"?

Steve

[RaiderANV]

Yes Steve they are pricey up front but last the rest of your skirmishing days. Buy then you can sell them for what you paid for them maybe. I buy 150 cases to go with a gun. I keep them with that gun. I load all 150 for a skirmish in case we are short on B-Team then I can pick someone up even if they don't have a carbine.

[John Bly]

Charlie Hahn and I both have attempted to have brass case made that are the right size and are the new reduced capacity design with the tapered inside that reduces the tendency to crack at the juncture of the difference of diameters. Many of the brass cases sold are as small as .540 diameter with chamber diameters of .547. This results in excessive expansion of the brass. We keep getting prices in the range of $4 each and there is no way we can sell them to even break even. We feel there are deficiencies in what is available and have a solution but can't afford to implement the solution.

[Eggman]

How much are Charlie Hahn's aluminum cases? I don't see them listed on his web site. The brass ones are about $2.60 a piece from Lodgewood. Holy Cow! We were doing some testing of a Maynard just yesterday and the plastic cases were disintegrating on us. Looks like a neat little gun (first time I have ever fired one) but man you're looking at close to $300 just get 100 pieces of brass!

Steve
Sure is an interesting thread. GREAT primer on the Maynard. Steve, you have some shocks waiting for you down the road when you leave Huntsville Abby.
Seems like, I repeat, seems like the plastic cases have to split in the Harpers Ferry with the extra windage. Plastic wont stretch like aluminum or brass. As Raider says, the metal cases last a long time so it's a capital investment, alongside the gun. I'll add here, my brass Maynard cases never split, maybe because I use this really small tapered bullet out of a Dixie hair curler mould I bought in, I'm not sure, I think it was in 1936. I use 28 grains of powder -- I use a full capacity case and shove the bullet down upon the powder. That leaves the upper part of the case open for a huge dollop of Crisco. Huge amounts of lube are the key to breach loader success.
The BB is certainly an open minded forum, and I absolutely have nothing against Hindus, but Steve please leave your cow tribulations out.

[Maillemaker]

I don't really have a dog in this fight - our team had a load workup practice last weekend and one of our teammates was trying out a Maynard on loan to them. We were getting keyholes at 50 yards. I don't know what the load was. I just noticed that they were having problems with the open ends of the cases separating from the rest of the case.

I'm a Sharps guy. My cartridges are made out of paper the way God intended. :)

https://i.imgur.com/bSjKERzl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/vPZ1N2Vl.jpg

Steve

[Eggman]

I'm a Sharps guy. My cartridges are made out of paper the way God intended. :)



https://i.imgur.com/vPZ1N2Vl.jpg

Steve

Yeah you talk big. One of these days one of our finest will check on you and ask you about all those "doobies" you're carting around. Hopefully he wont ask you to light one up so he can check the smell.

[John Holland]

Well........I've never thought of rolled Sharps cartridges as "Doobies"......but now that you mention it......

[Maillemaker]

When I first posted pictures of US expanding ball cartridges on facebook one of my friends asked me if they were "exploding tampons". :)

Steve

[Maillemaker]

Hopefully he wont ask you to light one up so he can check the smell.

https://i.imgur.com/SeisOaqm.png

Steve

[RaiderANV]

"When I first posted pictures of US expanding ball cartridges on facebook one of my friends asked me if they were "exploding tampons". :)

Steve"

[Eggman]

Well I sure wouldn't want to be in poor Maelstromaker's shoes. I recall Fort Leonard in the Woods in early '68, I got a call from an eagle eyed agent of the F, B of I. He had a lock on a poor trooper who had possession of an illicit army rocket launcher. He called me at the ammo dump to get details on just what it was. I asked what was printed on the launcher, he said M-72, 66 mm LAW. There was no rocket present so I told him it's just a throw away launcher. He was disconsolate at this answer. He then asked me to refer him to a higher authority, which I did. The G-men may still be after this poor dude.

[threepdr]

I was able to get a good measurement on my HF Maynard chamber and it is at about .560 -.562 according to my cheap digital caliber. This is what others have mentioned about HF Maynards. As far as plastic cases, on the one time I fired this gun about 1/3 of the cases split at the base. I will try them again with two or three wraps of cellophane tape around the bottom of the case. Maybe that will be enough to prevent them from splitting.