Rifle Round as a Tamper

[ebag]

So, today I left my tamper at work. Now this was definitely a bummer until I realized I had the perfect solution.
You see, I found the perfect stand in tamper. I'm in the military and I just so happen to have a 7.62 nato round attached to my keychain that I fired while on deployment from a m240b. Let me say that it has definitely become useful as a tamper since this definitely not the first time I've had to use it to tamp my pipe.
What's the strangest thing you guys have used a tamper? Am I the only one that's used a round as a tamper for my pipe?

 

[zonomo]

Glad the primer is out of that thing. :mrgreen:

 

[tbradsim1]

I hope EB you don"t have an active Primer in that round. The old cajun

 

[ebag]

Haha. No, that wouldn't get past all the security check points I have to go through on a daily basis. The round has definitely been fired and is just the empty shell. War trophy as some call it.

 

[ebag]

Mike, I am definitely glad to see I'm not the only one that thinks using some spent brass makes a good tamper.

 

[shaintiques]

I was just thinking it would be cool to see someone shape a piece of briar to replace the lead in a shell like that.

 

[teufelhund]

I've shoved my finger in a thimble; definitely a weird feeling putting a finger in a lit pipe. It doesn't work very well so I don't recommend it. I was hemming some trousers for work and needed a tamp in the middle of my stitching. Oh well; where there's a will, there is a way. Happy smoking.

 

[topd]

.308, 30-30, 30 cal, 7.62, .38 or 9mm pistol brass on a stick.... all about 30 caliber and the same size, perfect as a tamper I think. I've used a chap stick (quickly), fingernail clippers, fish hook remover, my finger (quickly also, all the time), a plastic straw (quickly), a pen or pencil, the big end of chopsticks, any hard wood from the pile about the right size, a raw potato carved about right, a wooden tent peg, any nail with a big head, a doubled up pipe cleaner, a key, small keyring flashlight, lipstick, Craftsmen socket extension, bundled wooden matches, and even a cut off chicken leg bone. Anything will work in a pinch! (The dog gets nervous when I get to looking around and I'm eyeing her tail).

 

[teufelhund]

Way to adapt and overcome Top!

 

[erichbaumer]

I've got a couple 7.62R cartridges lying around, the wide rimmed base is perfect for a tamp. I guess I picked them up on the range because I don't have a Mosin. I do have an M1 Carbine though, that may be just the thing for my smaller pipes.

 

[jcsnaps]

A .223 is small and fits most everything, and if you are crafty you can add a pick it.

 

[ohin3]

@shaintiques: I love the Idea of crafting a briar slug to fit into the spent shell casing. Someone please do this and shoot me a price!!!

 

[ohin3]

and put a small spoon or pick on the briar slug.

 

[robusthermit]

I have made several tampers by force fitting a 9mm spent shell on the end of a small length of a dowel rod.

 

[kashmir]

I used to buy tampers many years ago. Now whenever I'm walking in the woods I'll pick up small weathered branches, white wood, and cut em down to size back home, sand, and voila a perfect dowel tamper. Got dozens of these things. Juniper and Cypress make the best ones. Oak and Ash are good too.

 

[mustanggt]

My friend saw a guy who was making and selling tampers made from spent brass for $20 and said hell I can make that so he went out to his garage and soldered together a .270 Winchester and a 300 Savage and then made one for me too. Works real nice. I gave him two 45/70 and two 44mag cases to solder for the bigger bowls.

 

[crazypipe]

 

[ejames]

@shaintiques: I love the Idea of crafting a briar slug to fit into the spent shell casing. Someone please do this and shoot me a price!!!
Something like this-only briar?

http://pipesmagazine.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/album/448/brass-bullet-tamper-2012-08-18-004-1280x786-600x368.jpg

http://pipesmagazine.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/album/448/brass-bullet-tamper-2012-08-18-005-1280x818-600x383.jpg

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I've made several tampers out of drift wood with either .9mm, .40sw and .45acp. They work great.

 

[appointed]

I just use my finger as a tamper. Hopefully I'll never lose that one.