Bullet Pen - 308 Caliber Dressed in Antler

[James Combs]

Today I made another kit-less bullet pen. This one is from a 308 cartridge with a 155.5 grain bullet.

It uses a cigar type 8mm transmission, the same clip/finial as the 8mm Mauser, and it has a Parker gel writer type refill. Yesterday's 8mm Mauser used a 7mm slimline transmission with a standard cross ball point refill.

The upper barrel is turned from deer antler. The amber colored spots are a few of the antler "wrinkles" that were inside the curved part of the horn. They are actually surface depressions instead of spots.

Here is a couple of standard views.
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The rest of these shots I was just trying to be different from my usual standard shots.:p:rolleyes:
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[William Hutchinson]

Cool pen and excellent craftsmanship. I'm betting that you could close down a concourse going through security packing a pocket full of those.:eek:

[Bernie Weishapl]

Beautiful pen James. Well done.

[John Keeton]

Another nice one, JD. I take it you are using a reloading press to seat the bullet in the unprimed casing. Do you drill the tip of the bullet prior to seating, or afterward? Of course, I know nothing of the mechanics of penmaking, but how do you join the two halves since there is no threaded section on the casing?

[James Combs]

Cool pen and excellent craftsmanship. I'm betting that you could close down a concourse going through security packing a pocket full of those.:eek:

I suspect you right. Homeland security would think that got the big one.:eek:


Another nice one, JD. I take it you are using a reloading press to seat the bullet in the unprimed casing. Do you drill the tip of the bullet prior to seating, or afterward? Of course, I know nothing of the mechanics of penmaking, but how do you join the two halves since there is no threaded section on the casing?

Reloading press... Naa, just my pen press "if" I need a press. These are used casings and have not been re-sized. Actually most of them I can push the bullet into the neck by hand.;)

Joining halves... I will post a photo later that will show how I do that part.:)

[James Combs]

Another nice one, JD. I take it you are using a reloading press to seat the bullet in the unprimed casing. Do you drill the tip of the bullet prior to seating, or afterward? Of course, I know nothing of the mechanics of penmaking, but how do you join the two halves since there is no threaded section on the casing?


As promised. A photo of the inner workings of a kit-less bullet pen. From what I have seen most kit-less pens (and kitted pens as well) use some variation of this. The difference is that in the kitted versions everything is pre-cut, sized and fitted, for the kit-less you do your own measuring, cutting, fitting, etc. Simple right?

Pen internals:
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[Mike Minto]

James, you sure do make some cool pens! Excellent photography, too!

[Ted Calver]

James, Thanks for posting the 'how to'. I wondered how they went together.