July 30th, 2021

Fire-Forming .284 Improved Cases with Water-Cooled Railgun

Shiraz Balolia Grizzly Fire-forming railgun water cooled barrel

In the video below, Shiraz Balolia takes you through the essentials of fire-forming brass with his custom-made, water-cooled benchrest railgun. Shiraz is a current Team member (and former Team Captain) of the U.S. F-Class Open Rifle Team. Shiraz has competed on the National and World level for more than two decades, and has won multiple major International championships in 1000-yard shooting. In this video he will walk you through fire-forming cartridges in .284 Shiraz, a wildcat based on the .284 Winchester.

Fire-forming properly is a pre-requisite for accuracy in a match rifle. Done right, fire-forming can improve cartridge consistency shot to shot. Creating a fire-forming fixture like this, or even a more basic design, can save you time and potential frustration on the range, Shiraz explains. The key is getting the initial case expansion to match your competition chamber quickly but without generating excessive heat. Follow along as Shiraz takes you through the methodology of fire-forming both in his work shop and on the range.


Here Shiraz Balolia takes you through the essentials of fire-forming brass with his custom-made, water-cooled benchrest railgun.

Shiraz Balolia Grizzly Fire-forming railgun water cooled barrel

Along with running the successful Grizzly Industrial enterprise, Shiraz is a top competitor and member of the U.S. F-Open team. He has competed in three world championships. In recent years he captured three straight Canadian National F-Class Championships (READ 3-Peat STORY). So, this guy knows his stuff.

Shiraz Balolia Grizzly Fire-forming railgun water cooled barrel

Shiraz shows fellow shooters how to fire-form cases efficiently without burning precious match barrel life. In the video above he uses a custom-designed railgun that employs water cooling for the barrel. This is done with hoses running from a sink, so that cool water is constantly flowing through the barrel jacket.

Shiraz Balolia Grizzly Fire-forming railgun water cooled barrel

Shiraz says the fired cartridge are actually cool to the touch because the water-jacketed barrel keeps everything at a moderate temperature. (See video at 8:00)

Shiraz Balolia Grizzly Fire-forming railgun water cooled barrel

Shiraz Balolia Grizzly Fire-forming railgun water cooled barrel

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