Herters Swaging Setup

[StarMetal]

My best friend is going to give me a Herters swaging setup which includes the press, swage dies for 38/357, and a core maker that you use by casting cores. Anyone have anything like this? I sure would like to pickup some 45 swage dies as I'm not a big 38/357 fan.

Joe

[45 2.1]

I've got the reloading press Herters dies. If I had the 38 cal setup, I would modify them to swag a 38 S&W bullet for the Webleys.

[Buckshot]

..............Joe, is this for swaging half jackets? What's the press like?

...............Buckshot

[locutus]

I had one of these about 30 years ago. Swaged several hundred half-jacket bullets. shot half a dozen of them. Pulled the bullets on the rest and remelted the cores.

Worst leading I've ever had in a pistol. And at only 850 FPS velocity.

[Bent Ramrod]

I've got the Herter's .30-cal die and a few jackets for use in a loading press. Haven't tried to use it yet.

Thirty years ago, I bought a Herter's "9-Ton" bullet swaging press. Pretty good design for leverage, although the function depended on a hardened washer in the back that kept cracking. I ordered new washers and kept cracking them until Herter's went out of business. (Why did Herter's go out of business? All the Crowned Heads of Europe preferred their stuff to anyone else's.) I also scored a die and ruined a punch or two, but the replacements were very cheap. Finally sold the setup when I got my $75 Corbin jacketed-bullets-from-22-shells outfit.

The bullets had a conical point with a flange, and, in .22 caliber, were about 3/4 jacket, as I made them. I don't remember any leading in my .22 Hornet rifle, but do remember my .22 Jet Magnum revolver was half again as noisy when shooting those bullets. When I got my first micrometer, I found out why: the diameter was .225" or so, being sized down to .222" ahead of 30Kpsi pressure. Quit shooting them in the pistol, regretfully; the bullets made nice wad-cutter holes in paper targets.

I'd advise you check the diameter of the bullets that come out of the die set. Otherwise, the price is right; load up a few and see if Herter was right about his stuff!