The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Aguila mini shells for home defense ??? hunting ???

6thMichCav · July 7, 2008, 07:17 PM

Quote: "I'm also considering buying a couple 100 all brass 12 ga. shells, & reloading my own, & I may cut them down to duplicate the minis, if I can get function at that length to 100%".

First, you don't need my advice, because internet advice is usually worth the paper it is printed on (yes, that's a joke).

However...cutting down regular shells to a smaller size could be a dangerous practice that can leave you with "proof load" pressures even though the report, recoil, and accuracy don't seem to indicate problems. You may not know about a pressure problem until the receiver of your shotgun decides to spontaneously detonate. You can measure case expansion, primer flattening, and other symptoms of pressure, but at the point of firing, firing cut-down shells makes you into your own proof house. The results could be perfectly safe and under 10,000 psi, or they could be 15,000 psi gunwreckers.

Please, if you decide to reconfigure a shell, find a lab and send them five shells to pressure test. We don't want to lose a fellow shooter to injury or worse.

July 7, 2008, 07:17 PM	#19
6thMichCav Member Join Date: May 26, 2008 Posts: 52	Magnum Wheel Man Quote: "I'm also considering buying a couple 100 all brass 12 ga. shells, & reloading my own, & I may cut them down to duplicate the minis, if I can get function at that length to 100%". First, you don't need my advice, because internet advice is usually worth the paper it is printed on (yes, that's a joke). However...cutting down regular shells to a smaller size could be a dangerous practice that can leave you with "proof load" pressures even though the report, recoil, and accuracy don't seem to indicate problems. You may not know about a pressure problem until the receiver of your shotgun decides to spontaneously detonate. You can measure case expansion, primer flattening, and other symptoms of pressure, but at the point of firing, firing cut-down shells makes you into your own proof house. The results could be perfectly safe and under 10,000 psi, or they could be 15,000 psi gunwreckers. Please, if you decide to reconfigure a shell, find a lab and send them five shells to pressure test. We don't want to lose a fellow shooter to injury or worse.