One way to make .308 cores!

[DukeInFlorida]

I have been sitting here, contemplating how to make cores for the .308 bullets made from 5.7X28 brass.

Brian recently gave me a sample bag, containing some 5.7X28 brass and some cores that he produced somehow (drilled out mold?)

Was reading the thread on how big a press is needed to make wire.............

Suddenly I was hit with an idea, and just had to try it out................

I took my 9mm to .40 BT die, and removed all of the UPPER parts.

When you look inside the die, there's a .40 lower end diameter (inside), a curved ogive, going into .250" hole (where the 1/4" knock out pin goes)..........

Hmmmmmmmmmm. Wonder if I put my bottom punch in the press, and place a cast .40 bullet on top of the punch, and run it up... will the die extrude a .250" piece of wire? Does the press have enough oomphh???

Sure does!! I covered my cast lee bullets in Xlox, and started pressing, adjusting the die as I went, so that I was using maximum leverage (at the top of the cam)... Went in as far as I could, and then placed another bullet on the punch, backed off the tool, and went again. POP! The wire core actually POPPED right out of the die. Hydraulic pressure, I guess. Right at .250" diameter, and long enough for one core, plus some additional length for tweaking the weight of the final bullet.

I could produce 1/4" cores all day long. Well, to the extent that I have cast 40 bullets.

Right at the moment it pops out of the die, I could place the regular nose punch, the flat one, in, with the guide/spacer, and then the rest of the upper parts, slide the knock out pin in there, and begin pushing the slug back out the other end. Because the slug was Xloxed, it slid out easily.

I'll have to make a lead wire core cutter, but I now have my supply of cores for the .308 swaged bullets.

Brian, maybe you should start making (like you need additional projects) core extruding dies. Simple to do!

Soon as I get my camera battery charged up, I'll post pictures of the slug I removed, and the cores I made!

Now, I gotta figure out making punch extruded cores for the .224 project.

[BT Sniper]

YEP this technique works well. I did make me a .185 extrusion die. Like you have found out it take constaint adjustment of teh die to utilize the max force of the press but it does work well.

All it takes is a little imagination and then you find all sorts of things are possible.

Good work and Swage On!

BT

[Doc Highwall]

You guys keep up with this posting and I will be spending money on swaging you know. Yes, it will be your fault!

[DukeInFlorida]

Don't blame me, I'm already addicted, and love to have others around me.

Dang, I bumped the bottom punch on the bottom of the die, and made a ding on it.

Gonna have to get some additional .40 bottom punches. If I had that threaded ram, this would not have happened.......
Saving my pennies for a ram, Brian.

[MightyThor]

Obviously I support squashing lead in any form, and that includes creating cores, but casting cores, particularly in larger calibers is so durn easy I am wondering why everyone doesn't do it? As far as a scientific project, I am behind this 100%, but then I will likely go out and start pouring molten lead into a hole of some sort.

[DukeInFlorida]

Trying to avoid buying a blank mold at > $50

[bandmiller2]

Really a core mold can be nothing more than a drilled hole with a spru plate and a way to punch the cylinder out. Frank C.

[Ammosmith]

Great idea! I'll have to give it a go.

[MightyThor]

Trying to avoid buying a blank mold at > $50

Do like I do. Buy a cheap used mold, (usually a round ball one) and turn it over, drill your core hole and a threaded hole for the sprue plate and you have two molds in one.


Here is a picture of one I made from an old 357 mold that I picked up for 10 bucks.

[ReloaderFred]

You got a Hensley & Gibbs ten cavity mold for $10.00!!!???? And drilled holes in it, too!!???

It was a $200.00+ mold, but not now. At least it's giving you good service for something else...........

Fred

[MightyThor]

You got a Hensley & Gibbs ten cavity mold for $10.00!!!???? And drilled holes in it, too!!???

It was a $200.00+ mold, but not now. At least it's giving you good service for something else...........

Fred

Yeah, I know, I did not know what it was when I got it, and truthfully I only bought it so I could drill it. Later when I learned more about molds I kind of felt guilty but I still use it both ways and would not sell it so I guess I am not out anything. Lets face it, who would let a $200 mold go for $10 bucks right? I figured I was just hacking up an old mold.

[kombayotch]

Worked fairly well pushing fishing sinkers through my rimfire jacket making die too...