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Styrofoam Peanuts as case fillers

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01 August 2004, 03:11
graycg
Styrofoam Peanuts as case fillers
Before I even go down this road, I've used kapok, dacron and super grex as case fillers before....but what about the good old styrofoam peanut? Has anyone ever played around with them as case fillers? Looking at those bad boys makes me think that they would be perfect in my 32-40 and 45-70....Whattcha think?

regards,
graycg
01 August 2004, 04:10
arkypete
I've used styrofoam cups as case filler. What I did was cut the cup apart, remove the bottom and after dropping the powder, I pressed the cup down on the freshly deburred, flared and chamfered case mouth, cutting a styrofoam wad.
I pushed the styrofoam wad down on top of the powder with a wooden dowel, loaded the cast bullet and was ready for business.
Jim
01 August 2004, 07:19
Paul B
I'm not sure that would be a good idea in either case. One, that styrofoam could melt and leave a deposit in the barrel, especially from the peanuts.
Also, pressing a wad onto the powder could raise a problem.
Picture this. Styrofoam plug is pressed against the powder. Plenty of air space between the plug and the bullet. Powder ignites, and for some odd reason, the plug doesn't melt or burn up before hitting the bullet. Now at that point, the plug itself it technically speaking, the bullet, and the bullet is a bore obstruction. Could possibly ring the barrel. Think it can't happen? I loaded up a box of 45-70 ammo with a light load of Unique, IIRC. I got the bright idea that a 410 shotgun over powder pressed down on the powder would be a good idea. I shot the whole box of ammo up while at the range. No, the gun didn't blow up, but there are now two nice little rings on the barrel. I just happened to be out of either dacron or kapok on the day I loaded that ammo and ad libbed. Would it have happened had I used styrofoam? Hell! I don't know. Maybe, maybe not.
My point is, the potential is there. Eighteen of those rounds did absolutely nothing as far as the problem goes. But two did. Just something to consider.
The good thing about all that it that rifle is now more accurate that before the barrel got ringed. Helluva way to accurize a gun though.
Paul B.
01 August 2004, 08:19
arkypete
I no longer use the technique. I was using up some of the 4227 that a buddy gave me in the 45-70, using 255 grain SWCs for plinking.
Jim