Speer Plastic Bullets and Cases

[bula]

My goodies showed up from Midway. Seems like years ago they had plastic bullets that you thumb pressed into your brass cases and like these, only primer powered. These, now, require you to buy a plastic case too. Maybe so just a nail or something required to de-prime and no press or tool required ? Anyone here playing with these ? Any advice ? I'll check Speer website in a bit, did see a video on them being shot, but not being assembled. Also for the 1st time bought the shot capsules, have always just loaded shot into the brass cases and used a stiff overcard of some kind. It has occurred to me that there is likely some extra space between the Bullseye and the bottom of the capsule, may have to see if I can make use of the extra space available. Anyone here doing that ?

[bula]

Oh, all my goodies in 44.

[bradshaw]

“.... Seems like years ago they had plastic bullets that you thumb pressed into your brass cases and like these, only primer powered.”
----bula

*****

Practiced, age 18, fast draw with Speer plastic bullets. Shot ‘em in a old Ruger Blackhawk and S&W Chief’s Special. Think I did the same with early 1960’s Super Blackhawk, M-29, and M-19.

The Speer red plastic bullet is pressed into a Speer black plastic case with finger pressure. Before seating the “bullet,” the case is primed thus: press plastic case over primer on a hard surface. A priming tool is unnecessary. Following beaucoup dry fire fast draw, always focussed on a target, the next step incorporated Speer plastic bullets against layered cardboard----an actual target. Last, live ammo fast draw, always in mind of the target, with speed a product of smoothness. You don’t want one accident with plastic bullets, and you cannot have a single accident with live ammo.

The primer fires the plastic projectile with a loud pop, quieter, however, than a primer fired in an empty case. I never tried loading Speer plastic bullets in a cartridge case; they aren’t designed for that. I still have Speer plastic bullets & cases from over a half-century ago. Ought to try ‘em, again.

CAUTION
The Speer plastic bullet is accurate enough for practice across a modest room. It breaks and can penetrate masonite, and easily penetrates cardboard. It will tear a towel hung over a cardboard box, and likely cut the cardboard. In other words, it has more penetration and cutting action than a wax bullet fired by primer.
David Bradshaw

[bula]

Thank you. As boys we had wrist rocket sling shots and made a wood frame and hung a piece of indoor/outdoor carpeting to stop and catch the iron ore pellets we used. Thinking maybe a similar trap, catch basin kinda thing ? Will wear eye protection, look like a bouncy kinda projectile. Ears if in basement. Will see what it takes to slow, stop them. Remember when we got our first compound bows and started to crank up the weights. Bales of hay from the field no longer adequate. Used my 1st car, a '66 Coronet to squeeze down and re-tie the bales. Used bumper and pushed against brick garage ! Dad wasn't home.. Fun to be had with these plastic bullets. Safely, the plan.

[jgt]

I have only used them in 44 caliber. My BIL and I set up a cardboard box in his living room with a target stapled to the front. When done we moved the box and found the bullets had penetrated both sides of the box and the sheetrock. Had to replace the sheetrock with a large enough piece that would cover a paper plate size space. It was great fun until his wife found out what we had done. Filed it under things that make you go Hmmm!!

[bula]

Am thinking indoor/outdoor scrap with 5-6" of various types or densities of foam between carpeting and back of box.  First tries will be outside. Wife did give me a warning, she is still not happy about the airsoft BB dings in the door on the dryer. Can't help it,a tempting across the basement shot from the loading bench. 

[bula]

Alrighty ! One test shot fired, now have 49 bullets .. No more "trials" until trap devised. So, effective and non-damaging to plastic case way to de-prime ? 

[bula]

Memory back online now, coffee hit bottom. Went downstairs and dug back to Speer #10 Manual. Good info, directions, and plan for trap. 

[Paden]

Are these primed with regular lead styphnate primers? Anyone concerned with contaminating their living space by using these indoors??

[nicholst55]

Here's a thread at Cast Boolits about making your own handgun shotshells:

castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?77286-Revolver-shot-loads-that-WORK!

Here's another on loading the Speer shot capsules:

castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?357875-Loading-Speer-Shot-Capsules

[bradshaw]

An old towel or two, draped over several sheets of corrugated cardboard, back by an old pillow or piece of foam board, should be plenty to stop the Speer plastic bullet. I had no trouble recovering the “bullets” undamaged, ready to reload in the Speer plastic case. Never had a ricochet problem with materials I used to stop the plastic pills; recall no damage to architecture. Memory, which may have to be revived by visiting these projectiles again. A memory which recalls diminishing accuracy from longer barrels, such as my old Blackhawk 6-1/2” .357, vs the Chief’s Special 2” .38 Special. Occurs to me a half-century later, the shorter chamber of the .38 may better center the plastic wadcutter. But such an assumption may be false. Accuracy may just degrade as the plastic slug rattles down the longer barrel.
David Bradshaw

[jsh]

I want to say it was bull X that made some rubber wadcutters for modified brass cases, primer only.

The shot shells make me think about my project I have not finished. 45-70 Hornady brass, rim thinned and turned down, full cylinder length in the 480 Ruger.
As to the 45 Colt shot shells, the speed capsules were hard to come by but I ran across some and bought four boxes. Prior to that I cut down 410 hulls and loaded them. Used flat over powder wads and a flat cardboard over shot wad, a little Elmers glue around the edge of the over shot card worked fine.
My Blackhawk had no issue with the shotgun primer, YMMV.

Bagged a charging ground squirrel with the 410 load this spring.

[bula]

Paden, good question. The trap could go in the garage. I've used my rice loads of primer and 3grs of Bullseye in the house, maybe 10-12 times. Either way I don't see this as a regular volume thing for me. Bradshaw, please do dig'em out and refresh the memory and share. 

[jimtx]

I still have my speer red plastic cases and black tips, I've had them for 30 years, started using them in my Dad's chief Special and a python I had. They were great for winter time garage shoots. But after awhile need ventilation.