Cartride mutilation is fun.

[Adam10mm]

Putzing around in the shop last night after filling my ammo orders. I've got the small HF 7x10 lathe. I mounted my RC on a light bench until I can get its permanent home built. Too light to swage 10mm bullets with my CH dies so I got bored quickly.

I am a big fan of the 375 H&H and read on here about using .223 cases for jackets. I think the rim looks weird on jackets so I fired up the mini lathe and started mutilation procedures.

First I made a little cartridge holding jig out of some scrap aluminum rod from a suppressor build. I drilled it just deep enough to have some of the head sticking out. It's a press fit to hold it in the jig without messing with the chuck. Just stop it, pull the case out then put in the next one or flip it for the neck removal.

Here I turned the rim down and put a boat tail on the jacket.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/freakshow10mm/Bullet%20Swaging/P6100334.jpg

Then I flipped it around in my jig and used the live center to hold it as I took a pass at the neck diameter and turned/parted the neck off. Then backed out the live center to let the neck fly off and then I hit the mouth to square it up. I took the tail back so it wasn't in the way of the pic.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/freakshow10mm/Bullet%20Swaging/P6100335.jpg

Here's the finished product. Jacket is about 1.4 inches long and weighs 73gr.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/freakshow10mm/Bullet%20Swaging/P6100331.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/freakshow10mm/Bullet%20Swaging/P6100333.jpg

Unfortunately I have no press nor .375 dies yet. For now I'll just make jackets when I find junk .223 brass. I want to try these using the primer side as both the base and the meplat. I think it would make a nice FMJ type deal putting the primer pocket first. I'm going to make a few more today and take the primer pocket down flush, then bevel the end for a boat tail. Should take off about 5gr I think.

[barryjyoung]

Interesting. but don't the cases cost more than jackets?

Barry

[Adam10mm]

Not when you get them for free.

[barryjyoung]

OK, I will bite, how do you get free cases?

Barry

[jhrosier]

OK, I will bite, how do you get free cases?

Barry

Barry,
Most gun clubs don't have a policy that prevents brass scrounging.
Just walk around and pickit up.
The local police and some of the state police qualify at my club and will give the brass to anyone who wants it.
Most of the recent AR buyers are not handloaders and many leave their brass on the ground.
I got about 500 rounds in the past two weeks from the range.
I take whatever is available and trade off what I don't need or give it to aquaintences who need it.

5.56 military brass is still widely available and cheap, if you have to buy it.

Jack

[ANeat]

There is also a lot of Berdan primed out there, ask your buddies, a lot of guys shootimg up berdan stuff and leaving it lay.

I usually passed on the berdan stuff (I dont swage yet but the stuff is ordered) but Im saving it all now for future "jackets"

[Adam10mm]

OK, I will bite, how do you get free cases?

Barry
Several sources. I have several police ranges and a few National Guard posts under contract to give their brass to me. I'm a commercial ammunition manufacturer so I get brass of various cartridges sent to me weekly. The .223 that are split necked or are tarnished and wouldn't make a "sexy" round of ammo are used for mutilation projects like this. Got a guy in California who gives me 8,000 pcs of 9mm brass for $35 shipped. Not per K, just shipped. Puts them in a bucket, hammers the lid on, slaps a UPS label on it and off she goes. I just pay shipping. I get about 35-40K pieces of 9mm brass per month like this from this one gentleman.

[BT Sniper]

Nice work. I'll have more comments for you about your jacket, good of course later. What I would like to know is how is that bucket shipped for $35? I am trying to figure out how to get large amounts like that shipped as well and the ups sight was like 90 cents per pound. It is shipped right in the 5 gallon bucket then?

The math might be about right if the bucket weighs around 50lb or so. Nice score man.

BT

[Adam10mm]

72lbs shipped UPS ground on a commercial account.