561 lines
41 KiB
Plaintext
561 lines
41 KiB
Plaintext
.he CHAPTER 4 CORBIN HANDBOOK AND CATALOG NO. 7, PAGE #
|
|
|
|
SWAGING IN THE RELOADING PRESS
|
|
|
|
If your reloading press accepts standard 7/8-14 TPI dies and its
|
|
ram will take regular RCBS button-type shell holders, then you can use
|
|
it for swaging certain calibers and kinds of bullets with Corbin
|
|
reloading press swage dies. A heavy-duty press makes the work easier,
|
|
but any modern press capable of resizing a .30-06 case is strong enough
|
|
for bullet swaging in the styles and calibers we offer.
|
|
There are limits to the pressure you can safely apply to the soft
|
|
screw-stock rams used in nearly all current reloading presses. The
|
|
size of the frame or leverage of the press has nothing to do with this.
|
|
A massive press like the RCBS Big Max still has a four-inch stroke, to
|
|
get a magnum rifle case in and out. Small arms bullets, on the other
|
|
hand, need only about two inches of stroke in order to be successfully
|
|
swaged. This wastes half the leverage in a reloading press.
|
|
Single station, ram-type presses are the only kind currently
|
|
supported by swaging equipment. Presses with turrets, rotating shell
|
|
holder plates, aluminum frames, mechanical type shell holders that
|
|
adjust to different size cartridge heads, progressive loaders, and bar-
|
|
type rams used in H-frame presses all have features that make some
|
|
swaging operations difficult or impossible. Standard swage dies for
|
|
reloading presses do not require a massive press, but they do work best
|
|
in a simple, single-station conventional round-ram press.
|
|
A special swaging press like the Corbin Mity Mite (CSP-1) or a
|
|
combination reloading and swaging press like the Corbin Mega Mite (CSP-
|
|
2) has the capability to more than double the leverage in a reloading
|
|
press design. It does this by cutting the stroke in half. The same
|
|
effort that moves a reloading press ram four inches is now put to work
|
|
moving the ram only two inches. The effort is converted into higher
|
|
pressure within the die.
|
|
Such presses have many special features designed to allow higher
|
|
stresses, equalize the torque on the ram, align the die and punch more
|
|
precisely, and provide for automatic ejection of the bullet on the back
|
|
stroke. The die can be designed to withstand higher pressure, since it
|
|
doesn't have to fit into the constraint of a standard reloading press
|
|
dimension.
|
|
In these presses, any caliber from .14 to .458 rifle bullets with
|
|
tubing jackets as thick as 30 thousandths of an inch are perfectly
|
|
feasible. In a conventional reloading press, you are limited to the
|
|
.224, .243, and .257 rifle calibers, and the .25 ACP, .30-32 Handgun
|
|
and carbine (130 grains or less, no spitzer rifle shapes), 9mm and
|
|
.357/.38 Handgun calibers. Within those calibers, there is
|
|
considerable latitude for weight and style variation.
|
|
Regardless of the press or system, you can make lead bullets or
|
|
gas-checked bullets in any die capable of jacketed bullet swaging. And,
|
|
you can use longer or shorter jackets in the same set of dies. There
|
|
are some dies made just for lead bullets, combining the steps of core
|
|
swaging and core seating so that you can make a lead bullet in one
|
|
quick stroke, and these special (model LSWC-1) dies are not generally
|
|
suited for use with more than a half-jacket. These dies are not made
|
|
for the reloading press, in any case, since they require bleed holes in
|
|
the die wall.
|
|
Core swage dies and other lead-forming dies that have extrusion
|
|
holes through their walls to let you automatically adjust the lead core
|
|
weight on each stroke (instead of just using whatever weight of core
|
|
you happen to put into the die) need room around the side of the die
|
|
for the lead to come out. In a reloading press, the die is put into
|
|
the head of the press. Because of the length and top position of the
|
|
ram in a reloading press, the die has to be located so its walls are
|
|
surrounded by the threads of the press. This doesn't leave room for
|
|
correctly located bleed holes.
|
|
In order to do it right, core swaging and lead semi-wadcutter dies
|
|
that adjust the core as they form the bullet are made only for the
|
|
special swaging presses, and not for use in reloading presses. You can
|
|
still make lead bullets of equal quality in a reloading press, but to
|
|
get there, you must be more careful about how you cut or cast the
|
|
cores. What you put into the die is what you get out, in regard to
|
|
weight control. This is a major advantage of the special swaging press
|
|
systems, and is one of the things that makes it difficult to "convert"
|
|
or adapt many of the advanced kinds of dies for use in ordinary
|
|
reloading presses.
|
|
Reloading press swage dies are made with a UNIVERSAL ADAPTER BODY,
|
|
which is the same for all styles and calibers of dies. This component
|
|
holds the actual die "insert" and internal punch together in the proper
|
|
relationship, and fits into the 7/8-14 TPI threads of your
|
|
reloading press. All adjustment for different weights and styles of
|
|
bullets is made by turning the whole die, universal adapter and all, up
|
|
and down in the threads of the press like a big micrometer thimble.
|
|
There are two punches in every swage die. The INTERNAL PUNCH
|
|
stays inside the die. It is held there by two restraints: the punch
|
|
has a head on the top that won't let it fall through the die on the
|
|
"downstroke", or ejection cycle, and the universal adapter body only
|
|
lets the punch head slide up a certain distance before it strikes the
|
|
top of the hole machined in the adapter. The EXTERNAL PUNCH fits into
|
|
the slot in the press ram, just like a shell holder. It can easily be
|
|
removed and changed. Most people own several external punches for each
|
|
of their die sets.
|
|
A small hole goes all the way through the top of the adapter. It
|
|
is .257 inches in diameter, and takes a quarter-inch diameter KNOCK-OUT
|
|
ROD (also called the ejector rod or simply K.O. rod). The Knock-Out
|
|
rod is long enough so that it can push the internal punch down nearly
|
|
the same distance as the die is long. That pushes the bullet out the
|
|
die mouth. On one end of the Knock-Out rod is a knurled head, big
|
|
enough to give you a good target to tap with a plastic mallet or a
|
|
piece of wood. This drives the bullet back out of the die after
|
|
swaging.
|
|
The ejector rod comes completely out of the die, so you can use it
|
|
on any of your reloadin press swage dies. Another way to eject bullets
|
|
-- one with a little more sophistocation -- is to slip a Corbin POWER
|
|
EJECTOR UNIT over the top of the die and fasten the three set-screws
|
|
into the ring machined around each of the universal adapter bodies,
|
|
right below the knurled part.
|
|
The power ejector is an optional accessory item. It speeds up the
|
|
operation by eliminating the need to pick up a mallet and tap the
|
|
ejector. Instead of using the regular ejector, you install a straight
|
|
piece of quarter-inch diameter steel rod, supplied with the PE-1
|
|
ejector. Following the instructions that come with this tool, adjust
|
|
its ram so that all the free play is taken up when you have a bullet in
|
|
the die, ready to be ejected. From this point on, your swaging
|
|
operation is reduced to two levers: the press handle swages the
|
|
bullet, and the power ejector handle gently but firmly pushes it out of
|
|
the die.
|
|
The internal punch in your reloading press swage die can be
|
|
removed easily. Identify the die insert itself. This is the super-
|
|
hard high-carbide alloy steel cylinder at the very bottom of the whole
|
|
die assembly, just protruding from the adapter about a quarter inch.
|
|
Most of the die insert is up inside the adapter body, which is machined
|
|
to accept the 5/8-24 TPI threads on the other end of the die. To
|
|
remove the die, grasp the small protruding surface with pair of pliers
|
|
and unscrew it. (Don't worry about marring the die -- it is so much
|
|
harder and tougher than your pliers that you can't hurt it this way.
|
|
On the other hand, don't grasp the oxide-blued adapter body with
|
|
pliers: it isn't very hard, and you can damage the threads. Just hold
|
|
it in your hand.)
|
|
There are basically three dies available for the reloading press
|
|
that are swage dies, and several kinds of draw dies. The swage dies
|
|
are:
|
|
(1) The CORE SEATER
|
|
(2) The POINT FORMER
|
|
(3) The LEAD TIP DIE
|
|
|
|
The core seater (CS-1-R designation, in the reloading press
|
|
system) can perform two different jobs. It can be used by itself to
|
|
make any kind of bullet that has straight, parallel sides, a small
|
|
shoulder, and a lead nose from the shoulder up. The whole bullet can
|
|
be lead, or any amount of it can be covered by a jacket right up to
|
|
that shoulder. Think of a Keith handgun bullet with a jacket coming
|
|
right up to the semi-wadcutter shoulder and then stopping. Right up to
|
|
this point, the bullet is straight. The jacket can't be curved past
|
|
this point in this kind of die alone.
|
|
However, the nose can be any shape you like. The nose is formed
|
|
by letting the lead core flow down into a cavity machined in the end of
|
|
the external punch. You can make a round nose, a Keith nose, a
|
|
wadcutter (very little cavity, if any, in the external punch tip!), a
|
|
conical nose like a pencil point, or anything else including fancy
|
|
multi-cavity hollow points (instead of just a cavity, there is also a
|
|
probe or rod in the end of the punch to make these). The point is,
|
|
while you can just change the punch to whatever the lead core flow down into a cavity machined in the end of
|
|
the external punch. You can make a round nose, a Keith nose, a
|
|
wadcutter (very little cavity, if any, in the external punch tip!), a
|
|
conical nose like a pencil point, or anything else including fancy
|
|
multi-cavity hollow points (instead of just a cavity, there is also a
|
|
probe or rod in the end of the punch to make these). The point is,
|
|
while you can just change the punch to whatever thickness to its edge,
|
|
or it would quickly crumble away. A 0.015 to 0.025 edge thickness is
|
|
standard. This small edge comes up against the jacket in our example,
|
|
and presses hard on the thin jacket material. One of them has to
|
|
buckle and fold. Usually it is the jacket.
|
|
If you try to make a semi-wadcutter bullet, and the jacket comes
|
|
out with radial folds, much as if someone sat on your top hat, then see
|
|
if you have enough lead sticking out the jacket to completely fill up
|
|
the cavity in the punch you selected. If not, that's the problem, and
|
|
the solution is to use a heavier core, a shorter jacket, or a punch
|
|
with less of a cavity. Another solution is to use a hollow point punch
|
|
first, moving lead up and out of the jacket, and then form your nose
|
|
using the extra amount of lead displaced from inside the jacket.
|
|
Let's back up a minute in case anyone is lost at this point. We
|
|
are talking about the most basic kind of swage die, the core seating
|
|
die. It is called a core seating die because it can be used to seat or
|
|
press the core down into a jacket, expanding the core and the jacket
|
|
together until they contact the walls of the die. The internal
|
|
pressure becomes uniform as soon as the jacket is pushed out against
|
|
the die walls evenly, and the base of the jacket comes hard against the
|
|
internal punch face. This uniform internal pressure can exceed 20,000
|
|
psi (and usually does).
|
|
Compressed oxygen gas in a welding tank is in the 2,000 to 3,000
|
|
psi range. Compressed air in your car tires is usually 35 to 45 psi.
|
|
When you fire a typical rifle, pressures momentarily peak at levels
|
|
that reach 25,000 to 55,000 psi typically. The average pressure over a
|
|
second of time is vastly lower. The swage die must be able to sustain
|
|
anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 psi constantly, year after year, without
|
|
change in its diameter, roundness, straightness. It can't develop a
|
|
barrel shape inside, nor can it grow with the continued stress.
|
|
Tolerances in a casting mould usually are held to 0.003 to 0.001
|
|
inches, plus or minus. Tolerances in the core seating die are usually
|
|
held to better than 0.00005 inches, plus or minus! Your bullet doesn't
|
|
need to be within that tolerance of some arbitrary standard diameter,
|
|
of course, but it is nice to know that whatever diameter it comes out,
|
|
it is repeatable to such high precision. The typical absolute diameter
|
|
tolerance on the bullet diameter is normally 0.0005 inches plus or
|
|
minus, although this has long been proven of little importance, as long
|
|
as the variance is held to high precision tolerances.
|
|
In other words, if you have a .308 rifle, and you know for sure
|
|
that your barrel has a .3000 bore, with all grooves at exactly 0.0040
|
|
inch depth, it still doesn't matter nearly as much whether you shoot a
|
|
.3079 bullet or a .3090 bullet down that barrel, compared to whether
|
|
your bullets vary from one to the next as you try to put them into one
|
|
hole. Many competitive shooters find a bullet with nearly 0.001 inch
|
|
larger than nominal diameter shoots better at long range than a
|
|
conventional "correct" diameter bullet.
|
|
In any case, the core seating die is a straight hole die. If you
|
|
take it out of the adapter body and pull out the internal punch, you
|
|
will be able to see straight through it. The hole is round, straight,
|
|
and highly finished. The internal punch is a very close sliding fit.
|
|
The external punch can fit the die bore, for making those semi-
|
|
wadcutter and wadcutter type bullets, or it can fit inside the jacket
|
|
for making rifle-style bullets.
|
|
Let me make a definition of these two general kinds of bullets.
|
|
It's important to understand what I'm talking about so you can make
|
|
proper and cost-effective decisions later on. There are semi-wadcutter
|
|
styles, and rifle styles of bullets, relative to the kind of equipment
|
|
needed. When a swage die-maker talks about a semi-wadcutter (or
|
|
wadcutter) style, it isn't just a specific nose shape. In regard to
|
|
the kind of equipment required, it means any bullet that is made with a
|
|
lead nose, ending at a small shoulder, and having the jacket at full
|
|
bore diameter all the way to the base (if there is any jacket).
|
|
This kind of bullet can be made in a single core seating die in
|
|
one stroke of the press. One pass -- all done. No lubricating, no
|
|
sizing. Just load it and enjoy shooting it. Lead bullets are swaged
|
|
with a film of flexible, hard wax bonded to them under swaging
|
|
pressure. This is accomplished by dipping the core in a liquid "Dip
|
|
Lube", which some people call "liquid jacket", just prior to swaging.
|
|
The film evenly covers the bullet, making it usable to speeds of 1,200
|
|
fps with no grooves, no separate lubricating steps.
|
|
Cup bases? Hollow bases? No problem -- just remove that flat
|
|
ended internal punch, and install an optional internal punch with a
|
|
probe shaped like the cavity you want to form. Both the nose and base
|
|
are formed at the same time, by pressing against the two punches.
|
|
Unlke a mould, there is no conflict between hollow bases and hollow
|
|
points. They are independent of each other and can be mixed or matched
|
|
any way you like. In fact, you can turn the swaged bullet over and
|
|
swage it the other direction, perhaps using a little higher setting of
|
|
the die to get slightly less penetration of the punch. This gives you
|
|
shapes that neither of the punches has by itself, and demonstrates one
|
|
of the more powerful experimental features of swaging equipment.
|
|
We mentioned seating the core inside the jacket. If you wanted
|
|
to, you could select an external punch (the one that slips into the
|
|
slotted ram like a shell holder) with a small enough diameter to fit
|
|
right inside the jacket. Jackets usually have some taper in the wall
|
|
thickness to control expansion. The punch will contact the jacket wall
|
|
at some point if it is a close fit. Obviously there are some limits as
|
|
to the depth of insertion of any given diameter punch, and to the range
|
|
of weights of cores that you could seat with each punch.
|
|
If the punch is too small, lead will spurt out around it and you
|
|
may not be able to build enough pressure inside the jacket to expand it
|
|
properly. This produces undersized and tapered bullets. If the punch
|
|
is too large, it may not go into the jacket at all, or it may plow up
|
|
jacket material as it presses down. This isn't always bad -- it can be
|
|
used to thin the front of the jacket, or to help lock the core into
|
|
place. Usually, though, the jacket and punch need to be made for each
|
|
other to avoid this. Fortunately, Corbin is the world's largest
|
|
supplier of bullet jackets of all types, and can provide the right
|
|
punches for any jacket or core weight, as well as the jackets to match.
|
|
The reason for seating a core inside the jacket is to make that
|
|
second kind of bullet, the rifle-style bullet having the jacket curved
|
|
around the ogive, with an open tip. Let's define open tip and hollow
|
|
point for bullet swagers. An open tip bullet has the core seated below
|
|
the end of the jacket. The jacket extends forward, past the core.
|
|
This leaves an opening or an area devoid of lead just below the tip. A
|
|
hollow point, on the other hand, is made by pressing a punch with a
|
|
projection or probe machined on the end into the core. The hole or
|
|
cavity thus formed in the core is further shaped when the ogive is
|
|
made. The result is a bullet with a hollow area in the point, formed
|
|
in the lead itself.
|
|
A hollow point bullet can have a lead tip, or it can have the core
|
|
seated down inside the jacket. Usually, it has a lead tip exposed
|
|
beyond the end of the jacket. But an open tip bullet can't, by
|
|
definition, have a lead tip. The reason to be clear about these terms
|
|
is so that when you order tools and punches, everyone will be talking
|
|
about the same thing. It makes a big difference whether you can make
|
|
what you want once you get the tools. A hollow point is made with an
|
|
optional punch, during the core seating stage. An open tip is made by
|
|
using a punch that pushes the core down inside the jacket. It is the
|
|
standard, "default" design for any regular set of dies that includes
|
|
more than a core swage and core seating die. And a lead tip bullet
|
|
takes a lead tip forming die in rifle styles, but seldom requires
|
|
anything special in the blunt, wide-tip handgun styles.
|
|
To make that second kind of bullet, the rifle-style bullet, you
|
|
still need the straight-walled core seater. The uniform pressure that
|
|
this die produces is necessary to expand the jacket to correct
|
|
diameter, mate the core and jacket perfectly, and produce the straight
|
|
and round tolerances in the jacket. But with the core seated down
|
|
inside the jacket, all you have now is a very accurately formed
|
|
cylinder!
|
|
To put the ogive (that's OH-JIVE, by the way, like "Oh, don't
|
|
gimme no jive, man!") on the bullet, we'll use the second kind of swage
|
|
die, the point forming die (designated PF-1-R for reloading press
|
|
dies). Now, the term "point" is often confused with the term "tip".
|
|
Again, it's nice to talk the same language when ordering parts over the
|
|
phone. A point on a bullet refers to anything past the shank or
|
|
straight part. A point is the same thing as a nose. The tip, on the
|
|
other hand, is just the very end of the point. It is the part that
|
|
ends, technically, after the meplat, and begins at some arbitrary place
|
|
on the ogive curve that is close enough to the meplat so that it can
|
|
have a different curve and not affect the over-all bullet outline
|
|
significantly.
|
|
Simply put, the tip is the very end of the bullet's nose. The
|
|
point is everything from the tip to the start of the straight part
|
|
(shank) and the point is the same thing as the nose. To add confusion,
|
|
some people even call the point the ogive, so really the terms point,
|
|
ogive, and nose all refer to the same thing in general sales talk. But
|
|
tip is different.
|
|
The ogive is formed by pushing the straight cylinder you made in
|
|
the core seating die into the point forming die. It goes in nose
|
|
first. If you want the nose to be made on the open end of the jacket,
|
|
then the open end goes in first. You can make a solid nose, or full
|
|
metal jacket (FMJ, as it is called, though strictly speaking, the open
|
|
tip also is a full metal jacket bullet) design by pushing the seated
|
|
core and jacket into the point forming die base first. Special notes
|
|
on this technique can be found in Corbin technical papers and books.
|
|
The point forming die has the actual shape of your bullet frozen
|
|
in tough die steel, diamond lapped to extremely fine finish and
|
|
tolerance by skilled die-makers. It is a hand-made die, produced by
|
|
craftsmen with years of experience. It isn't much like a punch press
|
|
die or a plastic moulding die, and people who have skills in those
|
|
fields usually can't produce good point forming dies without a great
|
|
deal more training.
|
|
To make this die, both reamers and laps have to be cut to
|
|
precisely the right shape and diameter for your desired bullet. In
|
|
reloading press equipment, the great attraction is the lower cost since
|
|
you can use an existing press. If your main goal is economy, then it
|
|
doesn't help that goal to increase the cost of the dies by adding extra
|
|
labor, so we manufacture only standard shapes and offer no custom work
|
|
in the reloading press line. By doing this, we have been able to
|
|
produce swage dies superior to those costing ten times as much, that
|
|
are made to special order. Corbin makes the only serious attempt at
|
|
mass production of hand-crafted swage dies: by eliminating all the
|
|
stages of custom fitting and tooling, we've been able to bring swaging
|
|
equipment of high quality to every corner of the earth, and introduce
|
|
thousands of people to swaging who could not otherwise afford to try
|
|
it.
|
|
If you want custom shapes and diameter, on the other hand, then we
|
|
do have another system set up to handle it at reasonable cost. In
|
|
fact, this system is designed on two levels: semi-custom and fully
|
|
custom work using the same basic equipment. The advantage is that we
|
|
can use all standard blanks, that fit into standard presses and use the
|
|
same general parts. Your cost is lower, your replacements or repairs
|
|
are much simpler, and the whole system is so well proven it has become
|
|
the world's defacto standard for swaging. It's called the Mity Mite
|
|
system, and we'll discuss it shortly. Semi-custom outfits can be
|
|
obtained by selecting from the wide variety of off-the-shelf components
|
|
kept in moderate supply for immediate delivery. Fully custom outfits
|
|
can be produced, subject to the usual waiting list.
|
|
In the reloading press, the point forming die is built very much
|
|
like the core seating die. It fits the same universal adapter body, so
|
|
both dies look almost identical from the outside. The difference is
|
|
easy to tell: push on the ejector rod. The core seating die has no
|
|
internal spring. The ejector rod will slide the internal punch down
|
|
and you'll see it at the mouth of the die. The point forming die has a
|
|
small (0.080") spring-steel wire pin passing through the tip of the
|
|
cavity. This pin is a press fit into a steel button "head". The head
|
|
is machined to go into one end of a coil spring.
|
|
The spring presses between the top of the die and the head of the
|
|
ejection pin. We call the internal punch an ejection pin. The heavy
|
|
rod that pushes on it is called the ejection rod, you'll recall. If
|
|
you order a new ejection rod, you'll get this quarter-inch diameter rod
|
|
with the knurled head. If you order a new ejection pin, we'll want to
|
|
know the diameter of wire, or at least what caliber of die it fits.
|
|
The reason for having a spring in this die is to hold the pin out
|
|
of the main part of the die cavity during bullet swaging. The only
|
|
purpose of the ejection pin is to push the bullet out of the die by its
|
|
nose. If the pin were down in the cavity, the bullet would form up
|
|
around the pin, and then it would be stuck in the bullet. This is
|
|
exactly what happens if you forget to use lubricant. Now it's time to
|
|
mention a very important part of swaging: the correct lube.
|
|
For lead bullets, you have seen that a wax solution called Dip
|
|
Lube can be applied before swaging the core. For jacketed bullets, a
|
|
different kind of lube, serving a totally different purpose, is
|
|
required. Swage lube is made to stand up to extreme pressures without
|
|
losing its protective film -- a barrier between the smoothly finished
|
|
die wall and the moving jacket material. Ordinary case lubes are
|
|
useless. Don't try them. Swage lube is a little more expensive, but
|
|
it goes a long way and it works. Your dies will last virtually forever
|
|
if you use the right lube and clean materials.
|
|
Every component needs a thin film of lube applied before it goes
|
|
into the die. Lead or jacket, there must be a film of lube between it
|
|
protective film -- a barrier between the smoothly finished
|
|
die wall and the moving jacket material. Ordinary case lubes are
|
|
useless. Don't try them. Swage lube is a little more expensive, but
|
|
it goes a long way and it works. Your dies will last virtually forever
|
|
if you use the right lube and clean materials.
|
|
Every component needs a thin film of lube applied before it goes
|
|
into the die. Lead or jacket, there must be a film of lube between it
|
|
You simply press
|
|
the seated core in (using proper lube), and eject the final bullet out.
|
|
The bullet goes in nose first, pressed in with an external punch that
|
|
is as big as the bullet base. It comes out base first, pressed out by
|
|
a tiny ejection pin that bears on the tip of the bullet. The reason
|
|
you cannot form the complete bullet in one stroke in this die is that
|
|
the pressure required to expand the jacket uniformly is not present in
|
|
this kind of die. There are two exceptions. You can make a full metal
|
|
jacket bullet in this die alone. And you can make a lead bullet.
|
|
The techniques for FMJ styles are discussed in other books. Lead
|
|
bullets are simply a matter of shoving the lead into the die. It has
|
|
to be smaller than the die cavity, naturally. Everything about swaging
|
|
assumes you know better than to push a larger component into a smaller
|
|
die cavity. The match between core seating die and point forming die
|
|
is very good. For many years, bullet makers thought that it was
|
|
necessary and desirable to have a slight pressure ring at the bottom of
|
|
the bullet. This "pressure ring", as it was called, was promoted as
|
|
increasing accuracy by many die-makers of the 1950's. It may not hurt
|
|
accuracy at all, and it could help in some cases.
|
|
In reality, though, the story is a little different. Most die-
|
|
makers of the past worked at home or in very small shops, and didn't
|
|
have the money for really expensive, high-precision instruments to
|
|
measure the bore sizes of the dies as they were being produced. As a
|
|
result, a match of 0.002 to 0.0008 inches between core seat and point
|
|
form die cavities was about all the die-makers could manage. Even
|
|
today, that is typical of the best amateur work and is seen in some of
|
|
the higher priced benchrest dies as well.
|
|
Because of this difference, the seated core and jacket always went
|
|
into the point forming die considerably under final diameter. The
|
|
pressure of swaging the point expanded the jacket slightly, but most of
|
|
the expansion took place at the base. These bullets won a lot of
|
|
matches, but they still had a bit of taper and a bulge at the base.
|
|
The die-makers, not knowing how to get rid of it, and noticing that
|
|
even with this defect, the bullets still outshot most factory slugs,
|
|
started hinting that maybe this was really a design feature put in by
|
|
plan, instead of something they hadn't yet acquired the tools to
|
|
eliminate.
|
|
Today, we still run into a number of precision shooters who read
|
|
the old literature and come to believe that a "pressure ring" is
|
|
necessary for good shooting. I don't think that having a 0.001-inch
|
|
larger base is harmful to accuracy, but I don't think it necessarily
|
|
does anything valuable. On the other hand, a bullet that is up to
|
|
0.001-inch larger than standard size, and straight, is probably going
|
|
to be a good shooter and it won't expand the case neck as it is seated,
|
|
then leave the case somewhat loose on the forward part of the bullet.
|
|
With much taper on the bullet, the act of feeding the round can push
|
|
the bullet back into the powder, and I know that won't help accuracy.
|
|
We can make bullets tapered, straight, or with a pressure ring.
|
|
In the reloading press, we don't offer a choice. In general, it is one
|
|
of those features that is best left to the die-maker, since
|
|
specification of too many "nit-picking" details only runs up your cost
|
|
for special charges on the die-maker's labor, and doesn't give you any
|
|
more accurate bullet one way or the other. But, if you need something
|
|
very special in this regard, it is one more thing that has been pinned
|
|
down and can be offered to anyone who feels it is worth the extra
|
|
expense.
|
|
The core seating die has made us some semi-wadcutters and seated
|
|
some cores for rifle-style bullets (I say rifle style because they
|
|
could just as well be .32 handgun bullets or .243 rifle bullets -- it
|
|
is exactly the same process, same kind of die, and the only difference
|
|
is the size of the hole and the size of the components going into it).
|
|
We have used the point forming die to shape the rifle-style bullet by
|
|
forming the ogive, and in two steps we have made nice open tip bullets.
|
|
What about lead tips and hollow points? The hollow point is made
|
|
by seating the core with a hollow point punch, then forming the ogive.
|
|
If the hollow point is also a lead tip, then the lead is longer than
|
|
the jacket. Trying to eject this bullet may cause some deformation of
|
|
the tip, since the ejection pin has to push on the tip with some force.
|
|
The third die we mentioned (lead tip die) is made to finish off the tip
|
|
so it looks as good as or better than factory bullets.
|
|
The lead tip die (designated LT-1-R for the reloading press) is
|
|
much like the core seating die, except that it has a slightly larger
|
|
bore size, and the internal punch has a cavity that matches the ogive
|
|
in the point form die. The deformed lead tip fits up inside this
|
|
cavity. Applying gentle pressure reshapes the lead tip, shears off any
|
|
surplus lead, and leaves a fine looking lead tip that can be flat,
|
|
sharp, or radiused. The lead tip die is a nice addition to any set,
|
|
giving you the ability to reform the tips and even to close the open
|
|
tip more tightly than you can do it in the point forming die alone.
|
|
The smallest tip opening is the same diameter as the ejection pin
|
|
in the point form die. This ejection pin has to be strong enough to
|
|
push the bullet out of your die, or you will be constantly replacing
|
|
the ejection pins and having stuck bullets. So, a diameter of about
|
|
0.080-inch is used in reloading press sets. This is a good compromise
|
|
between design strenght and appearance. You can close the tip even
|
|
further by using the lead tip die carefully. This takes a little
|
|
practice to avoid pressing a little shoulder in the ogive, but once you
|
|
figure it out, it is easily repeated.
|
|
How do you know how hard to push on the handle? Just push a
|
|
little bit, very lightly. See if the jacket and core remain in the
|
|
core seating die, or if they come back with the punch. Normally, the
|
|
correct pressure just expands the jacket enough so that it stays up in
|
|
the die. In point forming, use just enough pressure to form the bullet
|
|
until you start to get a parallel pipe of jacket or lead on the tip
|
|
(pushing the bullet material up into the ejection pin hole). That is as
|
|
far as you can expect to go. Back off slightly on the die adjustment
|
|
by raising it higher a half turn or so in the press, and you can then
|
|
use the full ram stroke to set your insertion depth each time.
|
|
One key to uniform swaging in the reloading press is to use the
|
|
top of the stroke, so that each time you move the press handle, you are
|
|
using the physical limit of the press to control how far the punch
|
|
inserts into the die. This controls amount of hollow cavity, the degree
|
|
to which you reshape a bullet, the amount of tip closure on your ogive,
|
|
and whether or not you are going to get a good lead tip. Everything
|
|
depends on uniform stroke, uniform insertion of the punch. And that is
|
|
most easily set by raising the die, so that the ram goes as far up as
|
|
it can. Then lower the die, to obtain the desired shape or insertion.
|
|
The right pressure should be about like sizing a case. The larger
|
|
the caliber, the more pressure you will feel on the handle. In no case
|
|
is it necessary to throw your weight on the handle, or break your
|
|
loading bench, or use a cheater bar. Doing these things will quickly
|
|
make the die-makers more wealthy, because you will soon break your die
|
|
and mash your punches into pancakes, requiring that you replace them.
|
|
If you feel generous toward die-makers this week, by all means jump up
|
|
and down on the press handle a few times. Otherwise, a mild one-hand
|
|
force is quite enough.
|
|
Another point in regard to destruction of parts: always try a
|
|
punch by hand first. If it won't fit, wipe it off several times with a
|
|
clean cloth, oil it lightly, and try again. If it still won't fit,
|
|
make sure that you have the right punch! Punches must fit closely but
|
|
with relative ease into the dies. Keith nose punches, and others with
|
|
deep cavities, expand slightly and may not fit easily by hand after
|
|
they have been used. But they do fit, given a little oil and a little
|
|
gentle pressure. I have seen .242-inch diameter rifle punches (for the
|
|
6mm point forming die) pushed into a .2238-inch diameter hole in the
|
|
.22 core seating die. "I thought it went in a little hard," the
|
|
bullet-maker said. Yes, I guess it might. Comes out a little hard,
|
|
too. Try it by hand first.
|
|
The slot in the reloading press ram collects primer residue and
|
|
metal shavings. Take a cotton swab or a wood pick and scrape it out
|
|
before installing your bullet swage punch. The material stuck in the
|
|
slot can tip the punch, causing it to ram into the die at an angle and
|
|
tear a nasty gouge all down the side of the punch. Again, be gentle
|
|
when you first start out. Don't use speed or force on the first
|
|
stroke, but instead, gently guide things together and notice how they
|
|
fit. Then go after it, once you know everything is lined up.
|
|
Making .22 caliber bullets out of rimfire cases is one of the most
|
|
popular swaging activities today for a reloading press bullet-maker.
|
|
It has been so for twenty years. The process takes three steps. Draw
|
|
the jackets, seat the cores, and form the points. Lead tip bullets add
|
|
a further step of forming the tips. Detailed instructions come with
|
|
the die sets, and further information is found in the various technical
|
|
bulletins and text books we publish.
|
|
The photos in this book will give you a good idea of how the
|
|
process works. The most questions are about annealing and cleaning .22
|
|
cases. First, annealing is usually done after boiling in hot soapy
|
|
water and vinegar (to clean and shine the brass). Annealing is only so
|
|
that the ogive will form without any folding. If you make a big lead
|
|
tip, you probably can avoid annealing. There are several ways to go
|
|
about it. Putting a group of clean cases in a tuna can, inside a lead
|
|
pot, and letting them turn dark brown (15 minutes, usually) will do it.
|
|
Using a toaster oven on high, or putting a pan of cases in a self-
|
|
cleaning oven for the duration of the self-clean cycle is also good.
|
|
Using a propane torch or electric heat gun (Corbin FHG-1) is also good,
|
|
primarily for smaller lots.
|
|
The older books suggested 600 to 650 degrees F. I have found that
|
|
modern cases take 800 to 900 degrees F., and that a standard electric
|
|
oven doesn't usually get hot enough. We do make excellent quality heat
|
|
treatment furnaces, but for the hobbyist they are too expensive. The
|
|
time and quench after heating are not critical. Quenching has no
|
|
effect on the hardness. It merely helps to knock of any scale
|
|
that might have formed. If you use the right temperature, you won't
|
|
get any scale, and you can forget about any quench. Just let the cases
|
|
air cool. Use swage lube on the punch when you draw the jackets. Just
|
|
slip them over the long, 0.2-inch diameter punch and push them into the
|
|
die, following instructions provided with the tool.
|
|
Rimfire cases are good to about 3,000 or 3,200 fps before they
|
|
start to come apart. Actual speed depends on rifling depth and
|
|
sharpness. They force you to load a .22-250 down to .222 Mag velocity,
|
|
but on the other hand, they also make you save powder, barrel, and cost
|
|
nothing for material. When they hit, you'd swear they were going over
|
|
4,000 fps compared to a factory bullet performance. And there is no
|
|
problem with barrel fouling or wear: if anything, the thinner jackets
|
|
are easier on your gun than a standard bullet. Try it! You will be
|
|
surprised at the accuracy.
|