cases as bases?

[Thompsoncustom]

Now I don't do the whole swaging thing but I got thinking the other day why can't you annel a smaller case and expand it to fit over a cast bullet and than size the whole thing like a gas check but the upsides to the case if it was the right length is it could cover the driving bands and shoot like j-words at almost the price of cast.

Is this something anyone has done.

[GhostHawk]

According to Utube video's yes.

I believe he was using .40 cal range pickup cases, swaging in a chunk of lead, and using I believe a .243 sizing die minus decapping rod as point form.

If I had a big solid O type press I'd probably mess around with something like that. I just don't see my little Lee Hand press as being conducive to that kind of brute force.

I do think a final trip through a sizing die is a good idea though.

On further reflection I do have a .358 158 gr TL mold that would fit into a .40 case. And maybe I could use that old set of .270 RCBS dies to get this tried. Then again maybe I'll wait and see what you come up with. :)

Swaging is interesting, but seems to be an expensive hobby to get started in.

[ReloaderFred]

Do you mean like this:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m606/ReloaderFred/BulletSwaging001.jpg (http://s1134.photobucket.com/user/ReloaderFred/media/BulletSwaging001.jpg.html)

Hope this helps.

Fred

[ReloaderFred]

This is a top view of each step:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m606/ReloaderFred/BulletSwaging002.jpg (http://s1134.photobucket.com/user/ReloaderFred/media/BulletSwaging002.jpg.html)

Hope this helps.

Fred

[ReloaderFred]

And here are a few already made:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m606/ReloaderFred/BulletSwaging004.jpg (http://s1134.photobucket.com/user/ReloaderFred/media/BulletSwaging004.jpg.html)

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Thompsoncustom]

Ya fred kind of like that, I was thinking as a application on a long 30 cal rifle bullet and only the rear half would need covered where the driving bands are I would think.

[clodhopper]

That half jacket idea has been kicked around by many old reloaders who have headed to the big range in the sky.
What if you could take 9mm brass, make 30 cal jackets out of it and run em 2800 fps?
Come join the madness, we are sure to save some money by reloading someday....

[Thompsoncustom]

Ya 9mm would be the prefect case for availability but I wonder if the tapered base would be to strong to size down.

I've tired forcing a annealed 9mm through my .358 sizing die but couldn't do it by hand. But I was able to force it through the carbide ring in my FCD.

So if u did it in enough steps or had strong equipment it seems possible.

[runfiverun]

to get around the cash situation i just used some 312 tubing and lapped the drive bands out of a 30 cal mold.
I cut the tubing, sized it ina 312 star die to fold over the cuts and round the tubing out, and also to lock the jacket to the lead core.
then i pre-heated the tubing before sliding it into the mold and casting through the hollow tubing.
I have pushed this bullet to about 2500 fps in several 31 cal rifles and have even used it to shoot some deer with.

I was told it wouldn't work, or I'd blow the core out [shrug] but after several hundred rounds of testing I have full confidence in the bullets doing what I want. [make holes in paper and kill deer sized animals]

there's also the option of making 30-31 caliber bullets out of 5.7 x 28 brass you have to do several steps in the process but they make great bullets.
BT sniper makes a die set to do this in either caliber.
but you could probably come up with some creative way's around some of the steps involved.

[Thompsoncustom]

Thats a neat way of doing the same thing. I want to take a case like 9mm instead of using tubing just because I have like 3k 9mm cases around here.

I would have thought you would have blown out the lead core also but if it works it works you can't argue with results.

I'm thinking I might try taking a 1/4 piece of steel and making some tapered holes in it say .365, .340, .312 and seeing if I can use a vise to force annealed cases through the tapered holes.

I would think at .312 or around there I could force it through my .3085 lee sizing die.

[williamwaco]

YES!

see

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?117577-BTSniper-Custom-Tools-and-Dies

See

http://reloadingtips.com/reviews/bt-sniper-die.htm

[runfiverun]

you can size the 9mm down for 30 caliber jackets in steps, you do have to anneal once or twice in the process.
Brian makes a die set to do it and I thought about buying it until i got serious about casting for my 9m's
then I suddenly didn't have quite so much extra brass.
you'll want to size down to 305 or so, then core seat and swage up to final diameter.

[Thompsoncustom]

Haven't had a ton of time to play with this yet but I was able to size the annealed case from .390 to .3565 using my carbide ring on the Lee FCD for 9mm and my lee push through sizer. All done on a lee hand press so not that much force is required.

I'm thinking the lee push through sizer might be all I need, with another one to size it down just so the bullet will fit inside the case and than sizing the whole thing to .3095. Still might need to set something up for the vise as I'm guessing this will take more force and I only have a progressive and a hand press, no single stage.