Did anyone try to make jackets out of plumbing/HVAC tubing?

[Tokarev]

For example, 32 cal from 5/16" .032" wall or 38 cal from 3/8" .032" wall?

Is "hardware store" pipe really that poor quality compared to special bullet making pipe?

[Heavy lead]

I would think especially type L copper would make fine bullet jackets, at least if you wanted a good thick jacket, I would think one could even bond it pretty easily if you wanted to also. Never swaged, always wanted to,

[Lead pot]

yep.
http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=46614&page=2

[TylerR]

Leadpot,
Can you answer my questions in that other post you quoted?
Thanks!

[Lead pot]

Yes Tyler I can.

Sorry I didn't before but I dont check in on these forums to often.


"I have a few questions for you. What dies are you using to make those .308 jackets? Where do you buy your copper tubing, and what diameter tube do you use? What do you figure your cost per .308 boolit is?

Also, you mention there being alot of used dies on the market. Where should I be searching? I am looking to pick up a jacket making setup myself for .308's, and am considering buying new from Richard Corbin, but its awfully expensive."

Those bullets were made with the Corbin dies, and yes they are expensive and where also back when I got set up with those.
But at that time I was strong in bench rest and could not buy the bullets I wanted and I had to make my own.
The .308 bullet jackets are made from 5/16 od copper tubing hard drawn or soft type L or M if I had it.
the .45 are from 1/2" OD type L. or punch them out of copper flashings and run them through a draw die.
The cost of the finished bullet is zero, except my time spent making them but that is my pleasure I cant put a $ sign on.
All my bullets are made from scrap I scrounge from local plumbing shops.
Jackets I make for the hand gun bullets I use sweat caps.
I
got a lot of my dies and sold some a while back on E-Bay and you can also find them at GB out doors on that swaging forum.
Now and then you will find them on the Corbin Classifieds.
Before investing you better make up your mind what your purpose is for these bullets and the ogive you want to use or you will be adding to the collection of dies.
I donnt shoot jackets much any more just lead PP bullets I started shooting when I was a yungster but got a hair and wanted to shoot bench and some of those NRA hunter class postal shoots, but that only lasted about 6-8 years:-D.


LP

[Tokarev]

Lead pot:
Your rebated boat tail is fabulous.
What wall thickness tube did you use for the 308?

[Lead pot]

Tokarev.

I'm sorry I don't remember if I used some of the ready drawn jackets form a commercial maker or some drawn from flashing material.
It's been more than ten years since I made .308 bullets.
These bullets are FMJ's so they most likely where made from drawn flashing copper.
The hollow point bullets are made from tubing and they have a BT or RBT.
I can dig through some coffee cans I have stashed away and see if I can give you a thickness of the walls I would imagine that I used .025 but I also used .010 for the lower velocity loads too.
Those bullet above are just about like a Lapua but they are 205 grain and I also made a lot of 220 graingers.

[scb]

http://www.corbins.com/tubing.htm

[TylerR]

Lead Pot,

Thank you very much for all of the information you have provided so far. One of the things I have read about making jackets from copper tubing is that the tubing needs to be very consistent in wall thickness and diameter in order to make good boolits. Corbin even suggests that the dies have to me made using a specific sample of tubing that you are going to use in order to get the dies sized exactly right. This seems to contradict your experience with using whatever scrap tubing you could find at the plumbers supply. My hope was to be able to go to the hardware store and buy some tubing at the correct diameter and make boolits, and not have to pay a premium for tubing from corbins. What do you think.

[MIBULLETS]

Lead Pot, what were you using to cut your tubing to length? I am using a cheap chop saw right now and it barely works.

[Tokarev]

I 2nd Mibullets' question! Have been looking for a tool that can be used to cut thin walled copper and brass tubing for quite a while.

[waksupi]

The arrow makers use a small chop saw of some sort. I'd search archery suppliers. For that matter, check archery shops for arrow cut offs. Different diameters, and wall thicknesses, you just may find something really good to use.

[Lead pot]

For cutting the tubing a HSS Slitting saw works very good.
They have a 1" arbor hole so if you want to use a miter box you will have to bush it down.
I use 8x1/8".
The saw works good enough so you get a fairly close length and that is good enough for a hunting bullet, but if you want a precision jacket you would want for bench rest work, there are no short cuts for precision then you need a jacket trim die.
As far as I'm concerned there are no short cuts when it comes to loading, and that is quality bullets and quality loading procedures if you dont follow that well my way of thinking your wasting your time you will never get the optimum out of your rifle or hand gun.

TylerR.

The only thing that the tubing wall diameter will change is the ID so all you will have to change is the punch. The punches have a lip that will hold the tubing from getting pushed down on the punch stem.
The pipe OD will stay the same, like say 3/8 OD type M, L, or K will be 3/8 OD
I make my punches so I don't have a problem adapting to what I need.
Simple dies like reducing dies I make, they don't need to be hardened or I suppose you can get Lee to make some custom reducing dies for your need also.

These Bullet Jackets.
Before investing in high priced dies buy the jackets, I don't know how much they now cost but I still have more then two bags of jackets left that I got more then 10 years ago I think they were $30?? something a 1000 for .718 long .45 drawn strip jackets.
I will make my jackets for the .444 or .45-70 hunting bullet if I need to control my expansion with a harder core bond alloy hollow point and I use a thick jacket, but that is the only reason I make a jacket any more. I haven't hunted fair sized game for a long spell now.

[TylerR]

Before investing in high priced dies buy the jackets, I don't know how much they now cost but I still have more then two bags of jackets left that I got more then 10 years ago I think they were $30?? something a 1000 for .718 long .45 drawn strip jackets.


Apparently prices have gone up.
Corbin's price list for .308 jackets.

J-30-BOX ------ .308 cal x 1.25 len., box of 1300 (VB) -------- 175.00

http://www.corbins.com/prices.htm#jackets

[Tom Schafer]

Try the copper from the people who make gutters. I'm sure they have scraps you can get and cutting is not a problem. I use a Dewalt nibbler.
Tom

[Tokarev]

Aren't today's gutters mostly Aluminum?