C&H Swage-O-Matic

[littlejack]

I am considering a used Swage-O-matic. Can anyone shed some light on this press? I realize that it is the basic C-type press. Is this a drawback? Does it use the standard 7/8 x 14 dies? Does it have plenty of leverage, as compared to the Rock Chucker?
I have the Rock Chucker, is it a better press? I read on this site that they have a weak spot where the primer feed cutout is?
I may start swaging for a rifle, and maybe handgun later.
Thanks fellas.
Jack

[Red River Rick]

Littlejack:

With regards to your questions, the answers would be yes, yes, no, no, yes, there is no primer feed.


RRR

[Hammer]

I have two and they are both set up for core swaging. This keeps the other presses available for core seating and point forming without an additional die changeout....

The Rock Chucker is BY FAR the better press as Red River Rick has pointed out.....

[littlejack]

Thank you very much fellas. I greatly appreciate your expierienced input.
This is one of the great thing about this forum. If one needs expierenced information, it is litterally at the tip of ones fingers.
You fellas just saved me some money, and a big disappointment.
Jack

[ReloaderFred]

I also have two of them. They will do light swaging, but nothing really serious. I use one of them for .38 bullets, since it's one of the few with a Semi-Wadcutter Hollow Point nose punch. The other has a sort of weird .44 caliber nose punch and die set. It's probably going to be sold one of these days.

And yes, the Rockchucker is stronger. I use mine for core seating and BT's notching die, but use my big Hollywood press for the actual bullet swaging.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[littlejack]

Thanks Fred.
That does leave me to decide wheather to pick one of the Swage-O-Matics up
to squash the cores in if I decide to go the whole swaging route. I could make myself a core mould. Decisions, decisions.
Jack

[ReloaderFred]

Jack,

You have to remember that the Swage-O-Matic uses a different size die and thread pattern than reloading dies. I haven't measured them to see what they are, but they're fine threaded and not 7/8x14.

It has the strength to seat cores, and like I mentioned above, light swaging. The design works pretty good, since the swaged bullet is automatically ejected when the ram is lowered. It just lacks flexibility as far as dies go.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[firefly1957]

My Swage-O-Matic has 7/8-14 threads and seems to give near the same force as Rockchucker but it is a shorter throw so is less useful. Also the rams are different for different uses.

[ReloaderFred]

I'll measure mine and see what the thread gauge says it is.

Fred

[ReloaderFred]

My Swage-O-Matic top punch dies measure 1"x18 threads.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[littlejack]

Now thats a good reason for me NOT to purchase one. Fred, thanks for that information.
Jack

[andremajic]

They are good for swaging slightly undersized lubed bullets up to the desired diameter.

The lube stays put and the metal flows where it needs to, as per the article listed: http://www.lasc.us/Brennan_4-3_SwagBullets.htm

I've used the swagomatic with WW alloy and a wadcutter mold that was throwing undersized bullets and creating hp swc bullets that have perfect bases and measure exactly .3575"

Andy