Swaging a cast slug? Anyone ever hear of that?

[AbitNutz]

I started casting and shooting shotgun slugs but they're limited as to the designs. What about staring with a somewhat oversized hollow base Foster slug mold and then running it through a swaging die to put the rifling fins and the finished details on? That way you're not squeezing all that lead out of the huge hollow base, etc, etc. It seems like you're starting with it semi-finished and then swaging in the parts you can't cast, like the fins, etc.

Ok, I know there's something obviously wrong with this whole idea otherwise something like this would be available.

[Traffer]

It's a good idea. I do something similar with 22lr that needs a rebated and hollow base that cannot be cast.
This is how I do it:

https://youtu.be/cdY99MFda20

[AbitNutz]

Exactly! Just scale it up...The hollow base is enormous on the slugs so squishing it around in a swaging mold takes a lot. However, if it was already 90 percent there, I would think that would be a heck of a lot easier/quicker. Like I said, take roughly cast Foster slug and swage in all the features that can't be cast into it...I'm sure I' stupid and it can't be done or is there is some economic reason it doesn't make sense. I always miss the obvious.

[rbt5050]

corbin has dies to make shot gun slugs and also can get dies to make slug with fins.

[Sasquatch-1]

I reform cast bullets with swaging dies quite a bit. The one thing you will notice is that swaging will want to close any holes that are in the cast. I am doing this on a much smaller basis with .357 and .430 cast slugs that come out of the mold kind of nasty looking. It gets rid of the wrinkles and the lube grove if not lubed first. I really don't know how this would affect a large hollow base like you are talking about.

[jdfoxinc]

I purchased an old lyman tool that cuts the fins into a foster slug. I'm thinking about modifying it so it swagged instead of cutting.

[forwardgunner]

I have my own swage press (Corbin, Sea Girt) and a lathe so I make my own bump dies from 7/8" x 14 threaded rod. I have bumped up some 45 Colt bullets at .452- 250 Gr. to 460 to fit a 45-70 and use in light loads. These are easy on the shoulder, fun to shoot and accurate. Be sure they are lubed first so they will hold their shape better. Have also done sizing round balls (.490 diameter down to .460) down to fit one of my 45-70 s. The threaded rod is strong enough to reshape lead bullets quite well for my use. I'm sort of a hobbyist in the lathe use and make my own nose forming punches, either round or semi-wad cutter style.