40mm Bofors Question

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally posted by Rob Fast
Yes, my gun barrel is still pinned and deactivated, but capable of firing blank 2 oz. black powder cardboard plug blanks. I have cut off some old Bofors shells to a 6 inch length, loading by hand through the top, no rammer involved. If I would use a full length shell and the rammer with no tapered head inserted in the shell, it just gets caught up and bent up in the barrel opening. I am having a heck of a time getting the shell rammed all the way into the barrel, so the breech face can clear the primer on closing and firing. Why are things so tight? Have the old brass shells expanded at their base? The shell has to be rammed into the hole to the max before the breech face will clear, and the extractors release. Maybe thing are just not clean enough down in the hole? Any thoughts? Thanks Rob

Rob..
Get your brass preped for priming and loading...
Before you are ready to prime aneal your brass casing..Get it cherry red...let cool and then either ram the cooled casing into the breech or turn out a dummy breech block and size your casing on the bench by pressing it into the breech mold...
use some G-96 on the casing and pop it out after sizing..then prime and load it and it will slide right into the breech..All brass has to be resized before reloading..anealing it makes it easy and keeps the brass from cracking...
(Even if it is cracked ,repair it with bronze welding rod...)
It is not worth repairing small casings but big casings are worth it..I wouldn't suggest repairing cases for full pressure live rounds but low charge blanks should be ok...