For the rare few who might be reloading for the 24 gauge, I'd like to hear from you on your loads, tools, etc.
I have just converted a MEC600 to load 24's. As you can imagine, it is a combination of 28 and 20 gauge parts, with some special machining on some parts -- resize ring, shell rim holder, wad guide, crimp starter and crimp die. The trick part of course, is the crimp die, as it must have a certain internal taper to close and round the crimp edge, and the crimp closing plunger must also be of the right size. All of the other modified parts are easy to alter on a lathe, but not the crimp die. I had a special reamer with the proper taper made to bore out a 28 gauge die. It also takes another simple reamer to expand the recess inside the die for the crimp closing plunger, and then you need to turn down a crimp closing plunger from a 20 gauge or larger to suit. Now that I have the tools to make the modifications, it seems a waste not to make more parts if there are people out there that need them. PM me if you need help. I am not trying to get into the manufacturing business, but I would like to recoup the cost of the tool.
I might make a roll crimper later. Ballistic Products says you can use a 28 or 20 roll crimper, but they do a lousy job and the case is ruined for future use. Even if you had the right sized roll crimper, you can't get as many reloads out of a roll-crimped hull anyway. The only reason I'm interested in a roll crimper for the 24 is to maximize the use of case capacity for 1 oz loads in the Fiocchi 65 mm case, which is the only case I can get right now. Admittedly a 1 oz load doesn't make a ton of sense in a 24 (neither does a 24 for that matter), but it is proportionally (by the square of bore diameter) the same as a 1.125 oz 20 (same shot column length -- similar internal ballistics). So there! I bet there are a number of people who think 1.125 is cool in the 20.
Right now I'm using data and components from Ballistic Products, but I am also prone to extrapolate 28 and 20 data (E-Gads!!) to get what I think I want. (I have a strong modern gun -- Beretta 686 Special) I'd like some decent 7/8 and possibly 1 oz loads, though 1 oz is stretching it a bit (not nearly as big a stretch as 1 oz in the 28!).
Wads are a small problem. Circle Fly can source conventional card and filler wads, but the Gualandi plastic wad columns from Ballistic products seem suited mostly to 11/16 oz loads. I do a little X-Acto knife surgery to use the cup seal part of the wad, and also can save the shot cup -- fill in the middle with fibre wads to suit. By all means, buy a 24 if you want to screw around. If you don't want yours, sell it to me. Guess I just never met a shell I didn't want to shoot or reload.
Love to hear from other 24 gaugers. Should we start a 24 Gauge Society? Nah -- might be pretty lonely.
Best Regards,
Tony Lowe
