doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Brass hulls and over shot cards

I'm hoping someone out there is loading brass shotshells and has an answer. What are you using to hold in the over shot card? I have tried Elmer's Glue, Duco, something else and even ordered a bottle of sodium silicate with the understanding that was the original adhesive used. Elmer's and Duco dry out and the sodium silicate, being sodium, appeared to turn to salt.

If I use the shells fairly soon after loading there's no difficulty with any of them but long term on the shelf, something like a year, none have been satisfactory. I'm getting ready to load a box and would like to use something better, if there is such a thing.

For me Elmer's wood glue works well and lasts much longer than Elmer's white glue. I've used it on Rocky Mountain and 'antique' brass hulls. The temperature the loaded ammo is stored may affect whatever you use. My unheated basement will get cold during the winter and I sometimes the glue and overshot card will move or fall out when loading the hull into the gun.

I gave up on the glues. I just use 1/8” thick , tight fitting wads , and have no problems.

edited as I typed 1/4" when I meant to type 1/8"

Although you probably already know this, for any NON RMC Brass Hulls you need to go a size bigger on wads & cards 11 gauge for 12 gauge and so on.

In my .410 turkey brass, I use slightly oversized OSC's and Duco Cement glue. Never had an issue with that set up (RMC brass). From season to season they are stored in my home. Gil

Chantry, I thought I used wood glue but I might have dis-remembered. I'll try it.

Daryl, what does that thick a wad do to the pattern, if anything?

Chantry, yes sir, I'm using 15 gauge wads in the 16 gauge hulls. My hulls are Mag-Tech, I believe. They aren't RMC.

Gil, thank you.

I found that when I used lubed cushion wads the lube on the inside of the brass prevents any glue from sticking. Now after inserting the wad and before adding shot, I wipe the inside of the mouth thoroughly with an acetone-dampened rag, and then I use waterglass (sodium silicate) to secure the overshot card. Seems to work.

I always thought water glass pretty much lasted indefinitely. Interesting that the poster has problems with it turning to "salt".

I just cut the point small enough to run a bead of silicone around the top of the over the shot card and it will dry and hold the shot in, and when fired, the silicone and shot card fly freely with no adverse effect…

Sodium silicate or water glass is an inorganic salt. But it really isn't corrosive to brass. In fact, it is used in some plumbing and cooling systems to prevent corrosion.

I haven't yet tried loading with brass hulls. But a friend of mine does, and he drips a thin layer of melted candle wax on the over shot wad to hold it in place.