b2riesel
05-09-2011, 04:37 PM
So I've been playing around with the 9mm to 40 swage die. I've found some great small things along my journey and I've made many modifications to both my equipment and my techniques.
For example: I've found that using a 124 grain Tumble Lube bullet gives me less errors in my final bullet than the 124 grain Truncated Cone. Reason being is that sometimes the soft annealed brass likes to move into the wide lube groove as you are swaging. Doing a good core seat usually keeps this from happening but sometimes you still get the indented ring where the lube groove is on the inside....about where the ogive starts...or just above where you would normally put a cannalure if you so desire. I've found that actually putting a cannalure below it...will iron out the area and it's good to go.
However, I find if I use unannealed brass that is much harder than the soft annealed brass I get very few if any of this problem....it's just harder on the hands to swage unannealed brass and most likely harder on the swage die as well. The great benefit so far of unannealed brass is that the auto-ejector kicks it out like butter. I was thinking it has more of a spring back which is probably true...but my measurements are showing the finished JHP's are dropping exactly like I want them to be.
I am transitioning from truncated cone lubed grooved lead to a rounder tumble lube mold...both 124 grains....but I just don't see remelting and pouring the 5k or so I have already made. I think I'll use the lubed grooved bullets in unnealed brass until they are used up.
Again...I'd like to think everyone on this forum for getting me into swaging my own jacketed hollow points...it has been an endeavor that I have thoroughly enjoyed and it really occupies both my curiosity and my enginuity.
For example: I've found that using a 124 grain Tumble Lube bullet gives me less errors in my final bullet than the 124 grain Truncated Cone. Reason being is that sometimes the soft annealed brass likes to move into the wide lube groove as you are swaging. Doing a good core seat usually keeps this from happening but sometimes you still get the indented ring where the lube groove is on the inside....about where the ogive starts...or just above where you would normally put a cannalure if you so desire. I've found that actually putting a cannalure below it...will iron out the area and it's good to go.
However, I find if I use unannealed brass that is much harder than the soft annealed brass I get very few if any of this problem....it's just harder on the hands to swage unannealed brass and most likely harder on the swage die as well. The great benefit so far of unannealed brass is that the auto-ejector kicks it out like butter. I was thinking it has more of a spring back which is probably true...but my measurements are showing the finished JHP's are dropping exactly like I want them to be.
I am transitioning from truncated cone lubed grooved lead to a rounder tumble lube mold...both 124 grains....but I just don't see remelting and pouring the 5k or so I have already made. I think I'll use the lubed grooved bullets in unnealed brass until they are used up.
Again...I'd like to think everyone on this forum for getting me into swaging my own jacketed hollow points...it has been an endeavor that I have thoroughly enjoyed and it really occupies both my curiosity and my enginuity.