40 cal from 9mm easiest by far and cheap!

Spent a little time weight sorting some 9mm brass and 125 grain 9mm cast boolits. This has got to be one of the easiest bullets to make I think. I too skipped the core seating step and went straight to the Swage die to get the final bullet in one stroke of the press. Would deffenatly recomend this set up to anyone wanting to get started in this hobby cheaply.

Not looking for match grade accuracy from a 40 S&W so I figure I'll go for less labor and more volume for some fun shooting.

What I came up with was a 190 grain 40 cal JHP bullet. Took a bit of video of just how quick and easy it can be. I'll see if I can figure out how to post it now. Sorry you got to put up with my ugly mug.

9mm and 125 grain cast boolit core
https://i.imgur.com/0cbP32Wl.jpg


core droped in to case
https://i.imgur.com/wBnVUrSl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YTbIl95l.jpg

EDIT 10-17-2011

Original video link seems INOP. Here is the link to the same video as posted below.

http://s636.photobucket.com/albums/u...afilter=videos

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/u...h_P1020390.jpg

Thats awsome.

I have a 40 that I would love to get started swaging for so please give us/me a run down of what we/I need to reproduce what you did.

9mm Brass
What 9mm boolit mold?
What swaging die (brand).

Thanks Warf

Great video by the way shows how easy swaging bullets can be.

B.T. that is great. But next time could you use one of the Dillon Models?

to: BT

what type of press are you using? did you make the handle for it? have you had any problems with the press cracking or warping? are the cast bullets made of pure lead or scrap?
thanks,
luober

Those look great for sure,

Here is a little info on what he is using from other posts in swaging forum

C-H tool and Die 101 series swage dies

http://www.ch4d.com/catalog/?p=85

looks like just belled 9mm case - but he may have annealed them.

cast bullet looks like a 125 grain lee mould

I did not see it but with his press and handle he may not need to lube the case before the swage operation. It will make it easier to swage if you lube.

I am using lyman orange crusher with 357 and 41 ch 101 dies. the 357 I am using commecial jackets and 314 cast boolits (311008) and for the 41 I have messed with reduced 40 S&W and 9mm. I don't have a 41 so it is just excercise at this point. I am using range scrap from an indoor range for my cores/cast bullets.

It truly is as easy as he shows in the video

I'll get you guys a run down soon. CH 101 series swage die. Redding big boss press with bigger handel, annealed brass, lanolin swage lub, Lee 125 grain .356 cast boolit mold for starters.

I sense a shortage of 9mm brass coming on in my area.

I wonder if CH will sell just that half of their 101 die set.

"But next time could you use one of the Dillon Models?"

???? A dillon press??? I'm sure it work just don't have one.

Yep, you can buy the dies individualy. All you would need for this bullet is the 101 series .400swage die and the base punch. Think it would be like $90. Not sure where I got that dollar amount. I think I called once to ask the same question and seem to remember about that much.

How long is your finished bullet? How big is the diameter in the web area just forward of the extractor groove?

Hey BT, I'm impressed, just ordered a set of swage dies--however, don't you use the 355 series for the 9mm? And while were at it, can 40cal brass be used to make boolits for the 44 mag, if so i'll bump up my order from CH.

Do a search in the Swaging section for threads by BTsniper or kawalekm. BT has made 44 and detailed the method in a few posts. also one of the first will give you a line up of what he has made so far using cartridge brass as jackets.

Here would be my recommendations for this project.

A decent reloading press. Cast iron is best but any decent one would work as long as you don't get to crazy with the force. I did break all my cheap presses using to much force. A RCBS Rock Chucker or a Lee Classic cast iron press would be my choice even over the redding big boss I have. Cost about $125 I did strengthen my press with some larger bolts, stronger steel and larger arm for a lot of leverage. I can easily break the dies now if I'm not carfull. By the time you get to that much pressure some warnings should be going off in your head that you are using to much.

A digital scale is almost a must for using brass cartridges for jackets. These cases varry by as much as ten grains and even the best at casting cores will still varry a grain or two so max varation could be over 10 grains from bullet to bullet. Cost... should be able to find a decent one around or under $100

CH-4d 101 series Swage die. $130 for the swage and core seat die or maybe $90 or so for the swage die and base punch seperate. If you have any skill at all with some tools you can make the interinal parts of the die better then what comes with it and save a few more $. this is what I do.

I don't care for the 105 series type dies that only make half jackets.

A Lee bullet mold for a 120 grain 9mm .356 bullet. The 6 cavities are by far better quallity for about $50 with handle but the 2 cavity molds work just as good for $15. The less lube groves it has the better, tumble lube would probabbly even work best. I use the 125 grain .356 mold. It is just a bit much as I wind up with a bit of lead exposed at the tip. I think the 120 grain would be just about perfect for the size of the 9mm case.

A Lee lead melting pot $20-$40. I got the 20lb bottom pore and like it.

9mm brass. Nearly free or can be bought for about $20-$25 per K. Don't spend to much for the brass as comercial jackets could be bought if you spend that much.

Lead. Any scrap lead will work as long as it is soft. Wheel weight alloy will ware out the week interinal parts of the CH dies and as such they addvise against using anything harder then 5 on the BNH scale (soft lead). I do get away with using wheel weight alloy with carfull practice and the improved interial parts I have made for the die.

Lube. Imperial sizing wax will work but a quick online order for some pure anhydrous lanolin will get you a life time supply for like $15. Better then the Imperial.

You got to fully anneal the brass. There is a lot of info on the sight for different techniques but a gas BBQ grill and a stainless steel sink collender ($15 wallmart) works best for me.

A 9mm sizing die is nice to bell out the mouth of the case for the core to easily fit inside. with out belling the case the lead core tends to grab at the jacket durning forming and cause wrinkels or uneven amounts of exposed lead in the finished bullet. I'm sure a Lee sizing die can be had for $10 or so.

Once you start you will find all sorts of fun stuff that can be done and better techniques to increase speed and production. It is like any hobby as you can spend as little or as much as you like. Tally up the numbers and I imagine you could started out with absolutly nothing and could be making shootable bullets for under a $400 investment. Proably take about 2K worth of bullets to get your money back over just buying factory but what fun would that be to just shoot factory. After you have the tools I figure I can shoot a 40 cal for the cost of a primmer and 5 grains of powder, like 5 cents a piece.

Now here is a fun little side note too. Selling custom bullets is a bit tough and you will never get paid for your labor but trading custom bullets is easy. All the brass I could ever need to make or reload bullets with I have obtained from trading custom bullets.

So after this long book of Bullet Swaging 101 here is my disclamer. I have not actually shot this 40 cal bullet yet. I am getting ready to send some out to a freind for testing so I'll get a report back as far as how they work. The technique is the same I have used for every other caliber I have made and have got exellent results from myself and other shooters.

Think of all the guys out there that have been interested in swaging bullets especialy the .223 from 22LR and have been scared away by the cost of Corbins equipment. Hopfully we can intice a few to give this simple 40 cal bullet a try with materials that are easy to find and a standard reloading press many allready have for some fun cheap shooting.

With sales pitchs like that you would thnk CH sould be giving us some cut backs.

Good luck and good shooting,

Brian

Sorry for the long book here and thanks for your time spent reading it. Happy Holidays.

"kawalekm"

Got to give credit to the one that got me into this hobby. Michael is the MAN!

Swaneedb,

101 series dies are what you want. Then any of the pistol calibers can be selected. I want to shoot a .400 bullet out of a 40S&W with a bullet made from a 9mm case so I ordered the 101 series .400 swaging die set. I have not made any in .355 but have in .357.

Yes 40 S&W brass is the same process and can be made the exact same way and is how I started. The larger diameter requires just a bit more force but just as easy to make as the 40 cal. It was a toss up between the 2 as to which is easier.

Thanks for the help Manleyjt in spreading the knowledge:-)

"How long is your finished bullet? How big is the diameter in the web area just forward of the extractor groove?"

A good question, one that sounds as though he has some experience in this type of project. This is the challenge sometime when turning brass into shootable jackets.

A quick check of the factory specs for the 9mm case shows me the rim is .392 and length is .754.

My bullet exited the die (as measured with a caliper don't have a mic) at .3990 from the base, including rim and web portion just ahead of extracter grove all the way up to tangent of baring surface and the begining curve of the nose of the bullet. I had no problem getting the case to expand to the inner diminition of the CH die (got to anneal the brass!) I just think I got a tight die that makes them .001 small which is certainly better then .001 to big. Do check the the bullets you make as I have got some that have been a hair oversized from CH.

Bullet length is .705 with a .085 deep hollow point. My own design with the HP and probably to small for the slow fps of the 40 S&W but with a bigger HP the length of the bullet increases and this was allready a pretty long bullet. The thick brass base of the bullet adds the length with little mass that makes these bullet longer then most factory I guess.

Awesome...

Can't wait to see how accuracy is.

Just to clarify, I would order the 101400HP from http://www.ch4d.com/catalog/?p=85 to get the bullets you made above? And that includes everything that I would need?

Also, would you recommend getting the hollow point or soft nose dies?