45-70 bullets from 45 ACP

[BT Sniper]

Almost got it figured out. I know we started the same thread a while ago but thought I would start a new one.

Recieved dies from friend who bought the .458 from the shooter's shack on line. Had to make new punch because the one that was sent to us was for .451 and broke on second bullet made. The punch pictured was my first project on a lathe. Made a SWC type nose for the bullet as it was RN that was sent to us.

With the rim turned off the 45 ACP and enough lead to total 405 grains the jacket was just the right length to keep the lead from the barrel.

Will update progress and range reports latter.

Good shooting,

Brian

[BT Sniper]

Oh Yeh, the copper jacket was sent with the dies. I did not a make them.

[Danth]

Nice Looking Boolits! What were the steps to make the jacket? Danth

[BT Sniper]

To cut the rim off I made a pilot to fit inside the 45 ACP case and had it in a drill press spining over a hand held grinder. Then I tryed reducing the case in a .451 die but that was to much. I will have to find a way to reduce to .456 or so. From there it is one step formed in a die.

Will keep everyone updated.

BT

[BT Sniper]

Still experimenting and getting closer to a bullet I like for the 45-70. I bored out a core mold to give me 340 grains and then swaged them in my CH .429 swage die. Then the core was placed in the 45 ACP case with the rim milled off and was seated till the nose was slightly flatened alitlle more then before. So the shape of the lead nose is nothing more then the lead squishing outward from the origanal shape from the .429 die. Dose not appear to have any run out either. Does anyone see any potential problems with forming a bullet this way as it is generally the same thing you would get from a core seating die?

Final weight came out at 405 grains.

Going to ship some of these cores to a guy who is experimenting with copper plating. So .429 + .014 worth of plating allaround then reswaged in a .458 die should make a good bullet you think?

[kywoodwrkr]

Some years back(80s?) someone published an article on using 45 ACP cases as the jacket for some bigbore Africa hunting rifles.
If my memory serves me right they filled the enpty case with soft lead and then swaged the case mouth into a sperical shape.
That is as much as I can recall about it.
Seems they used a second(size?) case for a smaller caliber rifle. ???
FWIW

[BT Sniper]

Getting closer to a bullet that I like the looks of. I reamed out a .451 die till the core seated jacket came out at .456-.457ish. I was able to seat the core and reduce the size of the 45 ACP case in one pull of the press. Pointed them up in the swage die I made in my "unusable sucess". They are over size but the final design looks to be very close.

I need to figure out a jig on the mill to remove the rim in a fast maner. Anyone have some ideas? I have not used a mill yet but will be soon. Friend has one hooked up to CNC.

The rimmed bullet weights in at about 425 grains and the rimless is right at 400.

I don't even have a .458 just putting it togther for the friend letting me use the tools. 400 grains of lead and jacket is a lot of bullet.

Hopfully I'll get the disign tweeked just right and be able to start production of these .458 bullets soon.

Good shooting.

[ANeat]

BT, Ive played around with buzzing off the rims on a mill. I took a couple pieces of aluminum, about 1/2" thick each I believe. Cut them the size of the jaws in my machining vise, like a sacrificial set of soft jaws.

Then I clamped up and plunged a mill, (I cant recall the size, I was doing 223 brass at the time) but basicly you want a series of holes on the parting line a little smaller than your brass so when you clamp it up it grabs.

And set the depth so you have enough of the case sticking out to mill off what you need.

Depending on how you space your holes you can do quite a few in one pass.

Once you get going you can make a pass in one direction, unclamp the vise, put in new cases, make a pass going the other direction, repeat.

[twotrees]

Round parts= lathe Make a mandril that fits through the 3 jaw chuck and goes into the MT adapter in the headstock.

With a pin in the center (decaper pin) through the flash hole and turn off the rim.

If you grind the profile you want into the tool and set the stop, I bet you could do 200+/hr.

Just my opinion, and we all know what they are worth.

Nice work BTW.

[ANeat]

The lathe would work as well TT, I dont have one (yet) so I gotta sort it out by other means.

[BT Sniper]

Ok I'm getting some good advice here, thanks. My knowledge of both these tools is limited. I do have access to both. Which one would everyone recommend? Would there be concern over the case not being milled off perfectly square or exactly the same every time?

TT,

I think I may be able to picture your process in my head. You'll have to excuse my lack of knowledge of such terms but let me se if I can read this back to you. A mandril will act as a stop for the shell and also fit inside the shell to hold it in place and centered, correct? How far inside the case do you supose the mandril should extend? The decaping pin will be held in the "center" this is the same chuck used to hold drill bits correct? So the shell will obviously spin allowing us to remove or cut the rim off becuase it is over the mandril that is mounted in the 3 jaw chuck. Do you suppose the shell would slip if the fit was not tight enough? If it is to tight the shell would be difficult to remove so it would have to be just right I suppose.

I have seen the 45 rim turned down till the primmer pocket is all gone. This may allow for the same amount of material to be remove every time and not need a stop I guess. The shell would then be held in place in the lathe its self.

I'll just have to experiment with both. The tools are not near by or I could just give it a try anytime I wanted.

Thanks for the advise everyone, please keep any ideas coming.

BT

p.s. love the signature there TT. I have known pilots that have said the same thing :mrgreen:

[ETG]

If your going to cut down to the bottom of the primer pocket a mill would be the best way to go IMHO. Getting the case not to spin on a mandrel will be difficult cutting that much off. Aneat has a real good idea - the only variation would be the difference in case lengths - if you wanted it dead on then trim the cases before milling off the bases. I used a similar setup to make 38 shorts out of 38 special cases - could do 20 in one pass. It would take a little bit to fabricate the jig but once you have it done there is no way a lathe could keep up with the mill. A DRO would make it a breeze.

[Jim_Fleming]

DRO = Digital Read Out... correct ETG?

Sorry to jump in like this,

Jim