Plastic Smith Cartridges

[Scott Kurki, 12475]

Is there a big difference in sourcing the plasic cartridges? Do some seal or last better then others or are they all basically the same?

[pastore]

As far as I know they are all supplied from one source.

[Joe Plakis, 9575V]

The only tips I would have is to wash them in soapy water after you use them. I would also, if you are shooting them with live loads, insert brass rivets in the bases. This give good protection to the flash-hole, which tends to open up over time. I have been told that the bigger the hole is in the tube it suposidly decreases the accuracy? I do not know if that is true?
My father sells the rivets for the tubes and all the cartridges we have are over several years old, and they are still in good condition. We also size the tubes so that they are a bit easier to pull out of the breech.

[Scott Kurki, 12475]

....We also size the tubes so that they are a bit easier to pull out of the breech.

Thanks Joe but how do you size the plastic cartridges?

[Joe Plakis, 9575V]

We have made a die that sizes the outside of the tube and a punch that sizes the inside bullet diameter.

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

I shoot a .518 bullet in my Navy Arms Smith, and really have to press hard to load some of them into the chamber. Is your invention something like a ream?

[Joe Plakis, 9575V]

No it is not a ream, it does not remove material, it basically swages the tube back down to size while keeping the inside your bullet diameter

[Michael Bodner]

Joe,

Is this sizer a special tool that you (or dad) sell?

-Mike

[Joe Plakis, 9575V]

I know my dad has made them in the past, but most balked at the price because he was not willing to give them away. The other draw back is that you need to have a single stage press to set the die up in, like one from Ideal.

If you are intrested in one e-mail him at Dabrerrabbit@juno.com.
I have no clue what he would ask for one.