Idea for 22rf jacket maker die

[truckjohn]

Hey all,

Got an idea I want to try out....

Want a critique before I really crack at it...

22rf case -> 22 caliber jacket.

Need: Jacket sized approx 0.217 - 0.220"

How about:
204 Ruger neck size die with a 0.220" neck bushing?
Push it through with a shell holder mounted punch of drill rod or some such...

Unfortunately, I don't have a standard 204 ruger FL die to check the die neck size with. It may very well be close enough to work as-is without having to fool with the neck sizer bushings.

I think this will make a fun science project.

What say ye?

Thanks

John

[georgeld]

Give it a try and see how it turns out. Use plenty of lube though.

[Buckshot]

................The punch will be a tad long and bendy, doncha think?

....................Buckshot

[carpetman]

Hey Buckshot---Whose picture in your avatar? I know it aint Toby.

[James Wisner]

FYI.
The RCBS neck sizing inserts have a small about .020" raduis on both inside corners of the insert.
So that is not big enough to knock the rim down.
Also with the raduis on the top edge the case does not have any thing to grab to strip it off the punch.

Yes I have tried it, currently made a new die body just to hold the insert by it self. Have gound the inlet bigger at a 60 degree angle and honed it smooth, have ground the top side flat to remove the raduis. Now I need to make a new punch as my old one is a little short, and I need to anneal some cases and try it again.

Jim Wisner
Custom Metalsmith

[truckjohn]

Thanks for the feedback.

I am tempted to find a 3/16" ejector pin and give 'er a whirl..... just to see if it would start to work right...

I wonder if the slopey-er shoulder of the 22 hornet would do a better job than the sharper shoulder of the 204/223/222 base die?

I was thinking about a mold ejector pin for a punch -- they are pretty stiff and you can get them either case hard or thru-hard.

Makes me wonder if one of those cheap "metal worker" hand lever punches would work? The only challenge would be making the punch and die....... A 7/32" die and a 5/32" punch might be a cheap way to find out...

Several folks have also mentioned the Lee push thru sizer die in 0.224"..... but I have a feeling that those would make oversized jackets.

Thanks

John

[MightyThor]

FYI.
Now I need to make a new punch as my old one is a little short, and I need to anneal some cases and try it again.

Jim Wisner
Custom Metalsmith

Do you anneal first? I have not had luck doing it that way because I found the brass too soft and tended to punch the bottom out of the jackets. I make the jackets while the brass is hard then anneal them.

[truckjohn]

Made my 1st rimfire jacket tonight....

Here's the experiment:

204 ruger bushing die (What I had to play with)
0.222" neck insert (Smallest I already had)
5mm mold ejector pin (0.197" dia) I got lucky at the local Industrial supply.

I did make my first jacket, though.
MMMMMMM. Shiny and uniform.

Conclusions:
1. It actually works.
2. It does have some problems with are solve-able

Jim and Buckshot are right -- the standard die is
A. Too long -- punch is about 4" long
B. Too sharp shoulder (The 204 has a pretty sharp shoulder)
C. Too much relief chamfer on the back side of the neck insert.
D. Punch retention -- Need a way to hold it in the press for pulling back out
E. Neck insert retention -- Need to drill a thru-hole in the decapper pin holder.

So.... Next round of trials:

A. Buy and modify a 22 Hornet FL bushing die -- Possibly shorten the die on both ends then thru-drill the neck bushing holder
B. Shorten the punch once the die is shorter.
C. 0.220" neck bushing size, grind the back side flat to pull the jacket off.
D. Need to fab up some sort of screw top punch holder device

I will update this as progress gets made.

Thanks

John

[DLCTEX]

Bullshop reports using a Lee pushthrough for jacket making and his boys made me some fine 22 cal. 55 gr. bullets. DALE

[mrbill51]

I've used hardend drill bushings for drawing 22 casings to make jackets. Just increase the lead-in radius and use alot of lube, grind the bottom flat and the jackets should strip off.
For punches I've used O1, mainly.
You can motify a 45ACP die to hold the bushing. Then take a shell holder, drill and thread the primer eject hole to attach the punch.
I use an old RCBS O-frame press.
Be sure to anneal and polish the shell casings before and after. They work-harden easily.

[kamikaze1a]

Pretty old school but Speer had dies about 30 years ago...
http://www.mrpc.info/docs/bultip01.pdf
http://www.corbins.com/jackets.htm

[454PB]

Do you anneal first? I have not had luck doing it that way because I found the brass too soft and tended to punch the bottom out of the jackets. I make the jackets while the brass is hard then anneal them.

Strange, I had the opposite problem. When I formed the jackets before annealing, I ripped about 10% to 20% of the jackets. Since I began annealing first, I've yet to lose a case. Maybe you anneal a lot more than I do.

[canyon-ghost]

At one time, during WWII, RCBS made a kit that does exactly that. Formed .22 Hornet bullets from .22 rimfire brass cases(.22 long rifle) and lead pellets for cores. Made a dandy 50 grain hollowpoint. Have a friend that found the original. They shoot good.

[carpetman]

Truckjohn----If I understand your question partly was asking if .22 jacketed bullets can be made from spent .22 rimfire cases? For sure as you already found out. There was a place In Iowa Park,Texas called Sisk Bullets that did just that. Fred Hunnington,the founder of RCBS first made presses for doing what you describe. In fact, RCBS stands for Rock Chuck Bullet Swage---he was making bullets for shooting rock chucks from .22 hulls.

[bruce drake]

Considering that Corbin wants $775 for a die set to make these 22RF cases into 223 bullets, I'll stay with my 55gr Lee BATOR mold for the time being.

Since Truckjohn's method seems to work, why is it that Corbin can charge so much for a simple product?

[Caveape]

Bruce,
You may consider contacting Larry Blackmon at Bullet Swaging Supply, Inc. down in Louisiana. He had sent me a price list of what he offers a few years back. His email is: leblackmon@colla.com
His products are less costly than Mr. Corbin's equipment, and work well. I own a set of his rimfire jacket makers and .224 swage dies and have made many bullets with them. I have no complaints about them, however, I cannot compare them to Corbin's as I have not used his, yet.

[Caveape]

454PB,
Concerning your rimfire jacket making...when I don't anneal the hulls at all in the total bullet swaging process, I tend to lose about 10-15% to the jacket splitting and wrapping around itself during the last operation when forming the point. So, it's a great idea to at least anneal the jacket after it's made and before running it into to ogive die. It may even be better to melt the core into the jacket with a drop of flux for a great lead-to-brass bond, and in so doing, anneal the jacket at the same time.