Advice for using a "Swageit" die?

[guywitha3006]

I bought a swageit/Hawk 9mm die a few months ago and finally got around to cleaning the packing/protective wax off it. Seams like it will work for making some nice half jacket semi wadcutters for plinking. I do have some observations/ questions that if anyone has used them and has insight I would appreciate it. Jackets are RCE .475" 9mm and the boolit was a Lee 100 grain .30 caliber (the round one was two pieces of pure lead buck shot for curiosity's sake).

In no particular order:
- The nose punch appears to need to be placed in a .357/.38 special shell holder... it that right?
- When I used pure lead (Lee .30 caliber boolit) it formed a nice nose, but the base had a slight ring, almost as if the excess lead tried to bleed out the base punch rather then the hole in the nose punch?
- The wrinkles in the jacket, are those from to much lube (I was using a minimal amount of imperial wax)?
- Is it possible that a hollow point could be made with this die (assume a custom nose punch if possible)?
- Or if I wanted a hollowpoint could I swage a boolit in my CH4D die and then reswage it to the SWC profile?
- If I was not using a jacket, is the die strong enough to make boolits with clip on Wheel weight alloy (or 50/50 PB/WW)?
- Eventually I want to use drawn and trimmed 9mm cases for jackets, just waiting for the pinch trim die.


I'm sure I will have questions, I just don't want to break anything... the swageit die looks like a toy in a Walnut Hill. :bigsmyl2:

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y517/guywitha3006/1219150850a_zps1buuhgo4.jpg (http://s1278.photobucket.com/user/guywitha3006/media/1219150850a_zps1buuhgo4.jpg.html)

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y517/guywitha3006/1219150850_zps4bjane4w.jpg (http://s1278.photobucket.com/user/guywitha3006/media/1219150850_zps4bjane4w.jpg.html)


http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y517/guywitha3006/1219150851_zps4kz9exwa.jpg (http://s1278.photobucket.com/user/guywitha3006/media/1219150851_zps4kz9exwa.jpg.html)

[uncle dino]

3006...looks to me like your compressing the jacket causing the wrinkles...add a little more lead or shorten jackets...a core seat may help with the problem.. D

[guywitha3006]

3006...looks to me like your compressing the jacket causing the wrinkles...add a little more lead or shorten jackets...a core seat may help with the problem.. D

I don't know if a core seat will help, I think the lead needs to be exposed? But I do have a 120 grain mold that I intend to try when I have a hour or two to cast up some new cores. I think with a 120 grain core I would be real close to a 142 grain bullet... should make a nice plinker.

[ncbearman]

3006...looks to me like your compressing the jacket causing the wrinkles...add a little more lead or shorten jackets...a core seat may help with the problem.. D

Agreed 100% the wrinkles are caused by pressure on the jacket. Core seat will help if you have more lead or less jacket. You have your solution with 2 options.

btw- Wanna trade council patches? haha

155998
click on pic to enlarge

[uncle dino]

3006 the core seat will eliminate the problem with the wrinkle at the base even with lead exposed past the jacket..the core seat will expand both the core and jacket together.. With your swc die you cannot put enough pressure on bullet because it is bleeding off through hole in nose. Core seat then weight set/point form in hawk die will eliminate any issues. Just make sure nose punch doesn't contact jacket. D

[guywitha3006]

Ok, guys thanks for the advise I will dig out my CH4D and see if the the cor seat will work. I also have several Lee sizer die punches I may be able to use. Just to clarify, use a core seat die then use my Swageit die to point form.



3006 the core seat will eliminate the problem with the wrinkle at the base even with lead exposed past the jacket..the core seat will expand both the core and jacket together.. With your swc die you cannot put enough pressure on bullet because it is bleeding off through hole in nose. Core seat then weight set/point form in hawk die will eliminate any issues. Just make sure nose punch doesn't contact jacket. D

[guywitha3006]

NCbearman, I will have to look if I have any other council patches. I have been out of scouts for 8 or 9 years now. If I can find another one I will shoot you a PM. I worked at a scout camp so at one point I had a lot. lol.



Agreed 100% the wrinkles are caused by pressure on the jacket. Core seat will help if you have more lead or less jacket. You have your solution with 2 options.

btw- Wanna trade council patches? haha

155998
click on pic to enlarge

[uncle dino]

30 06 that is correct..kinda backwards..but will work very well. d

[Sasquatch-1]

As stated previously, the jacket is being crushed. I have one of these dies in 44. The jacket cannot touch where the step begins. Try taking some small pieces of lead and place in the jacket to bring the step on the finished bullet above the jacket. Once you have this weigh the bullet and then put together jacket core and additional lead to reach this weight.

As for reshaping bullets. I do this to almost all my cast bullets after the have been lubed. I use an alloy from range scrap that test out rather hard. BE AWARE this could damage your die.

Also, if you have any question give Andy a call at Hawk's I have found that he is very willing to talk and work with you.

[guywitha3006]

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I played with it again last night and found that to use the RCE .475" jackets, I need to use about 160-165 grains of lead. Pretty bullets but, I don't think I have much use for 170-180 grain 9mm SWC. I think that I will have to track down some shorter jackets. I do think that when I get my pinch trim die to cut down drawn 9mm cases I should be able to make some nice plinking bullets.

On a side note, if I swage some pure lead boolits and powder coat them, how will they hold up? Should I expect it to quickly lead up the barrel? It will mainly be food for my S&W M&P9 and range trips usually average 3-500 rounds in an a few hours.

[Sasquatch-1]

Later on those jackets could be used for .38/.357 bullets. So don't get rid of them.
You know you are now an addict and have to attend "SA". :shock:



Thanks everyone for all the advice. I played with it again last night and found that to use the RCE .475" jackets, I need to use about 160-165 grains of lead. Pretty bullets but, I don't think I have much use for 170-180 grain 9mm SWC.

[guywitha3006]

Sasquatch- No plans to get rid of the jackets, I also have a CH4D, and have a Ragin Swagin custom on order. I figure I will be able to use them in one of the other point form dies. I have been addicted for a while... just trying to make time to enjoy the addiction now that I am finally getting everything I need.


Later on those jackets could be used for .38/.357 bullets. So don't get rid of them.
You know you are now an addict and have to attend "SA". :shock: