Crimping .22

A

Aguila Blanca

Staff
I need to make up some dummy rounds for a non-firing classroom firearm that has chambers too short to accept .22 LR, so I can't just go out and buy a package of A-zoom action proving dummies. I'm going to have to shoot up a few rounds of my .22 Short and make my own dummies. I have the bullets -- the issue is how to crimp them.

I know there are a couple of companies that sell kits for reloading .22, but their crimper is combined with the bullet mold so it's more than I want to spend. And, at least one of them says it won't work on shorts, so I assume the other one won't either.

All .22 rimfire cases are .226" outside diameter. I would guess I probably need something around .222 to .223 to get a decent enough crimp to keep the bullets from falling out of the cases. Does that sound about right?

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could use as a crimping tool?
 
They are healed bullets. ( the outside of the larger diameter of the bullet is the same size as the case. The lower part of the bullet is a smaller dia to go in the case).

I'm sure you already know that.

The only thing I can think of for what you want to do is possibly using a small tubing cutter to roll a crimp at the top of the case. That would be tedious as hell and it would look funny if you got it to work.

Could you squeeze a crimp in some with a .22 cal collet type bullet puller in you tightened it enough? It would screw up the bullet also unless you modified it.

I'm just thinking out loud.
 
Yes, I know they're heeled bullets. The bullets I'll be using are these:

p-715-img_5794_2.jpg

https://northamericanarms.com/shop/parts/cbb1/

Tedium isn't an issue -- I'm not going to be mass producing these things, just making enough to use as props in classes. But I don't want to mess up the bullets.
 
I don’t know what you want to do with the dummy rounds but if it’s a light enough application you could just glue them in. Otherwise figuring a way to center and crimp them in something like a 223 Lee factory crimp die might work.
 
If your worried about dry fire , some of my friends use those yellow wall anchors , I have a CZ no issues with dry fire even though I still don't dry fire a 22.
 
JB Weld should work as long as you don't get too much on the case. Just use a pair of pliers to set a light crimp after seating the bullet
 
Agree about gluing, but there may be wax or another lubricant on the bullets. You'd have to get that off before most glues would stick. Superglue is an exception that will usually stick through a grease coating, but I would clean it off even for that.

Another possibility depends on what your bullets are made from. If they are nearly pure lead, they will have a higher melting point than 60:40 electronics solder or than the lead-free electronics solders. So you use a pair of pliers to hold a case while you heat and tin the inside of the case mouths with solder. You may have to run a bore brush around the inside of the mouth to get a good soldering surface. Brass takes some extra patience and sometimes some extra flush to make solder adhere to it well, but ultimately it will stick. Next, clean off the bullets below the bearing band and insert them into the cases and heat them gently until the solder re-melts. Polish the finished item and you are good to go.
 
On my budget, I’d try to McGyver something with an old pair of wire strippers, a drill, and a rat tail file. ??????
 
Be best to buy .22 LR DP rounds. A dozen A-Zoom DP rounds runs $12.92 on Amazon. $12.99 from Brownell's. Or 50 Precision Gun Specialties 'orange' Saf-T-Trainers for $17.99. Also from Brownell's. Save you a lot of time.
 
T. O'Heir said:
Be best to buy .22 LR DP rounds. A dozen A-Zoom DP rounds runs $12.92 on Amazon. $12.99 from Brownell's. Or 50 Precision Gun Specialties 'orange' Saf-T-Trainers for $17.99. Also from Brownell's. Save you a lot of time.
Click to expand...
No, they won't save me any time. They'll waste both time and money. As I wrote in the opening post:

I need to make up some dummy rounds for a non-firing classroom firearm that has chambers too short to accept .22 LR, so I can't just go out and buy a package of A-zoom action proving dummies.
Click to expand...
 
22 crimp

Another suggestion, Bernie at Old West Bullet Molds makes modified Lee factory crimp (collet) dies to custom specs. He has for example one in stock for 32 colt (heeled). He made me a custom one for my Evans carbine in 44 Evans Long (also a heeled bullet). Price seems very reasonable to me.
 
I would suggest using a small drill bit to drill small hole (low speed) in the base of the bullet.

Next, screw an appropriate length and size wood screw into the base of the bullet so that the head of the screw will be off the bottom of the .22 short case when seated.

Now mix up a bit of J-B weld and place it in the empty case(leaving capacity for the bullet with the screw of course).

Seat the bullet and let the epoxy harden.
The bullet will not pull from the case.

This method is how I make 8mm dummies for the 'last round' in the '42, and it does work.
It keeps the bolt from going home on an empty chamber.
The '42 has a violent action that eats the aluminum A-zoom dummies.
Just seating bullets in empty cases results in the bullet being pulled from the case on the second use.

JT
 
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