| WARNING: The information described on this page is for amusement only! Actually doing any of the following is dangerous to life and limb. I do not know for certain but I'm fairly certain that it will create a 2.5 inch 410 cartridge that if fired in a 410 shotgun chambered for only 2.5 inch shells will produce chamber pressures over SAAMI spec pressure of 12,500 psi for a 2 1/2 inch chamber 410 shotgun. This could damage or destroy your firearm and possible even damage or kill yourself. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! |
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This is the Goal of the project, a 2.5 inch 410 slug. The Brenneke 410 slug has many desirable feature over the other slugs on the market. Brenneke slugs are the heaviest being offered, at 114 grains, when compared to Federal, Remington and Winchester. The Brenneke slug is also the only slug with an integrated polymer gas seal and is cast of a harder alloy then the other three slug manufactures. This results in a slug with high kinetic energy and good penetration when compared to other 410 slugs. Why cut them down from the original 3 inch hulls? Because the Winchester 9410 is a very sweet little gun but is only chambered for the 2.5 inch 410 shell and I seek a slug worthy of such a fine weapon and the best slug for hunting whitetail deer with. |
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First I cut the hull open. I found this was done very nicely by using a pair of craftsman handi-cuts to cut thru the hull just below the fold of the roll crimp. You have to be sure to leave enough of the hull to later re-roll crimp it. You only need to cut the outer layer of the hull with the inner layer of the roll crimp protecting the point of the slug. Extracting the parts is facilitated with the use of a straight pin that just the very point, only about 1/16 of and inch, is bent at 90 degrees and held in a pair of hemostats. Inserting the needle about 3/8 inch with the point tangent to the slug. After inserting the needle turn it 90 degrees letting the point dig into the side of the slug and gently pull the needle out drawing the slug with it until it can be grasped with fingers. The space/gas seal below the slug is easily extracted using a long thin needle nose pliers. Be careful to scrap any propellant stuck to the bottom of the gas seal back into the hull. The hull contained about 16 grains of an unknown cut flake powder. |
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The handi-cut again come in handy again to trim the hull down. With all the components removed except the powder charge the case is trimmed to 2.5 inches long. A never fired Cheddite hulls is a convenient template for cutting the hulls down to the correct length. The base of a Sharpie marker works well to return the hull back to round from the slight crimp the handi-cut puts in the hull. |
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After the hull is cut down simple put the slug back in the hull minus the spacer. I purchase a roll crimper form Ballistic Products and my Dewalt cordless drill make quick work of re-roll crimping the hull. |
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There you go know you have 2.5 Brenneke slugs. Keep in mind that they were originally loaded in 3 inch hulls and the powder charge is probably going to generate upwards of 13,500 psi that being the SAAMI specification for a 3" 410 gun. A 2.5 inch 410 gun is only specified to 12,500 psi. Keep this in mind if you chose to try this. |
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