Galoots-
I too use casings (brass and stainless steel) from fired ammunition for ferrules
or whatever.  I don't give safety
a second thought if the primer has a dimple in it.  I was cautioned to avoid a
.50 caliber casing that had an undimpled
(and therefore presumed live) primer by the collective wisdom of the porch.  I
agree that expended "brass" is an excellent
source for ferrules and comes in a wide assortment of sizes.  9mm seems to be
the most common available to me in AZ but
.38, .40, .45 are also easily found. .22, .32 and .44 are also available.  Rifle
calibers are less common but also worth collecting.
It's nice to be able to fit the best caliber for the tool in need of a new
handle and ferrule.  I have saw off the rim of .50 caliber
brass for the blade end ferrule (not the end cap) on a draw knife.  There was
enough meat to the brass to file a gentle curved
dome to the replacement handles and files opened up the primer hole to match the
rectangular cross-section of the draw knife tang.
I usually use a plumbers copper tube/pipe cutter to cut the needed length of
ferrule and then slightly taper the inside of the cut
to help get the tight fit I like.  But brass is hard on my tube cutter wheels
and I need to replace the wheels.
Just my $.02.
Good Luck,
chuck
 

________________________________________
From: OldTools  on behalf of Philip Yarra

Sent: Saturday, February 6, 2016 7:25 PM
To: OldTools
Subject: [OldTools] Brass ferrules from old shell casings

Hi all,

I regularly find myself needing to make small ferrules (for example, for
scratch awls, small marking knives, that kind of thing). I like brass
ferrules, but getting hold of brass tube of a suitable size can be
tricky, unless you like paying exorbitant prices.

So when I recently acquired a handful of old 9mm shells - decades ago
fired and abandoned in the dirt - I figured they'd make an ideal source
of brass. Cleaned and cut to size they work very nicely - the slight
taper inside the cartridge works well to give a tight fit when they're
pressed on.

A few weeks later I mentioned it to a friend - one who actually owns a
gun, and shoots regularly. He was alarmed, and warned me that the primer
cap can "often" only partially detonate, and might explode if heated,
jolted, poked, or worked with tools that generate sparks. He stressed
the likelihood of serious injury.

I've never ever heard of such a thing. I can't find anything about it on
the internet. And judging by the sheer number of people who re-use empty
cartridges for craft projects, they haven't either. None of the guides
to hand-loading ammo I could find mention this as a possible hazard. I
guess there are a few people on this list who might know. Can anyone
shed light on this? Is this warning bogus, or am I heading for a future
where I'm nicknamed "Stumpy"?

Currently I'm using a junior hacksaw to work these pieces, so I doubt
I'm generating sparks, or even much heat. The old 9mm shells had been
buried for decades; there's nothing left that could go bang. The much
more recently fired .30-06 shells I acquired a few weeks ago, though,
are giving me pause for thought.

Cheers,
Philip.


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