Cartridge Display Board

[Jerry Bruette]

I know we have some shooters here and I'm wondering if any of you have ever built a display board/case for cartridges?

I'd like to build a display board but I'm having trouble finding a good way to attach the cartridges to the board so they're displayed in a secure manner and still be able to see the whole cartridge.

I have about 60 cartridges ranging from 22 rimfire to 50BMG including shot shells.

Anybody have some ideas?

[Lee Schierer]

What about removing the primer and then standing each casing on a small dowel mounted to a narrow shelf in a display box? Rimfire casings could be attached with a dab of hot glue or epoxy.

[Mike Henderson]

I'd sure disable those cartridges before mounting them. The biggest ones can cause some damage if they go off. You just don't know where the display board will wind up in the future, or what someone might do to them (maybe a kid).

(I'm thinking back to things I did with cartridges when I was a kid - really dumb and lucky I didn't get hurt.)

Mike

[Jerry Bruette]

What about removing the primer and then standing each casing on a small dowel mounted to a narrow shelf in a display box? Rimfire casings could be attached with a dab of hot glue or epoxy.

That's a good idea for the rifle and larger pistol cartridges, but I don't know how I'd do it to the shot shells without ruining the shell.

[Phil Mueller]

I'd consider shooting the shotgun shells and re-crimping the end...or pulling the crimp apart to empty the shell and then re-crimp. If you or someone you know reloads the size shells you have, you can re-crimp easily...or make a shell sans powder.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Just get one of these:
https://reloadingunlimited.com/product/frankford-arsenal-impact-bullet-puller/?gclid=CjwKEAiAh560BRDu-aD93r-J_zoSJACrxZG2xPsbtzsfdonCvTwsLuzFDtlTymkISTj5og_QK 1tsUhoCzSzw_wcB

After you pull the bullet, squirt a couple drops of WD40 into the case to deaden the primer. Go ahead and just toss the powder in the lawn - -it's nitroglycerin and/or nitrocellulose -depending on whether it's a single or double based powder - - either way, it's just a basic nitrogen fertilizer.

Since you use inertia to pull the bullet, the crimp on the case neck (if there is one) will stay intact. Simply chamfer the inside of the case neck with a sharp knife and tap the bullet back into place. The neck tension alone will hold the bullets just fine

If you want to go whole hog, you can get a vibrator type case cleaner ( I have Dillon - but Harbor Freight also sells a less expensive one) and some corn cob media and shine the cases up nice and bright.
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-lb-metal-vibrator-tumbler-67617.html

Don't fret about cleaning rounds with primers in them. Vibrating loaded rounds is a common practice among reloaders. I avoid it myself, but, tens of thousands of others have no problems with it. Besides, the WD40 will deaden the primer anyhow so there's nothing to worry about.

After cleaning, spray them with clear gloss lacquer or 100% acrylic.

A dab of Super Glue will hold them to the board just fine.

The shotgun shells and rim fire shells - your on your own there. Usually you can pry up the "star crimp" on a shotgun shell and dump the powder wads and shot.

[Jerry Bruette]

Just get one of these:
https://reloadingunlimited.com/product/frankford-arsenal-impact-bullet-puller/?gclid=CjwKEAiAh560BRDu-aD93r-J_zoSJACrxZG2xPsbtzsfdonCvTwsLuzFDtlTymkISTj5og_QK 1tsUhoCzSzw_wcB

After you pull the bullet, squirt a couple drops of WD40 into the case to deaden the primer. Go ahead and just toss the powder in the lawn - -it's nitroglycerin and/or nitrocellulose -depending on whether it's a single or double based powder - - either way, it's just a basic nitrogen fertilizer.

Since you use inertia to pull the bullet, the crimp on the case neck (if there is one) will stay intact. Simply chamfer the inside of the case neck with a sharp knife and tap the bullet back into place. The neck tension alone will hold the bullets just fine

If you want to go whole hog, you can get a vibrator type case cleaner ( I have Dillon - but Harbor Freight also sells a less expensive one) and some corn cob media and shine the cases up nice and bright.
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-lb-metal-vibrator-tumbler-67617.html

Don't fret about cleaning rounds with primers in them. Vibrating loaded rounds is a common practice among reloaders. I avoid it myself, but, tens of thousands of others have no problems with it. Besides, the WD40 will deaden the primer anyhow so there's nothing to worry about.

After cleaning, spray them with clear gloss lacquer or 100% acrylic.

A dab of Super Glue will hold them to the board just fine.

The shotgun shells and rim fire shells - your on your own there. Usually you can pry up the "star crimp" on a shotgun shell and dump the powder wads and shot.

Yup, got me one of those bullet pullers for correcting mistakes at he reloading bench. Have to check if it'll pull bullets from a 25 ACP tomorrow.

Maybe I can cut a small hole in the shot shells with an X-acto knife to empty out the powder.

Never thought about tumbling the cases after reseating the bullets. Maybe I'll try some hot melt glue for sticking the cases to the board. That way I could move them around if I add more in the future.

Thanks for the ideas.

[Phillip Gregory]

My cartridge board is a screen-printed variety but I did make the frame myself :D

I would epoxy or hot-melt glue the cases to the back of the board to keep them secured. You could also use a tiny dowel or a nail up through the empty primer hole to impale the case as well but that would be less secure than gluing the case to the board. Either way, I would only use nonfunctional ammunition with a bullet loaded into an empty case. I reload shotgun shells and what I would do to make a dummy shotgun shell would be to run a fired hull just through the crimping station to make it look "loaded" but not actually have a live primer or powder in the shell. Use just enough pressure to crimp the case; if you pull the handle all of the way down without a wad or shot in the hull you will turn the fold crimp into a roll crimp like you would see on a Foster slug and it will look weird. I'd put a bullet in an empty rifle or handgun case to make it look loaded but also not put a live primer or powder in it either.

Rimfire, that's a tough one. I'd probably just omit those from my cartridge board as they are either live or just an empty case. I'd pick am empty case over a live round if I had to have rimfire rounds in my board.