What type of equipment do high production swagers use?

[bmiller]

What type of equipment do manufactures of swaged lead pistol bullets use. I am playing with coated pistol bullets, and was curious if anyone has ever seen a high production operation that swaged bullets.

[runfiverun]

for the smaller company's the corbin hydro-press would fit a production niche nicely.

[ricklaut]

Here's an interesting page with photos: http://www.precisionballisticsllc.com/How_I_Build_My_Bulle.html He's local to me, but we've never met.

[Scootshop]

Thats pretty pro, he must have large muscles. Good looking shop.

[303british.com]

I wouldn't want to deal with Rock Chuckers or Reddings for manual bullet making. He can have them. I'm genuinely surprised that he's not using actual bullet presses.

[xman777]

I wonder what kind of mounts he's using. Those are slick.

[Scootshop]

Agreed, that said still a nice shop. I hope someday if I am making a living with this stuff, I hope at least one step is automated.

[Scootshop]

Looks like he took a page right out of Corbins book, high quality notice no 224 bullets. I like it.

[Utah Shooter]

I wouldn't want to deal with Rock Chuckers or Reddings for manual bullet making. He can have them. I'm genuinely surprised that he's not using actual bullet presses.
I do believe those are modified Redding Big Boss presses. Like I was trying to explain in a post before when I posted that exact link. I think you would be surprised to find most of the gents who make superior quality copper jacketed bullets use those types of presses.

[303british.com]

They are Reddings. They can have them. :) I like RC and Redding presses for reloading, but I'll keep using my bigger presses for bullet making. :)

[BT Sniper]

Yep, word will slowly get out. The top benchrest shooters use bullets made from modified "reloading" presses! Of course most of these bullets are 6.5mm and under or lighter weight 30 cals so typically not a lot of pressure required.

Anyone heard of BIB bullets? I read that he uses Lee Classic cast presses to make his match winning bullets! You know who else likes to swage bullets with, and recommends the modified Lee Classic Cast? [smilie=1:

Good question asked by the original poster. There is some youtube video I think of the Sierra tour. I live close enough here in OR. I should visit Nolser, I know a member here with experience working there.

Bughole (Don with precision ballistics) there in the link posted, uses the Redding presses with the high dollar carbide dies. It is that design I have lightly based my dies and tooling off of and certainly the level of perfection I am attempting to obtain.

I'm sure a lot will depend on how big of bullets one is trying to produce on a production level as to what machinery one chooses to use.

Good shooting and swage on!

BT

[BT Sniper]

http://www.saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23660

Take a look at post # 5 and 6 of this thread

BT

[303british.com]

Actually, the original question was about swaged lead pistol bullets. Bullet swaging has been going on for a long, long time, and started on smaller presses. I'm fairly certain that the word is already out. :lol:

To the original poster: If you can, go for a tour of Speer, Sierra or Hornady. They do this. High production machines look nothing like what the small fry producers are using.

Speaking for myself, a smaller operation that's produced bullets for sale for a number of years, I will repeat - I like RC and Redding presses for reloading, but I'll keep using my bigger presses for bullet making. I was producing bullets with two RC presses and it didn't work for me. I even tried my Redding Boss at one point. No thanks. I switched and have never looked back. I think that I have a right to my opinion concerning this.

Here's a video someone put up on youtube four or five years ago when I was producing a 200 gr. bullet for Lee Enfields.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoXg0wiL-_8

[303british.com]

I thought that I'd add this. From Sierra.

First, from How Stuff Works, a peek inside the Sierra bullet factory. Watch carefully and you'll see the machines core seating, jacket making, etc. Their machines are large, industrial versions of what we use. Lead wire is "the core" of their success. They use at least four different core hardness's. Something that we don't have to worry about. Check out how they lube jackets. . :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkr1NS7bEUU

Next, do you want a tour of their facility? No problem.

Tour Sierra Bullets

Come and see how Sierra Bullets are made - from raw material through the industry's strictest quality assurance processes. Visitors are welcome in our facility and advance reservations are not required for groups smaller than 10. Tours are available Monday - Friday, 8:30 am to 4:40 pm. Large groups will require one week notice, but for families or individuals, come on in and we'll make the delay as short as possible. The tour will take approximately 45 minutes. Safety glasses must be worn while touring the Sierra Bullets facility. The Sierra Bullets facility is handicapped accessible. Ample parking is available for cars and buses in front of the Sierra Bullets building off of Henry Street. There is no cost for the tour.

For groups of 10 or more please complete the form below one week in advance of your requested tour date. A Sierra Bullets representative will contact you back within 2 business days to confirm your requested tour reservation date and time.

http://www.sierrabullets.com/about-us/tour-sierra-bullets/

[aaronraad]

Wouldn't take much to adapt something like this to make a swaged lead pistol bullet instead of just a swaged lead core. You'd just have to spec out the dies to suit a harder lead alloy than softer 99.99% lead wire.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3KP7wcY9VY

Something like a Denison Multiswage with an indexing table maybe.

[303british.com]

I used to order Clint Starke's cores when I first started making bullets. His bullet company was still operating then.

It was so much easier not having to bother with cutting and forming lead cores. Apparently there are a couple of businesses in the States that make lead cores. It's my least favourite part of bullet making.

[303british.com]

Can anyone make out the press manufacturer's name on the side of the machine?

[BT Sniper]

WOW! That machine is COOL!

BT

[aaronraad]

Can anyone make out the press manufacturer's name on the side of the machine?

I think it might be Indian.

I contacted Clint about 15 months ago for a price but didn't take things any further.

I won't say how much I was estimated by Lachaussee New for their lead core swaging press model 862.01 http://www.lachaussee.com/content/default.asp?page=7668 but I'm in the wrong business!

[303british.com]

I imagine that they cost a dollar or two. Clint's machine looks to be smaller than some of the gear they have on the Lachausse site. It certainly would have been expensive to ship. I know that the small stuff - hand presses, dies, etc - because they were metal, cost a pretty penny to move from the US to Canada.

[BT Sniper]

It says "Pro Form" on the side of it. I tried a google search but didn't come up with anything.

BT

[jmorris]

This thread is going the direction I am interested in.

I have a few old punch presses that I have thought about converting over to swage. I have seen small ones like the last video go for as little as $250 on Craigslist.

[aaronraad]

This thread is going the direction I am interested in.

I have a few old punch presses that I have thought about converting over to swage. I have seen small ones like the last video go for as little as $250 on Craigslist.

I've also seen a few of Denison Multiswage presses on ebay with the indexing table but not worth importing into Australia.

[bmiller]

Wouldn't take much to adapt something like this to make a swaged lead pistol bullet instead of just a swaged lead core. You'd just have to spec out the dies to suit a harder lead alloy than softer 99.99% lead wire.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3KP7wcY9VY

Something like a Denison Multiswage with an indexing table maybe.

Ok, I want to go on record. I am number one on the waiting list for the BT sniper multiswage! I am amazed all the more horsepower it is taking to run that machine.

[bmiller]

The Achilles heal would be the cost of the lead wire. Is there a way to draw it without spending millions ?

[aaronraad]

The Achilles heal would be the cost of the lead wire. Is there a way to draw it without spending millions ?

Do mean with a modified log splitter (10t?), or a decent pair of hydraulic rams build around a frame, to accept a die block? I looked at hollow rams but none of them really have enough travel to put a 25lb/10kg cast lead slug.

New purpose built lead wire extrusion pressing cost a mint - 97494.

Geometrotec in the UK were also selling a used Kynoch core swaging/seating press but they weren't giving that away either.

[xman777]

I'm bringing this back...

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Lots of good things in this thread! :D

[xman777]

Exactly why I am keeping it fresh. I'm working on a couple of these projects and hopefully getting some help with some others.

[KAYDADOG]

A punch press probably would work fine for swaging. I have old loading books showing individuals making rifle bullets on one. The only issue is the tonnage required to perform all operations. Currently have several Perkins OBI 3/ton presses. Fully automated one for making gas checks works flawlessly for this application.

For swaging a lead core and other operations your probably going to need at least a 10-15/ton press. I seriously considered this but have zero space for a press in this size range. Presses in this size start to get quite heavy to move around.

The speed of a punch press would out perform a hydraulic press by quite a bit. I ended up making a fully automated 4/post hydraulic press using Corbin H-type dies. Fully satisfied with quality and speed, it's only a hobby.

The only thing I would add is that any press that is automated will obtain consistent end product results. When swaging cores on my hydraulic press there is almost zero deviation from the set weight. Speed and pressure are set and always the same for each cycle.

Setting up a punch press would be different. Press tonnage would be fixed. Setting stroke length or final die height would be the controlling factors.
Punch presses are more dangerous because of the cycle speed. On the low end one second cycles are easily seen which is fast.
Any type of automated equipment is very unforgiving if you happen to get your fingers in the way.

[257]

i have been to numerous sales in the past where they sold small (up to 20 ton) presses for scrap, like 10.00 or less. the problem is if you want to pay some one to run them it costs a fortune to make them osha compliant. my friend bought a 12 ton with a stand like brand new for 12.50. he is playing around with it trying to make jackets with it