Many years ago I remember steel headed cases being listed in the annual Handloaders Digest. I seem to remember that brass case body was screwed to the steel head.

Could the people with the good lathe work:

1) Make steel heads for the case.

2) Make the appropriate case body with a couple of different case capacities. Using the the 505 Gibbs case size as an example I was thinking along the lines of a normal capacity and one with very thick walls that reduced the capacity back to 458 Winchester. The steel head would solve all soft brass problems for full loads (especially if the Gibbs case was used for 416 or 45 bore) and the reduced capacity cases would greatly enhance reduced loads.

Mike

Mike375,
I read an article on this years ago. I think Craig Boddington was the author. It was on cases for the .375H&H. It is an interesting concept but I wonder what the cases would be like at higher pressures.

Mike375, do you know how THICK the walls would be on a 505 Gibbs sized case with only the capacity of a 458 Win mag? The would be ~ 1.6mm thick!!

What kind of steel do you want used for the heads? Is a pipe thread to be utilized, if so straight or tapered threads? Could the steel head be "glued" to the brass body with a high strength bonding agent?

The biggest problem I can think of is the difference in expansion between the steel end and brass body at the attachment joint. This difference in deflections between the steel head and brass body while lead to the brass fatiguing at the attachment. In other words you brass case my split were it mates to the steel head. This problem will be amplified by a threaded connection as this introduces stress risers!

I could machine some for you. Just let me know what caliber and how you want them joined!

Axel

Reduced capacity cases are a popular product, and they don't need steel heads at all. Here, the best-known maker of those is Samereier.

Carcamo

FWIW-

The cases you refer to were "O'Conner (sp?) Steelhead" cases. They were available in 30'06 and standard belted mag. casehead size, I believe only unformed (straight).

I haven't seen anything on them in several years.

Bob

I still have some of these cases somewhere in my shop...I played with them a little and you could damn well load them sky high with on undue stress on case or gun...It would make a 300 Wby out of a 06 and I was afraid to go beyound that, but I think I could have...

At any rate it didn't fly mostly because the brass part of the cases were too hard to come by they screw into the steel heads...I never did get a flat primer out of them...I think the concept was sound, it just never got off its feet.

I have a number of this O'Connor units for sale in .300, .270, and .250 Savage. email me if you are interested

Mike, one Time ago we tried some for the .408"CT



left Steel Composite, right Brass




The Junction was laser weld. Belive me, that Stuff is not easy!

Lutz

Duh-Mikey- The booze making you forget again? Try the 12 GaFH concept. Real Tough concept there! Only been done a million times. What a breakthrough in thinking!-Rob

I have photographed a .270 case of the O'Connor Rifle Products Steelhead case. I have personally loaded them in .458 Win Mag .375 H&H Mag, .300 Win Mag, .270 win, and .250 Savage. You can get unbelievable velocity with no serious pressure problems. I bought a huge lot of these in I believe 1983 or '84. There were very expensive, something like $7.50 per case (I could be wrong about this as it was a long time ago and I am now a lot older) but at that time I liked to play with my toys and spend at least two full days a week at the range(one day was Wed. when there were few people there to bother me). I had a Ohler(SP model 33 I think which at the time was a great unit. All my records were destroyed by Hurrican Andrew in 1992, I still have some which I have noted above if anyone is interested. I will try and get my scanner up and running and I will scan the insturction and post them FYI. It was an interesting play time and the old timers at the range loved the idea and of course I loved the results. The design of the case reduces the capacity a good bit, but you can fix that by using faster powders. Some of the powders that I used are no longer available it was so long ago lol lol.
I am not a whiz at the computer thing so here goes the attempt to attach the photos

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p109/1eyedjack46/DSCN03720001.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p109/1eyedjack46/DSCN03700001.jpg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p109/1eyedjack46/DSCN03710001.jpg

If this doesn't work would someone please tell me how to attach photos.

Will wonders never cease! I have done it. I could get about 4 or 5 loadings per brass body before I would get neck split, but I suppose if you anealled (SP) the necks you could streash(SP) that. I wish to sell the cases I have so if anyone is interested PM me and I will give you a figure. I no longer reload.