Hello, I would like to fire form some brass,in my basement.I was thinking of useing a 55gal. drum filled to about 6in.from the rim with water,and capped.then insert my rifle barrel through the bung hole and 8 or so inches below the surface of the water,and fire.Do you guys think that this would substantialy muffle the report? Thanks.

STOP...
walk away from this idea..

do NOT attempt....

water is an incompressable fluid.... if you have your barrel under water, you run the risk of grave personal injury if not death.

for example, if you have a true fireforming load, it's going to do SOME of the following...
blow up (no joke)
buldge the barrel
displace enough water to remove the lid
spray water to the ceiling from the bung hole
rupture the case /gas issue...

I WOULD NOT TRY EVEN WITH A PRIMER (though some lessron might think it's a good idea, even after a warning posted)


I don't think the noise level would even been to come into play, as you would be hopping, cursing, bleeding, drum leaking, lid bounching off the roof, barrel traveling with the lid, stickign through the 1st floor floor, burst barrel and all, and you standing in the basement, drenched from head to toe, fuses flow out, and the wife, running to see what you blew up, trips over the rifle barrel, comes down stairs just in time for you to turn on the lights... sees the rifle and lid stuck to the roof, and well... a few minutes later the ambulance shows up, with you face down on the stretcher, and 3 paramedics wondering if it's safe to pull the rifle out....

What Jeffe said

If you use a plastic thick sided barrel
empty you can muffle sound quite a lot.
No bullets only filler and a wax or
playdough plug. Set barrel up horizontal
and shoot forming loads into a hole on
the end. Couple hundred lbs of sand
in the barrel as it lays down also helps dampen the sound.Just have muzzle sticking into
barrel a far as possible above the sand.
Hole with close fit will hold
most of the sound in.Ed

Consider safety over convenience; fire forming is discharging a firearm even if you use COW & wax. Wildcatting is inconvenient by its very nature, so be smart & don’t take unnecessary risk. As explained earlier the consequences can be disastrous. Unless you have a proper, indoor range, put on a good set of earmuffs & take it outside. Treat the fire forming load as you would any live round & don’t point it toward anything you don’t wish to kill; because it can!

I have seen hydraulic case forming rigs that were at least quieter than shooting, but they were made by the gunsmiths who used them.

I haven't seen one in a wildcat's years...jim

I know a lot of shooters who fire-form in their garage (I do it too) but it's usually with the smaller cartridges like a K Hornet or a PPC. With the bigger cases it's not easy to muffle the sound. You can try a very long piece of PVC pipe with the far end in a box of dampened rags (fire danger) or some guys say shooting with the muzzle in a big roll of insulation works well. You have to replace the insulation from time to time as it does eventually shred. But, in the end, the best way is to stuff a small piece of TP in the case to hold the powder in place and then drive to some area where no one is around and then just shoot up in the air. In bad weather I have even done it out of the truck window.

Ray

quote:

Originally posted by Cheechako:
In bad weather I have even done it out of the truck window.Ray

You can do this in East LA and never get noticed. roger

Roger

Priceless.

Ray

An old empty steel beer keg full of dry sand.

Just poke the muzzle in thru the top where the valve usually goes.

Is this a Darwin moment?

There have been fires reported in rifle silencing rigs from the accumulation over time of grains of unburned powder. I would rather bang them off at a range than in a house garage or basement.

jim

quote:

I would like to fire form some brass,in my basement.I was thinking of useing a 55gal. drum filled to about 6in.from the rim with water,and capped.then insert my rifle barrel through the bung hole and 8 or so inches below the surface of the water,and fire.Do you guys think that this would substantialy muffle the report?

What are you going to do about all the smoke??????? Yes there's going to be smoke and a heavy powder smell...

DM

quote:

Originally posted by Cheechako:
... You can try a very long piece of PVC pipe with the far end in a box of dampened rags (fire danger) ...
Ray

I can verify the danger of fire. Even when FF the little .17 K Hornet...

Don't do this.
I live in the city too. If you want to shoot at home move to the country or the ghetto.
...tj3006

Before Grayback Wildcats went out of business, you could purchase hydraulic-formed cases. I've always wondered what those hydraulic presses look like, and if they are easy to make or come by. Anyone know?

Thanks for the replies.I have decided to be cautious and abandon the 55gal. drum.I did try to find out about hydraulic forming ,and could not gather any info,aside from the fact that the late great Rocky Gibbs used this method.I would very much appreciate any info or thoughts on the hyd.method. thanks again.

I can't recall where I got them, but I have a set of drawings/photos/text for the Gibbs-style hydraulic case forming setup. Basically, you use the FL die from the reloading set and this adapter, along with oil and a big hammer to create the pressure and form the case. No press needed, but I suppose a guy could rig somthing up. I never got around to trying it, but it should be safe to do in town

If you want a copy, let me know. I'll be about 2 Mb of stuff, so maybe PM me an appropriate e-mail address and I can send it off.

You have to go to the range to shoot. So, just make up fireforming loads and get yer butt out there.

Rich
DRSS