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Normal Topic Swaging Number 1 (Read 151 times)
Nero
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Location: NZ
Joined: Jun 1st, 2006
Swaging Number 1
Jun 12th, 2024 at 2:11am
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The good thing about rifle shooting is that you don’t have to stop as old age creeps up on you and if you reload you can shoot more for less cost.
The next step up is in the making of your own hand made bullets and you can make 224 calibre bullets for free using used 22 R/F cases and scrap lead but there is no such thing as a free lunch as its pretty time consuming and the set up cost’s for a press and dies are high as the dies are hand made and diamond lapped or honed for a perfect finish. 
I started making my own bullets over twenty years ago using a Corbin silver press and dies. 
Had a stop over for a couple of weeks in the USA and a phone call and my credit card number to David Corbin and a press, dies and jackets were at the front desk of our hotel the next day.
Before this I had bought his book Discover Swaging which must be considered the Bible of swaging and It’s a very interesting and easy to read book and even if you have no intention of making your own bullets well worth buying.
Have a look at his web site, if its not listed he will make it for you. If you have any problems I have found an email will be replied to by return.
Along with the press, dies and jackets I had also ordered an adjustable four gang core mould to make the lead cores from scrap lead as well as a bench mounted cutter to chop lead wire into the required length. The roll of lead wire I bought after I returned to NZ.
Using the commercial jackets I had no rejects provided I followed to the letter the advice in his book although it was a different matter when I started making them from used R/F jackets.
As R/F cases have thinner sides than commercial jackets you have to get another  slightly larger punch to seat the lead core otherwise the lead will bleed past This I ordered and then went about collecting used R/F cases from the 25 metre sighting in range. 
Collected half an ice cream container full of bright clean cases and gave them a good clean in hot soapy water. 
David Corbin in his book reckons heating the used cases to 500° as a stress relief rather than an actual anneal just until they are all brought evenly to that temperature without cold spots, a matter of minutes is sufficient and also will dry your cases at the same time. Since the different cases use different materials and have different work hardening histories there is no specific time or temperature  Do look very closely at the cases when you are washing them as some guys throw live cases into the bin as I found
« Last Edit: Jun 12th, 2024 at 10:09pm by Nero »  
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