45 cal step by step with my die setup
I'm working on some simple to understand pics in the formation of 45 cal bullets from 40 S&W brass. I'll elaborate a bit more latter but here is a few pics for now.
BT
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/u...P1060584-1.jpg
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/P1060591.jpg
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/P1060585.jpg
Step 1 Expand the fully annealed 40S&W brass to a diameter of about .445. I offer expanding mandrels for use in my universal die for this task.
Step 2 Seat a 158 grain .358 cast boolit core using the flat internial punch in the core seat die and the .425 base punch.
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/P1060586.jpg
Step 3 Switch the flat internial punch of the core seat die to the cone shape and switch the base punch from the .425 to the .445. Then take the seated core from step 2 and run back into the core seat die to displace the lead core to form a cone.
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/P1060588.jpg
Step 4 Drop an 8mm Airsoft BB and procede to notch the top of the jacket.
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/u...P1060587-1.jpg
Step 5 Form bullet in swage die.
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/u...P1050967-1.jpg
Cross section shows construction. The BB will 100% fill the HP cavity. The slight void you see was only caused from me melting the BB slightly in the cutting process of sectioning the bullet in half.
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/P1050973.jpg
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/u...P1060595-1.jpg
To form a more traditional JHP 230 grain .451 bullet use same process, just skip the cone shape punch and use of BB
1. Start with 40 S&W case trimed to .730
2. expand trimmed case to .445
3. Seat core using flat internial punch and .425 base punch
4. notch jacket
5. form bullet using HP punch in the Swage die
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/P1050981.jpg