Turned Bolt for Top Punch?

[War Eagle]

I have been fidgeting with my Saeco lubrisizer a little and got to thinking about top punches. The only molds that I use right now are Lee's and that probably won't change for a while. I see a lot of comments on top punches and poor fit, tips to make epoxy fitted punches, etc.

All of my bullet profiles are a flat meplat. I got to thinking about taking a bolt, turning the sides of the head to round and truing the face. If I did this and screwed it in place of the usual ill-fitting top punch, would it work? Do I need the support on the radius of the bullet nose to ensure straight alignment or would the flat punch pushing on the flat meplat be enough?

Using the search function, I have seen a few passing comments but nothing that really indicates a true yes or no.

[Wayne Smith]

Not being a machineist I don't do close measurements nor do I measure alignment. That being said, it works for me, at least with short pistol boolits. I did need to turn the head of the bolt small enough to fit into the top of the die for a couple of my boolits. I now have three different size flat head nose punches for my boolits.

[462]

I've turned bolt heads, too, but prefer the exact fit that epoxy provides.

[TXGunNut]

My thinking is that a hard, flat boolit needs less support from a top punch. OTOH my Lyman punches intended for SWC type wide, flat meplat designs have a bit of a ridge to keep the boolit properly aligned. Not familiar w/ the Saeco but wonder if that would be a factor.

[williamwaco]

If you have a flat nose like a SWC. All you need is a top punch with a flat nose slightly larger than the point of your bullet.

Obviously this will not work with a round nose or spitzer.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

When using flat faced wadcutters , Semi wadcutters or other bullets that have a flat faced meplat/nose a bolt that is faced off plumb flat where the head was cut off will serve as a very good top punch. It allows the bullet to slide sideways as it descends into the sizing die while it exerts the necessary downward pressure. I have done this with my 2 Saeco's. The only time it won't work is if the diameter of the bolt exceeds the diameter of the sizing die and in this case you have to have/use a bolt that has a smaller diameter. You can also turn down the diameter of a bolt by chucking it in a drill and using a file and sandpaper+some steel wool. LLS

[Char-Gar]

We have long used flat faced nose punches for handgun bullets. Turn one for a 45 and it will work for all smaller calibers as well. Buckshot at one time made them for a very reasonable price. You can certainly turn one from a bolt or any other stock.

I also turn the seating stems in my seating dies flat for flat nose bullets.

When it comes to long thin rifle bullets a nose first push through sizer works best. These can then be lubed in a .001 oversized die and again a flat face punch on the flat nose of the bullet works just fine.

[Ed in North Texas]

Don't forget to file the bolt grade marking off the head of the bolt (unless you like lines pressed into your meplat), and make sure it is still flat and true when you do that.