Swaging Jackets from annealed pennies? [Archive]

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CountryBoy19

03-14-2009, 10:05 PM

Hi, I am new to swaging. I have a 458 Socom for deer hunting and I would like to start making my own bullets for it. With the current lack of high BC bullet for this load I want to venture into making my own HP or Soft point BT bullets using annealed pennies as jackets. My problem, I've never swaged bullets before. I know that I am perfectly capable provided I can get a little direction. Has anybody ever used pennies as jacket material before? If one were to design their own bullet, how would I get dies etc for swaging it?

Thanks

scb

03-14-2009, 10:22 PM

Pennies are no longer made of copper. They are copper plates zinc.

captainkirk

03-14-2009, 10:42 PM

Yep, around '82 or '84 they switched to the cheaper zinc, plated with copper. It still costs more than a penny to make a penny...

captainkirk

PS you might check with SSK industries, I think they may have some high BC 458s or know of a source. May not fit in the magazine though if you are shooting an AR. I think Jones' work was with the 458 whisper in bolt guns or single shots.

CountryBoy19

03-14-2009, 11:31 PM

Pennies are no longer made of copper. They are copper plates zinc.

Correct, part way through 82 they switched. I'm aware of that, and its normally assumed that they'd be pre 82 pennies. I have buckets of them.

Lead pot

03-15-2009, 01:10 AM

Country Boy.

:-D If you want to use Penney's for .458 jackets you better lay a few on the train tracks and let a freight train flatten them a little, like say 2" round:roll:

CountryBoy19

03-15-2009, 02:11 AM

Country Boy.

:-D If you want to use Penney's for .458 jackets you better lay a few on the train tracks and let a freight train flatten them a little, like say 2" round:roll:

Are you sure they need to be that big? I know a little bit about deep drawing and I'm pretty sure that is a little too big. I did run into a gentlemen that had done it before (make 458 jackets from pennies) but that is all I really got out of him. I think he may have mentioned that he used Corbin dies, but their dies only go up to .452 unless you want the hydromatic dies for almost $4,000.

CH4D can't help me, I've already tried.

1950Target

03-15-2009, 03:49 AM

Country Boy.

:-D If you want to use Penney's for .458 jackets you better lay a few on the train tracks and let a freight train flatten them a little, like say 2" round:roll:

I think I once heard Opie Taylor say that a penny run over by a freight train is worth 2 cents. That might make them too valuable to make jackets out of?

:drinks:

shooterg

03-22-2009, 02:04 PM

Know a lady that has 3 fingers instead of 4 from flattening coins on the track as a kid !

Lead pot

03-22-2009, 10:08 PM

It takes a 2" disk to make a .715 deep cup .458 jacket that gives you just a little to trim.
I swage .458 bullets with the CSP-1 press you dont need the H dies for that.
I have one set of .492 dies from Dave but I had to make sure that I wouldn't hold him up for a new set if I blew it up.
.458 are no problem.
Richard will make .50 caliber dies for the Walnut hill press.

kawalekm

03-23-2009, 11:28 AM

Hi CB
I think it would be an easier project to accomplish if you tried to make .458" bullets from .45GAP cases.

Look back through some of my previous posts on making .357 bullets from 380 Auto cases. After annealing the .374" diameter 380 brass, I ran it through my Lyman .356 sizing die. The resulting brass came out of the die measuring .357". That's a reduction of about 17 thousandths in diameter. It made a very nice shooting 158 grain soft point.

GAP brass is .476" in diameter, so you would have to reduce it by 18 thousandths. That would give you a nice .75" jacket you pick of the ground and don't even have to pay a penny for!

I'll be trying this project myself shortly after the parts I need from CH arrive.
Michael

RANGER RICK

03-23-2009, 11:45 AM