We're having a 450/400 3-1/4 BPE made up from a little used Ruger No.1. Getting drawn 450 brass is proving to be a problem these days.

Any experience here with either of the turned brass makers, namely RMC (Rocky Mountain) or RCC (Roberson)? It's pretty pricey stuff!

A turned case is brittle compared to a drawn case.  Nonte described it as the difference between a casting and a forging (doubtless without the alloys now available).

I use RMC brass.  It does not handle full-length resizing, or even normal neck-sizing well.  Annealing might help, but I notice the mouths tore open when sized and expanded after a very few reloadings.

One of those custom neck dies that minimally sizes necks and needs no subsequent expansion will save you those expensive shells.  That, or breech seating, using full charges of black powder, or whatever method keeps the bullet in the case without neck tension.

Aside from that, the brass is very well made dimensionally and very usable.

I have some SMT turned 50-90 brass that never gave up.
I think it’s the predecessor of Red Willow.
Always full length sized it.
Probably 15 loadings.

KWK, Hornady made .450/.400 3 1/4" cases and I fireform these for use in a .450 BPE. If I can still find these out here in Oz you should be able to get them in the USA!
Spud

Scrounging around internet reloading forums, my son found a guy selling some pulled Hornady 450 brass. Who bought such pricey cartridges and pulled them apart? Regardless, my son has paid for 50 of them. We'll see how it goes.

A while back, Hornady said by phone they planned to make a run of 450 brass early this fall, but none has shown up at retailers. I'll keep an eye open.

The big retailers (eg. Graf's and Midway) seem to be dropping Bertram. The place selling Bertram cases in the US replied the lead time for this cartridge case is over a half year.

Thanks for the replies. If this rifle works as hoped, I'm sure I'll get some RMC just to have a few with the correct head stamp.

Lead time on dies (18+ months!) caused us to use the modern CIP Nitro Express case shape for this rifle (off the shelf dies at CH4D). The drawings I have suggest the original BPE cases were a bit narrower in the shoulder, just like the old cartridge sample I own. Oh well, this won't be an original BPE anyway. The rifle's twist will be correct for BPE, and the chamber leade will be for paper patched bullets. This should be fun.

Yes, BP as the propellant, a real BPE. We suspect we won't be quite as E as the original UK rounds, but it should still be a hoot to shoot. We've tested BP with both MC and PP in a 9.3x74R and think we'll be lucky to get within 150 fps of the originals, modern BP being a bit short of the long departed Curtis and Harvey.

Also, just for fun I machined my own reloadable .41 rimfire short case. Its been relaoded probably 8 or 9 times with no problems.

ISS wrote on Oct 5^th, 2022 at 2:57pm:


Great minds think alike: While this build will be on a Ruger 1-S which I own but never shoot, if this goes the way we hope, the Wesson L.R. is currently our next step. (Pity Earle doesn't have the slightly more compact A.Henry side hammer!) However, my son has indicated some ancient double in 400 might be in the running against the W.L.R.