How Do They Make Brass Rifle Cases?
The production of brass rifle cases or cartridges is a highly mechanized industrial process. The process involves numerous steps and transforms a round brass disk into a precision-formed shell casing. According to the website AccurateShooter.com the process of shaping the rifle case is identical for sport and hunting weapons as it is for military artillery. Uniform rifle cases play a part in the accuracy of the firearm. High quality rifle cases are always suggested.
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Forming the Tube of the Case
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Each brass rifle case starts as a brass button. The size of the button or disk is uniform and calculated to provide at least the amount of brass needed to shape the rifle case. The brass is forced by high-pressure hydraulic rams through hardened steel dies into a tube near the diameter of the cartridge with one closed end. This process is known as extrusion. A similar process uses high-pressure rams to pull the brass around a steel die. This is known as the draw process. Both are used in the process of making brass rifle cases, but the extrusion process is more common.
Cutting and Basic Shaping
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After the tube of the cartridge is formed, it is trimmed to length. The base of the rifle casing is forced into a steel die, again using a high-pressure hydraulic ram, to form the square base of the case. This process creates a thicker base, or floor, of the rifle case that will serve as the location of the primer pocket and the rim of the casing. Any waste brass generated by these processes is usually captured and recycled.
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Final Shaping
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The neck of the rifle case is formed by pressing the partially formed cartridge into another steel die, using high-pressure hydraulic rams. The rim of the casing is cut, using a steel tool on a turning lathe. The primer pocket, a small housing in the base of the case for the primer with a hole extending to the interior of the case, is formed, using a punch, or drilled into place.
Cleaning
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Brass rifle cases are usually cleaned in a dry tumbler filled with cleaning medium.
Distribution
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Manufactured brass rifle cases are sold to sportsmen for hand loading or sold to an ammunition manufacturer for loading and marketing as rifle cartridges.
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References
- Photo Credit cartridge image by ann triling from Fotolia.com
