Finding 35 Remington brass is very hard as the rifles are not used much in these parts.

I do a lot of off season shooting and enjoy the cartridge after discovering a 336 RC at the gun shop about three years ago.
Cast bullets and steel plates have burned many fun hours.

Brass I am told could be made using a redding form die from 308 W .
How ever Redding advised me that this could not be done.

If any one out there reforming brass to 35 Remington would you please share your expertise
Thanking you in advance
Happy

The rim and case head are smaller in the .35 Rem than the .308, but not by much. I've not messed with this type of case forming, but the difference between the rim size and the case head size are about .012-.013 in both instances from the drawings I have access to right now.

Is .35 Rem brass obsolete? I bought 100 pieces a year or two ago for my XP-100R and it was readily available at the time.

http://www.grafs.com/bulkByBagQty.cfm/startItem/

US15.99/50 if you can get it shipped to you.

It does appear as if it's getting harder to find.

Here are Graf's international dealers:
D J Friesen Imports
6465 Evans Rd
Chilliwack, British Columbia
V2R1K8
Phone: 604-858-6098
Fax: 604-858-6098
E-mail: dave@bcredneck.com
Web Page: www.bcredneck.com

Rayner Shine Gunworks
P.O. Box 35
Lancer, Saskatchewan
SON-1GO
Phone: 306-689-2654
Fax: 306-689-2783

Rayner makes most of the gunshows around here and had Winchester .35 Remington brass a while back. I bought a 100 case bag from him a few years ago, but I don't if he has any now. If he's out of stock, lead times on orders are very long now, what with all the unnecessary paper work.

I should order another bag myself. It doesn't wear out, but "The faster the buck runs, the faster the kids snap the lever".

Bye
Jack

Harry,
I sent a PM to you. All the best...
Gil

Harry,
I sent a PM to you. All the best...
Gil

The .35Rem is an almost unique size case...could make them from .308 with a lot of work, some swage dies, and a lathe...then you'd have about 5X the price of commercial .35Rem cases tied up in your converted cases, and the converted cases would not be as strong (or at least as thick at the head).

It's still offered from the brass makers, and t prices competitive with other cases...no good reason to make them and a lot of reasons not to.

Harry,

I checked the measurements on the two cartridges. The .35 Remington should measure 1.5393" from the base to the shoulder. The ..308 Winchester should be 1.930" to the shoulder.
Making .35 Remington cases from the .308 Winchester may leave you a little short for overall case length when the.35 Remington is formed.
The base of the .35 Remington should measure .4592". I just measured an R-P factory cartridge at .453"
The base of the .308 Winchester should measure .4709". The base of a .308 setting in front of me measures .466".
The .013" difference in actual base diameter should not make any difference.
I would use a Redding form trim die and make my .35 Remington cases from .30-06 cases. This would eliminate all doubt about overall case length. If brass is hard to come by it would be worth the $15.00 investment for the Redding trim die to experiment on a case or two.

If the .358 is almost a .1" longer than a .35 Rem, how would you come up short on the .35 Rem when the .35 has substantially more body taper than the .358? I am now confused. Is it the shorter neck on the .35 Rem that causes the concern?

If the .358 is almost a .1" longer than a .35 Rem, how would you come up short on the .35 Rem when the .35 has substantially more body taper than the .358? I am now confused. Is it the shorter neck on the .35 Rem that causes the concern?

IS something about that post that just don't add up.

But my concern is the odd .457" diameter at the head. A .308 willb e something like .470"...not going to fit. IF you were to try to swage down the soilid head, it would close up the primer pocket. Could do it (but swaging the brass head is likely to change the temper of the brass for wht worst) and then ream the primer pocket back to size and re-drill the flash hole.

IF you were to lathe off the .017" of brass, would be thinning the case at it's most improtant area...not a good idea at rifle pressures.

My thoughts on the .308 coming up short after expanding are that the case will shrink slightly when expanded. Most brass I have measured is under the optimum (or listed) dimesion. The difference in listed case length between the two cases is .095” My thinking is if the .308 case is short to start with it could end up shorter when reformed to .35 Remington.

Ribbonstone makes a good point about the base diameter. My actual measurement of .466” for the .308 case was taken from a fired case, full length resized. The only .35 Remington I have to measure is a factory new case, which measured .453”. .013” difference in base diameter is not much. I’ll try to get hold of my brothers .35 Remington TC barrel and his dies. I think the reformed .308 case will chamber and work, but I have not tried it.

You COULD make them from .303 Brit brass by reforming trimming the rim and cutting an extractor groove. Lot of work...

Seems to me, based on the posts from other Canadians, that you should be able to get .35 Rem brass fairly easily. Have you tried the Epps shop?

I have tried the 308 case in the 35 Remington die. I used the 308 case, since I have so many lying around . It will not size the base of the case down the 13 thousand like the tech at Reddding suggested. He indicated you would need a good press , then have the means to machine the primer pocket back to spec.
If it were the 15 to 50.00 investment for a die I think I would consider it, since there are so many 308, 270,3006 rifles around these parts. How- ever it appears now that with the new gun laws and the threat of Canada disarming it's residents as per the Nato agenda, Brass at the range is quickly grabbed up.
It is not that I am not of brass or I can no longer get it . I am looking on what tomorrow might bring ,and I have used up the brass on hand.
If I could make it from something else , I might do it , or have to do it.
As with the 303 Savage . Brass I think can be made from 303 B brass.I stand corrected on this.303 Savage made up is now close to sixty dollars a box.
We have so much paper work involved with importing and exporting permits that a twenty dollar item shipped from the states to Canada becomes a seventy dollar investment .
I had a can of Wipe Out sent up and it cost almost 75 dollars in Canadain funds to get it. I had a peep sight sent up from Brownnels and it was triple the amount when it got to my door.

I recieved a shipment of 35 remington brass from one of the forum members a few years back. He was happy to send it off to me for the shipping .I was very happy to get it , as it was very good brass with some new, but it was not cheap.

Brass from an American supply can not cross the border with out the proper import and export permits . An citizen can how ever get a parcel through the border. You need to put a value on it and the person who recieves it here in Canada gets hit with the duties and shipping and what else customs is in the mood for. I am sure if they opened the package now , it would get stopped, since ther has been no permits issued for the package.The huge clamp was placed after 911
So far I am stuck paying almost 40.00 for a bag of new brass which I can still get .I need to plan ahead since the gun shops do not have much call for the 35 Remington. Like the 30 and 32 Remington the cartridge is long past it's prime. I am afraid I am going to be told soon that it is back ordered with no date.

Winchester has a run every now and then and you boys stock up @Midway. we can not get it shipped .
Remington now is backing away from componets, and that to me means all the more rare brass is going to be.
In time your going to first dive for your spent brass , then look for the blood trail of the deer you shot at.You just can not leave it in the bush any more. You are not going to find any at the shooting range or gravel pits were folks sight in the rifles before the hunt. It gets picked up and taken home.
So this gives you guys some idea of the situation up here . You just take things for granted . you have the resources to buy what firearm you want and can buy ammo and brass for just about any thing made some where .
You buy a lever for a few hundred at Walmart get a few box's of shells and away you go.
A cheap rifle in thes parts is getting up close to a thousand dollars with the 15% tax, and it not unheard of spending five or six thousand on a good shot gun from the factory , not custom made.
The solution I suppose is to stay away from rifles if it is not chambered in30/30, 308 or 3006 and some of the supper fat mags.
But ther are some of us still wanting to polish the dust off that ol' Marlin, Savage and old Winchester and take it shooting when ever we can.

HAve foremed some cases by swaging. A bench vice and the stripped die...vice the case into the die dead flush...that's deeper than you can do with a press as the shell holder keeps it from ever being flush. Of course, this would set the shoulder WAY back...but if you need to swage the base to a smaller size, it will work. Can then over expand the neck and neck it back down...to make two shoulders, the fornt one to do the headspacing...then fire form.

Will also harden that case head to a point it may seperate at the first firing...will close up the primer pocket and require that to be reamed out...may close up the flash hole to a point where a normal decapping pin won't enter it...usually so much resistance the rim is expanded and thinned...and even if you correct all those problems, it makes for a low volume case that won't match any listed loading data.

I've done it to 7.62X39 cases in a .41mag. die...stopping 1/2 the way down the solid part of the head (leaving it looking like a belted mag. case)..lathing the belt off and making the case semi-rimed...then fire forming it and using them for .401WSL cases. Find this eaiser than making them from .35rem.c ases as there is very little trimming and no case neck reaming required.

Now, considering the cost and spotty availibility of .401WSL cases, all this work makes some sense (and being a semi-auto, tends to lose cases)...considering the cost of .35Rem. cases, it makes no sense to spend that many hours converting cases to .35Rem. If you can't afford new .35Rem.c ases, then you pretty well can't afford bullets, powder, or primers either.

Well the question was :
Could 35 Brass be made from 308 Brass ?

I had heard that it could easly be done with a redding trim die.

The answer then is "No"
Then we need not go further

just as a suggestion, .30-40 Krag or .303 British will work if you reshape the rim and base, size and trim.

but it should be easier to find brass.
regards,
Gene

Hmmm... well, if you have a pile of .35 Winchester brass laying around... :p

Yes, while the 35Rem is "past it's prime"

But it's not at all like the 32Rem and 30Rem...
those haven't been chambered in any factory
rifles for a long, long time....

The Marlin 336 was available in that caliber until fairly recently (Isn't it still?)

AllanD

The 35 Remington lives on.
Yes Marlin still chambers the round in the 336.
I believe the cartridge is still strong along the eastern states, but it has pretty well been dead here in Central Ontario.
If you want to use one now in these parts, make sure to stop at one of the major sporting shops coming North, since your not going to find a box of Ammo here locally.That in it's self further seals it's fate.
If you look in the catalogs from the major wholesalers you will find 35 Remington Ammo still listed , but your not going to find brass listed as a componet.
Now that Remington is getting out of selling componets , I see less and less being offered when it comes to the 35 Remington ,since it is remingtons cartridge to begin with.

So I see myself needing to start picking up brass where ever I can. I have searched the gun shows etc , and the few rounds I have found were questionable and the price that of new brass.

So telling me to go and buy new brass and if I can not afford to do so, I can not afford primers and bullets, as a smart remark and was not called for.

I have tried the 308 case in the 35 Remington die. I used the 308 case, since I have so many lying around . It will not size the base of the case down the 13 thousand like the tech at Reddding suggested..


Harry,
well that ends that idea!

when I "speak" with you and Englander I shudder for all of us. We are only a few years behind you in a lot of these restrictive laws. Another Billery Klinton and we could see ourselves severly restricted for the mail order of componets etc. ENGLANDER is bracing himself for the new Bliar administration as he has already suggested new restrictions on air rifles.

Harry, RCBS still makes a USB (Ultra Small Base) die for the 35rem and that will swage the case head of a 308 far enough so it will chamber in your 35, I done a batch for a fella here in Michigan a number of years ago out of 30-06 military brass which was heavier than commercial brass in the case head. With a RCBS Rockchucker I was standing up when I resized them as I could not do it sitting, I still have the press no worse for the wear the fella I don't know where he is or the dies, if they were mine they would be on their way to you. The rounds tended to lock up tight when levering in but after the first shooting they did fill the chamber proper and cycled well. They were also easier to resize after the first firing. For what it's worth, that was some of my history hope it helps.

Well good news :D
A fellow great American has come forward and offered to send some brass for me. this should keep me going for the time.
I do not know if I should mention a name , but in this house he sure is on the top of our list .

There is always some one special in every group that will stand out from the crowd and do something or, surprize you with something you were not expecting .


Thanks Again
Happy

Not an expert by any means but, would it be possible to ream the chamber on the ,35 Rem to accept the .308 case head. We are only talking .013". The bolt face would not take much work either.
It seems like a .308 chamber reamer could be tapered from the .308 case head size to the .35 Rem shoulder.
Granted, you would have a wildcat but, .308 Win brass is easily available.
Could the same reamer be used to open the .35 Rem sizing die also?
Sounds kinda expensive but, it would be a one-time expense.

I see what you mean and it would work. Ken Waters made up several unique wildcats for the purpose you mention. To save a barrel on a classic rifle and still be able to shoot it - with minimum modifications. If you had a classic rifle in .35 Remington and wanted to keep the original exterior barrel markings it would be a very viable option.

Doug Rayner has .35 Remington brass in stock now. I bought a bag of 50 from him at the White City gun show today, and he has more.

Rayner Shine Gunworks
P.O. Box 35
Lancer, Saskatchewan
SON-1GO
Phone: 306-689-2654
Fax: 306-689-2783

Bye
Jack

Harry, get a RCBS USB .308 full length sizer as your first step after full length resizing in your 35 dies. I would also get the 35 REM RCBS USB full length sizer also. These were made for pump and auto rifles with cycling problems with reloads and size the base down an extra few thousanths. The USB stands for Ultra Small Base. I have used the USB in .308 as a first step when making .300, and .250 savage out of 30-06, .308 and .243 don't know what type of press you have but I had to stand up to do this resizing with my RCBS Rockchucker. Good luck my friend, you can beat the government BS. I had no problems as far as a primer pocket was concerned. The US does need good citizens, to qoute a famous american, Bob Barker, "Harry Snippe come on down." Good luck my friend and neighbor. I just spoke with the gent with the .35 rem and he says he sold the dies a few years back.

Just got the new MidwayUSA catalog and they have 35 Rem brass (new) for sale for $15 per 50. John

If you have access to NORMA brass ,you might try
6.5 Carcano .Also Hornady is making Carcano brass
now. The 6.5x54 Man/Schn is longer and will also work but Norma has discontinued it. These will shift your work load
from the base to the shoulder/neck but it's a lot easier
on both you and the brass.
Great forum! Lotsa resources.
Pepe Ray

Yup, that old .35 Rem is hardly good for anything at all :p

http://www.shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?p=164324#post164324

Yup, that old .35 Rem is hardly good for anything at all :p

http://www.shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?p=164324#post164324



I used to have a Marlin 336/35 with the micro grove barrel that I got real cheap at a gun show . I did not think too much of the rifle then as Ammo was hard to locate and the rounds seemed doughy.
I sold the gun.

Then with the computer I found Marlin talk and every one praised the 35 killing power.
I had a chance to locate a ballard rifled RC at the gun dealer and I quickly took the rifle home as I was into cast lead shooting.
Never looked back.
Brass is not always easy to locate .
I find the calipier really shines with reloads be it lead or jacketed bullets

Well I get asked for the loan of this rifle every year as I mainly use this rifle at the range and carry a 358 on the hunts.
I get asked if I still have that ol 35 Marlin many times, in between hunts. Some want to buy the rifle while others think the 35 Rem is dead and I should accept it.

Well I said I was not going to loan out this rifle this year again.
I am taking it to the camp. And any one who thinks I am less gunned , most probably never used one.
I am thus always looking for brass . That is because I am always shooting this fine rifle.
:D Happy

Wholesale Sports of Calgary is listing .35 Remington brass in their new catalog.

http://www.wholesalesports.com/catalog/catalog.htm

Bye
Jack

Old Western Scrounger. Bought 200 pieces from him.

Scott

I think the 35 Rem is making a comeback and will be more available, otherwise I doubt Hornady would have made the new Leverevolution in 35 Rem. I am hoping this is a signal of a new round of lever action 35's which will induce others to make reloading supplies available.