Jim
07-16-2013, 05:14 PM
I got into one of my notorious experimenting modes today and stumbled on something. I think I found a way to put a meplat on a boolit by bumping it. Not only that, but the meplat can be bumped from slight to full wadcutter.
My experiment started with a Lee 452-230-2R TL design. I started by stripping the guts out of a decommissioned Lyman .308 FL die. I found that the hole where the plug for the decapping rod goes through is just over 5/16" in diameter.
I found a 5/16" round head slotted stove bolt and put it in my hillbilly lathe, a drill in a carpenter's vice. I got after it with a bastard cut file and took it down to what looks like the head of an engine valve. The final diameter allows the head to recess into the shoulder area of the die such that the flat end is right at the transition from the body area into the shoulder area.
76292
I put this rod in the die from the inside. I put two 5/16" nuts on the end and lightly locked them together. I put a drive piston from a Lee .452 sizer die in the press ram and screwed the bump die in the press. I put a boolit on the piston and screwed the die down until I felt the boolit bottom out against the rod. I retracted the press ram, screwed the die down a half turn and sent the boolit against the rod face. I created a slight meplat. I kept doing this until I got to the point that there was no more room to compress the boolit. At the final stage, I created a full wadcutter. The final diameter at the larger end is .454". One more pass through a .452 sizer die and the boolit would be ready to load.
I found out that doing this in stages in not required. I am able to drive a boolit to full wadcutter or any stage in between as long as I don't screw the die down beyond full compression. I feel sure I'd break linkage like that.
The boolit is wedged into the body of the sizing die and does not fall out. I bumped the top of the rod with a plastic faced machinist's mallet and the boolit popped right out the bottom of the die. It will go in, compress and come out without any lubrication. however, that certainly makes it come out easier.
Below are photos of three different boolits bumped to various stages. Somewhere in the transition, the boolit would not longer be useable in an automatic. I believe any diameter of meplat could be used in .45 Colt, though.
In studying the diameters of cartridge cases, I think this could be done for a variety of calibers. I haven't tried anything past what I've posted, but I think a .223 FL die could be used to bump .357 diameter boolits and a .30-30 die could be used for .40 caliber boolits.
I have not even loaded any of these, let alone fired them. I certainly think this opens a door for experimentation, though.
76293
76294
Please disregard the color of the boolits below. They're coated with that goofy Graphlox lube I've been experimenting with.
76295
My experiment started with a Lee 452-230-2R TL design. I started by stripping the guts out of a decommissioned Lyman .308 FL die. I found that the hole where the plug for the decapping rod goes through is just over 5/16" in diameter.
I found a 5/16" round head slotted stove bolt and put it in my hillbilly lathe, a drill in a carpenter's vice. I got after it with a bastard cut file and took it down to what looks like the head of an engine valve. The final diameter allows the head to recess into the shoulder area of the die such that the flat end is right at the transition from the body area into the shoulder area.
76292
I put this rod in the die from the inside. I put two 5/16" nuts on the end and lightly locked them together. I put a drive piston from a Lee .452 sizer die in the press ram and screwed the bump die in the press. I put a boolit on the piston and screwed the die down until I felt the boolit bottom out against the rod. I retracted the press ram, screwed the die down a half turn and sent the boolit against the rod face. I created a slight meplat. I kept doing this until I got to the point that there was no more room to compress the boolit. At the final stage, I created a full wadcutter. The final diameter at the larger end is .454". One more pass through a .452 sizer die and the boolit would be ready to load.
I found out that doing this in stages in not required. I am able to drive a boolit to full wadcutter or any stage in between as long as I don't screw the die down beyond full compression. I feel sure I'd break linkage like that.
The boolit is wedged into the body of the sizing die and does not fall out. I bumped the top of the rod with a plastic faced machinist's mallet and the boolit popped right out the bottom of the die. It will go in, compress and come out without any lubrication. however, that certainly makes it come out easier.
Below are photos of three different boolits bumped to various stages. Somewhere in the transition, the boolit would not longer be useable in an automatic. I believe any diameter of meplat could be used in .45 Colt, though.
In studying the diameters of cartridge cases, I think this could be done for a variety of calibers. I haven't tried anything past what I've posted, but I think a .223 FL die could be used to bump .357 diameter boolits and a .30-30 die could be used for .40 caliber boolits.
I have not even loaded any of these, let alone fired them. I certainly think this opens a door for experimentation, though.
76293
76294
Please disregard the color of the boolits below. They're coated with that goofy Graphlox lube I've been experimenting with.
76295