KCSO
09-21-2009, 03:19 PM
I needed a die to size 38-55 slugs the other day so I turned out a couple dies and pistons from scrap in the shop. I use old rifle dies that I pick up at garage sales and such and for pistons I use old 22 barrels from rebarreled rifles.
The process is easy just anneal the dies by heating them cherry red for a minuite and then let them air cool or slip them into wood ash till cool. Drill your cavity to the closest drill size and ream to finish size. I bought a set of expansible reamers from Harbor Freight a few years ago and if you keep them sharp and use cutting oil they will last for a lot of work. I like to have a sizing section in the die about 1/2" lond and a tapered leade and a relieved section at the end for bullet release. The only thing critical here is the sizing chamber and I will start reaming that undersize and ream up till I get it where I need it. If I just need a thou or less for the finish I lap with a split dowell and 250 paper.
The pistons I turn from old 22 barrels and I like a loose slip fit here say 2 thou clearance. I don't bother to re harden the dies after they are made as I have one that is 20 years and many thousand bullets old and unhardened it still drops the lead bullets right on spec. If I did reharden I would coat the innards with lamp black and heat to bright red and quench in oil (ATF)
The process is easy just anneal the dies by heating them cherry red for a minuite and then let them air cool or slip them into wood ash till cool. Drill your cavity to the closest drill size and ream to finish size. I bought a set of expansible reamers from Harbor Freight a few years ago and if you keep them sharp and use cutting oil they will last for a lot of work. I like to have a sizing section in the die about 1/2" lond and a tapered leade and a relieved section at the end for bullet release. The only thing critical here is the sizing chamber and I will start reaming that undersize and ream up till I get it where I need it. If I just need a thou or less for the finish I lap with a split dowell and 250 paper.
The pistons I turn from old 22 barrels and I like a loose slip fit here say 2 thou clearance. I don't bother to re harden the dies after they are made as I have one that is 20 years and many thousand bullets old and unhardened it still drops the lead bullets right on spec. If I did reharden I would coat the innards with lamp black and heat to bright red and quench in oil (ATF)