Swaging naked boolits

[fastfire]

Just saw this post, http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?246417-100gr-224-quot-coated-bullets Was wondering if anyone did this. I imagine swaging will have less defects and result in better accuracy for a necked boolit.
What kind of press is required for this, Or how small a press can you use with say WW alloy?
What is the hardest alloy can be used?

[clodhopper]

If you want to swage wheel weights you need big dies that will not split with the pressure needed to form bullets.
How small a press, I dont know. How long is your cheater pipe?

[Wolftracker]

I do something like this though, I recommend extreme caution doing it. I cast a medium hard (somewhere between pure and wheel weight) 45 cal. semi-wadcutter bullet or a round nose, then swage it in my round nose swage die, slowly and gently until I get a round nose that is much more precise than cast. I also use a hollow point punch sometimes to create a hollow base and I use Corbin's dip lube. The bullets I do this with are not far from being in the final shape so they don't require a super amount of pressure to alter. These are very accurate in my 45 ACP and I haven't had leading problems. I can't tell you the exact BHN, just that they come out silver in color.

[firefly1957]

I have easily swaged wheel weight lead in a old thin set of dies i have a picture at the end of that thread those are .224 diameter . I also have OLD Pacific swage dies in .357 & .452 for use with half jackets i form great bullets with powder coated cores in these and the harder alloys work fine for me but are not recommended . With the powder coating a hard alloy is not needed to reduce fouling however if you seat alloy bullets in a necked case do not seat bullet below the case neck with high pressure loads the bullet base can rivet and coat case bore and everything with lead. I found this out the hard way with a 357-44 Bain & Davis .

[joesig]

Just saw this post, http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?246417-100gr-224-quot-coated-bullets Was wondering if anyone did this. I imagine swaging will have less defects and result in better accuracy for a necked boolit.
What kind of press is required for this, Or how small a press can you use with say WW alloy?
What is the hardest alloy can be used?


It would help if we knew what you wanted to do so we could guide you.

Mr. Speer used an O press to make 22s out of 22LR in the 40s. Hence the name Rock Chuck Bullet Swage better known as RCBS.

I haven't had any problems swaging wheel weight in .30 cal in a dedicated swage press. I wouldn't worry too much about .35 cal. 44 and up I would just want to reform what was already cast.

You'll get some real pressure in the core form die. This die has the smaller bleed holes to get your core to a uniform volume.

If you are just bumping a nose or squaring a base pressure won't be too crazy.

[fastfire]

30 cal and .223 cal and possibly .452
I have seen plans here for a swage press I suspect that would do the job?
Also, places that make swage dies would be good.

[Reload3006]

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee403/reload3006/44keith4.jpg (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/reload3006/media/44keith4.jpg.html)
yes it can be done and it works very well. The thing that you would have to work out is how to apply your coating and then order your dies appropriately. If you use pure lead a good sturdy O frame press should do the job for you but especially for big bullets like you allude to .452 I would consider a dedicated swage press especially if you plan on using anything but pure lead.

[Sasquatch-1]

I take all my lead 44 bullets and run them through the Lube Sizer and then through a swaging die. It gives me a perfectly flat base and a bullet as round as the die is.

[joesig]

30 cal and .223 cal and possibly .452
I have seen plans here for a swage press I suspect that would do the job?
Also, places that make swage dies would be good.

Been a while since I saw the plans but yes, I believe that will be more than strong enough for what you'd like to do.

BTSniper here makes some dies though I haven't use them. Other makers too? I got mine from:

http://www.corbins.com/ a couple of decades ago.

There is also http://www.rceco.com/ (after the Corbin brothers split)

Corbins has some good reference material and books on the subject if you would like some more reading material before jumping in.

The hardest part is figuring out what you want. The second hardest is writing the check and waiting.

It is NOT a Lee Pot/mold, hit Rotometals kinda deal. What it is is the ability to make your own bullets about as perfect as any manufacturer and will give you tons of flexibility in the process.

MOA with cast is an accomplishment. Sub MOA with swaged is ho-hum.