Usable Sucess!

[BT Sniper]

Quite a while ago I sat down in frount of a lathe for the first time and attempted a .458 swage die. Well I certainly had a lot of fun but wound up with an "unusable sucess" in a .463 die. The threads where cut crooked and even the bullet cavity managed to get bored off center.

Now with a bit more pratice on the lathe under my belt I have a new "usable success"in a .475 swage die! [smilie=w:

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/usablesucess.jpg

Bullet pictured is a 300 grain .475 made form a 45 ACP case. Anyone shoot a 480 Ruger or 475! May be a good reason for me to get a new gun :)

Some where I have a before pic. I thought the original thread I posted on this die had one but I must have moved it.

Swage On!

BT

[Swede44mag]

Kewl looking die it may be the solution to not having to use C&H dies any more.

I have an old Atlas Lathe but the thread cutting capabilities leaves a lot to be desired.

[BT Sniper]

Oh Yah! That's the idea. I'm working on it :)

Thanks

BT

[BwBrown]

Nice job BT!!! [smilie=w:

When I bought my first machine (it was a 9" Southbend lathe) my mentor's comment was, "Now you can make your own chips."

It's quite simple really. You chuck up a piece of steel, flip the switch and cut off everything that doesn't look like a die, or a bushing, or a bolt, or whatever...

Most often, I take off too many chips and have to start over. Machining is as much art as it is science. That die of yours looks pretty darn nice to me!

Keep up the good work. I spent some time last evening cranking out a couple boxes of .429 JHP boolits at 225gr. thanks to your die set. A week ago I boxed up 150 45 colt slugs at 270gr.

Keep up the good work.
Bob


ps. What did you do in terms of hardening/annealing that die?

[BT Sniper]

Thanks Bob,

LOL "now you can make your own chips" and yes "quite simple really" Just cut off what dosen't look like a die. LOL! After the day or two I spent on these dies it is a bit nerve wracking! Not quite stressful, allmost, but certainly a challenge in a good way.

Heat treat is yet to come.

BT

[Swede44mag]

Forgot to ask what material are you using? If you figure out how to heat treat let us know.

I trashed 3 Freechex III dies before I ever got one bored to size and my boring tool is a piece of cra* I got from the Tool Store. It cost so much to buy anything decent to use on a lathe.

Sure looking forward to seeing you make more of these in the sizes I need to make jacketed bullets. I picked up 500 .40 empties so I would have something to play with. Got to feed my hungry .454 Raging bull.

[BT Sniper]

Remember when making dies we don't make mistakes only the next larger caliber. :) Someone here has that for a signature, love it!

This die was practice from years ago that I revived. Was just a piece of scrap metal laying on shop floor.

All my future dies will most likly be from 4140 steel and heat treated. I'll probably be sending dies out to get heat treat done correctly. Not somthing I want to screw up.

BT

[arjacobson]

just remember that your sizes will change after heat treat.. I have pretty much figured out how to get a set of dies made but no longer have access to heat treating. I have to figure out my sizes to leave enough(but not too much) material so the final lapping will clean everything up... For years I figured out how to run parts in my head before ever machining anything.. Worked for me. If I just threw some stock in a lathe or mill it usually ended up scrap>LOL..

[LatheRunner]

Nice looking die you have there BT. Looks like you did a good job on those threads. I made my dies out of A2 tool steel and heat treated to 48-52 rockwell. A2 does not move much in heat treat.

[warf73]

Quite a while ago I sat down in frount of a lathe for the first time and attempted a .458 swage die. Well I certainly had a lot of fun but wound up with an "unusable sucess" in a .463 die. The threads where cut crooked and even the bullet cavity managed to get bored off center.

Now with a bit more pratice on the lathe under my belt I have a new "usable success"in a .475 swage die! [smilie=w:

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/usablesucess.jpg

Bullet pictured is a 300 grain .475 made form a 45 ACP case. Anyone shoot a 480 Ruger or 475! May be a good reason for me to get a new gun :)

Some where I have a before pic. I thought the original thread I posted on this die had one but I must have moved it.

Swage On!



BT

I'm going to order a die set from CH4D for my 480 Ruger, my plans are to make 400gr bullets. I've made 100 cup/core blanks(400gr) just need a swaging die set now.
Going to get the RN set up, then later make a hollow point pin for it.

You have a nice looking bullet there BT.