Ultimate Cannelure Tool

[chuckbuster]

PLEASE NOTE that the tool shown in these pictures and videos are the Original version of the UCT which we are no longer building. Since introducing the Wider "Model II" the demand for the narrower one fell off. In order to keep things simple, prices low as possible etc. we have discontinued the Original/Model One. All features of the two versions are the same except the wide tool will do longer bullets. In stead of re-writing everything, making new videos etc. I am just adding this info. Hopefully there is no confusion. Contact me with any questions.
Thanx
Kevin

We do have Wide Body Tools ready to ship.

Here it is The Ultimate Cannelure Tool

All those parts on the left, become the tool on the right and as shown in the next picture, the rollers next to the handle on the assembled tool are the grooved version if working on rimmed cases. They are an "upgrade" not included with the basic tool.



Basic Tool is $250.00




Some commentary etc can be found here, our original thread in the swaging forum
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...re-Tool-update
And Here, our last regular Swap/Sell thread
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...42#post2863342

Tool and any upgrades all fit in a USPS Medium Flat Rate box, I do add some insurance to them so $20.00 shipping added to orders. If you already have a tool and need accessories for it $7.00 for a small flat rate box. Other items shipping to be figured/quoted at time of order.
USPS Money Orders are best,

More pictures, video links etc coming.
Thanx for looking
Kevin

[rolltide]

I have one of these great tools and I love it. It enabled me to cannelure a bunch of Winchester Platinum 400gr 50 cal bullets so that I could use them in my 500 S&W. I got a good deal on the bullets because they did not have the cannelure. To be used in the 500 S&W, they REQUIRED a cannelure to crimp into because otherwise the bullets were sure to set-out during recoil and jam the gun. The cannelure tool paid for itself just making that box of 500 .50 cal. bullets useable. My Corbin cannelure tool would not work because the jackets on these monster bullets are VERY hard alloy, not copper, and over .0625 thick (more than double usual thickness.) The Ultimate Cannelure Tool also lets me make carry rounds for my 40S&W with a cannelure on the case to avoid set-back. I would not carry rounds in the 40S&W without a cannelure on the case, and the factory cannelured ones were very expensive. It also enables me to safely reload 357SIG rounds with a cannelure on the bullet and a Lee factory crimp.

Here is a picture of the Ultimate Cannelure Tool next to my Corbin tool. Although the photography is poor, you can see the features that make the Ultimate Cannelure Tool so impressive. The back edges of the tools are nearly even with each other in the picture. You can see how much longer and bigger this cannelure tool is. The Ultimate Cannelure Tool has more than twice the leverage due to overall length, more leverage due to longer turning handle for ease of turning(which is adjustable on this tool BTW), more comfort in use due to more ergonomic handles, and more precision due to bullet stops on both ends of the bullet and screw down lock screws on all adjustments, and a viewing window made into the top of the tool.



The above picture shows the standard handle. Since extremely hard and thick jacketed bullets require more force, Chuckbuster and Mike came up with a magnum handle. Below is a pic of my tool with the magnum handle. It not only increases leverage to help make deeper cannelures easier, it is also more ergonomic, making it much more comfortable to use for long sessions at the bench.



Notice I mounted the unit on a base longer than the handle. This allows me to use the tool on any table or bench with complete stability, and just put it away when I am done. It does not have to take up permanent real estate on my work bench.

Below is a picture of 2 of the afore mentioned Winchester Platinum 400gr, 500 cal bullets. The one on the left was cannelured with the magnum handle, the one on the right with the standard handle. Notice the greater depth achievable with the magnum handle on this extremely thick, hard, and plated surface.



Also notice the base of the bullets. The jacket at the point of the cannelure in nearly as thick as it appears on the base of the bullets. It is over a full 1/16" thick, yet this tool, even with the stardard handle cannelures it with ease. The magnum handle however makes a definite improvement.

Why Cannelure?
Some ask me why I use a cannelure at all. I started using cannelured bullets nearly from the beginning when I started reloading over 30 years ago because a good crimp in a cannelure was the best way to insure the round I sighted in on the bench would still be the same as the round that was fired under adverse field conditions. There are many reasons why I use cannelures on my bullets and sometimes cases, and why I was so thrilled to buy this unit when they came available here. Some of those reasons are for reliability, safety, ballistics, and terminal performance. Here are a few of these common issues where cannelures can be useful.

Set-Back
Set-back is when a bullet is inadvertently forced INTO the case mouth, and can happen in a variety of ways.

Semi Auto Pistol Rounds
It can be crucial to put a good cannelure on some projectiles and/or cases of finished rounds for some semi autos (especially 40 S&W) to avoid setback during repeated loading and unloading of that first round on top of the mag. I read setback has blown up more than a few 40 S&W guns, especially with people who carry every day and have to load and unload the weapon frequently. That repeated loading and unloading can eventually loosen and set-back the bullet in that first round, increase pressure dramatically due to compressing the power charge, with disastrous results. This is especially true for any reloader who does not have access to the higher pressure crimping options used on factory rounds. The 357SIG is a great round, but because there is so little neck to bullet friction due to the short neck on the case, set-back can easily occur with this round as well in the same way as the 40 S&W. In the 357 SIG, also being a high pressure, high performance round like the 40S&W, set-back can be disastrous.

Tubular Magazines
Set-back is a common potential problem in firearms with tubular magazines as well, like many lever action rifles, because repeated firing of the weapon causes the rounds in the magazine to hammer against one another. The more recoil, the harder the hammer effect. Most factory rounds intended for use in leveractions use a cannelured bullet due to safety and reliability issues, and therefore reduce liability issues for the cartridge manufacturers.

Military Rounds
Dropping rounds or dropping magazines can also cause set-back. That is one of the primary reasons almost all military rounds have a cannelure, because in combat, magazines full of ammo can go through much abuse before they are used, and the operator’s life could depend on the reliability of the rounds and weapons. In a presentation on military ammunition failures and solutions to the National Defense Industrial Association, Dr. Gary K. Roberts, a noted expert in the field, stated 13 essential design criteria for any military round. One of those essentials was a “cannelure for functional reliability in adverse conditions.” How many people depend on defense rounds with no cannelure?

300 BLK
Another situation where set-back can cause seriously dangerous detonations is where a 300 Blackout round is loaded into a 223 gun by accident. Since they both share the same parent case and use the same magazine, this is an easy mistake. With all the multiple calibers being used in identical looking AR platforms, mistakes can happen. Theoretically, the round "should" just fail to chamber, but without a cannelure and a strong crimp, that 30 caliber bullet can reportedly set back far enough to allow the bolt to go into full battery and allow the gun to fire a .308 projectile into a .224 bore. There are internet reports of just such accidents happening resulting in explosions and destroyed weapons, and the potential for serious injury. Bad news!

If you reload, putting a cannelure and good factory crimp on each round can help prevent these kinds of problems. Even if you do not reload at all or your department won't allow you to use reloads, you can make some factory rounds much safer and more reliable to load and unload repeatedly by just carefully adding a properly placed cannelure to the straight wall case of an otherwise great factory round.

Set-out
Set-out is when the projectile is forced to slide OUT of the case neck before the round is fired. This can also happen in different situations with unwanted results.

Semi Auto Rifle
Set-out can easily occur in any semi-auto, or full auto rifle due to strong recoil springs and high bolt velocity needed for these weapons to function reliably. This is often an unknown culprit contributing to less accuracy in semi-autos as opposed to manually operated firearms like the bolt action rifle. Richard Mann, in his June 2014 article for Shooting Illustrated entitled "Handloading the .300 AAC Blackout," stated the following:

The only problem I ran into while handloading the .300 Blackout was with bullet set-out when the cartridge was chambered. With some loads—particularly those using the 125-grain Nosler AccuBond and 150-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip—the bullet would migrate forward in the case when the cartridge entered the chamber. This had a horrible effect on accuracy. Set-out was a noticeable problem only with the Nosler bullets, but it could have been occurring with other bullets, too, and just not showing up as glaringly on target. I spent several hours chambering dummy cartridges with a variety of bullets and measuring set-out, and in fact, I found it occurred to some extent with every bullet tested.

...After speaking with Nosler, I think we found the cause. The AccuBond’s jacket is thicker than most conventional bullets, and the core is not pure, soft lead, making it harder for a taper crimp to take hold. My conclusion is the 125-grain AccuBond needs a crimping groove.

The type of set-out stated above is simply caused by the force of the round being chambered in a semi-auto or full-auto rifle. I always use a cannelure and factory crimp die when reloading rounds to be fired in a semi-auto rifle.

Big Bore Revolvers
Set-out is also a common problem for powerful revolvers like the 44mag, 454, and the 460 and 500 S&W rounds. Under heavy recoil, the bullets in the cylinder can “walk” forward in the case and cause the cylinder to bind. This can render a 6 shot into a single shot. Which could prove deadly if it happens at a very inopportune time if you are using that revolver for protection. I always use a cannelure and strong crimp on heavy revolver rounds, as recommended in nearly all reloading manuals. Many factory bullets come with cannelures, but due to powder volume with some loads, they are in the wrong place. Some factory bullets even come with dual cannelures to address the problem. A cannelure tool can solve that problem precisely.

Bonded Cores and Ballistics
Precision
A good cannelure can help bond the bullet’s core to the jacket. This can improve accuracy by not allowing the lead core to slip inside the jacket as the spin is imparted by the rifling. Multiple cannelures can be used if desired. Consistency in velocity shot to shot is also improved at times with a good crimp and cannelure because the pressure between case mouth and projectile is more consistent round to round.

Terminal Ballistics - Rifle HP Expansion Control
In addition to benefits in exterior ballistics, core bonding also benefits terminal ballistics as well. Chuck Hawks, on his fine web site, talks about the benefit of cannelures for limiting bullet expansion and holding the base of the bullet together.

Some bullets also use a cannelure (crimp in the jacket) to help keep the jacket from peeling back beyond that point and keep jacket and core together. The cannelure also allows the bullet to be crimped into the case.

Nathan Foster, in “The Practical Guide to Long Range Hunting Cartridges,” states the following when talking about 7mm Magnum hunting loads:

Federal’s150 grain GameKing is an interesting load. This is a proprietary bullet as opposed to the standard 150 grain GK that hand loaders have access to. The Federal version features a cannelure which helps arrest expansion, either minimizing or delaying jacket core separation. The 150 grain GK is explosive at impact velocities above 2700 fps and equally violent but not prone to total disintegration at lower velocities. This load is best suited to lighter medium game up to a maximum weight of 80kg (180lb) and the cannelure helps greatly to minimize early bullet blow up.

Terminal Ballistics - Rifle FMJ Fragmentation
In his famous work, “Military Rifle Bullet Wound Patterns”, Martin L. Fackler stated a little known reason for cannelures on military FMJ rounds. Fackler pointed out that a cannelured FMJ bullet that strikes its target at a relatively high velocity will travel straight at first, then yaw sharply in the target and break at the cannelure. This causes the pointed portion of the bullet to flatten and tumble through the target sideways, and causes the base end of the bullet to fragment. The target must be within about 100 yards for this to happen with the standard military 5.56 round. At longer distances (i.e. slower impact velocities) the 5.56 bullet will yaw and break at the cannelure, but not fragment. At yet longer distances ( 300 yards +), and even slower impact velocities, the 5.56 bullet will not break or yaw, but simply pencil through the target. Fackler also indicated that if the target isn't deep enough for yaw to take place, the bullet will just make a straight wound and not fragment. I believe he said for the standard military 5.56 round used in Viet Nam, it would yaw after about 12cm travel through the body. Since all military rounds are required to be FMJ by the Geneva Convention, I guess military researchers discovered long ago how to get a FMJ to fragment. Drive a relatively slender bullet at very high speed to induce yaw, and use a cannelure to cause it to break if/when it yaws.

Oddly enough, the same cannelure that helps an expanding hunting bullet hold together due to core bonding (i.e. the 7MM MAG), helps the FMJ at very high speed break and fragment due to yaw ( i.e. the 223). Ballistics are sometimes interesting and counterintuitive.

Other Advantages
There are other little pluses for using a cannelure, like the fact that they can provide a sharp edge on the bearing surface of the bullet that can help clear fouling from the barrel as each round is fired. If you have a bullet with a short point and long bearing surface, you can add an addition cannelure ( or several ) to reduce friction against the barrel, therefore achieving higher velocities within safe pressures with the same weight bullet.

Conclusion
For anyone who reloads, and even in some special cases for non-reloaders, a cannelure tool is a must in certain circumstances for safety and reliability (i.e. 40 S&W, 357 SIG, 300 Blackout, lever action rounds, and powerful revolver rounds). It is also a wonderful tool for improved performance in other circumstances (i.e. hunting rounds and defense rounds where bonded cores or FMJ fragmentation are a real advantage) The first time you prevent any of problems mentioned above with a good cannelure and crimp, the tool has more than paid for itself in saving the cost to repair or replace a firearm and/or saving a great hunt, not to mention the incalculable benefit of preventing injury or loss of life. The first time a cannelure contributes to reliable performance in a self-defense situation and averts a tragedy, the value of the tool has become priceless. There are so many good answers to the question “Why cannelure?”, it begs the question “Why not cannelure?”

A special thanks to Kevin and Mike for bringing such a fine tool to market. After being at the mercy of bullet manufacturers for years to find the bullets I needed with cannelures in the right places, it was great to get a cannelure tool. Even though I already owned a cannelure tool that could get the job done in some way most of the time, I jumped at the chance to buy the Ultimate Cannelure Tool because the improvements to the design are so significant over what I used previously. This tool allows me to place cannelures on bullets with more ease and precision.

[Nobade]

Hey that's pretty neat!
I have been thinking about a way to knurl the full length of slick sided boolits for paper patching with smokeless powder. How wide of a section can this tool do? This might open up options for doing smooth sided moulds and knurling the resulting boolits. Hmmm.....

-Nobade

[chuckbuster]

Nobade
The wheel we use is 3/8" wide and we have available a full width in diamond pattern to do exactly what you want to do. Tool has enough adjustment in it that on a long shank boolit you should be able to run a band, adjust and run a second if desired. Details under the FAQ thread. Any other questions feel free to send me a PM.
Thanx for your interest
Kevin

[chuckbuster]

Here is an Email comment received recently from "Dwilli", seems he spends his time with gun stuff rather than with computers...

Rec. your reply, I have just finished canneluring 500 200 grn full metal jacket 45 cal. Acp bullets to be used in my revolvers and rifle. This machine is beyond a doubt the best cannelure tool I, have seen or used in 50 years, as, stated previously my congrats. To the machinist and again thank you for all your help. You make a great salesman. I, will be ordering the diamond rollers after the first of the month. I, don ‘t know how to place a comment on cast boolits, so, if you desire take what I have stated and place that in the comments section, under (DWILLI). Thanks again.

Thanx Don for the kind words
Kevin

[BRobertson]

I received my Ultimate Tool last night.
Ultimate Cannelure Tool is a simple yet apt title for this piece of mechanical art!!!

I will be using it initially to re-cannelure some .357 180gr Nosler Partitions for use in a Freedom Arms mod 83 to take
advantage of the cylinder length.
Eventually, I will put it to use for various .44 bullets that I will be making when I get all of my swaging equipment gathered up.

Thanks Kevin,

Bob

[KAYDADOG]

Recently received cannelure tool from Kevin after several days as promised. The reviews don't lie. This will be the best tool ever purchased if one is required. A lot of thought went into making this tool. Doing my own machining for projects, there isn't anything that I would change to improve design. Very little effort required to cannelure any size bullet. Have an original CH cannelure tool. Now I know why I never used it. Don't wait to purchase one.

Thank You Kevin for fast deliver.

[Pappa]

Mine showed up Friday but I was away all weekend. It took me about 3 minutes to adjust after un wrapping it and the second bullet I turned was perfect, the first was a bit deep in my opinion. This is gonna solve my set back problem with my 9mm dillion pistol and carbine.
It's so easy to use I'll also turn my 10mm, 500's and my regular 9mm as well.
I almost bought a CH unit but thought the instructional video was a bit confusing. I sure am glad I found this unit instead.
A more economical tool has no value if you never use it because it's awkward to use. This unit WILL get used.
Thanks Kevin for fast replies to my questions and fast international shipping too

[earthling121757]

Bought one of these tools from Kevin a couple weeks ago. Finally had a chance to use it last night on some home swaged 357 bullets (from 380 brass). Very easy to set up and worked like a charm!

I swaged up 1400 45 Colt bullets from 40 S$W brass over the long weekend. This cannelure tool is going to get a workout!!

The machine work on this unit is incredible, and it's built for a lifetime of use.

[chuckbuster]

12/2/2014
THANX GUYSNueces gets the last one immediately available.
At this time Building a "WISH LIST" only. Feel free to contact me to get on the list. We will be building more soon just have a couple other projects etc to get out of the way first. Apologies if this causes any inconvenience but we are doing our best to be able to ship ASAP once you send funds. Pretty sure if you go through the comments and feedback on the UCT you will realize it will be worth the wait.
Thanx for understanding
Kevin

[georgerkahn]

I had a bit of pleasure in ordering this tool and experiencing both the superb packing and speed of delivery -- followed by using it! I had a very minor problem in my inability to unscrew knob, and chuckbuster sent me, gratis, a replacement rod in record time! I needed to C-clamp mine to my bench, finding another use for Harbor Freight's 8" reach C-clamps -- as if they were made to complement this tool. The larger knob (option) has made it from a simple joy to a super-joy to use. Last night I cannelure'd about 600 +/- .35REM boolits, totally taking my time aiming 100% for quality, in less than 45 minutes! GREAT tool!!!
georgerkahn

[kc3ak]

I just received my cannelure tool from Kevin. It is an absolute work of art. And it works like a dream. I don't have my 357 dies yet, so I stuck a full patch 9mm bullet in it and the cannelure it put on that heavy jacket is beautiful. Now I'm even more anxious and excited to get my 357 swaging dies. Thanks ever so much for a wonderful addition to my reloading/swaging bench.

[maxreloader]

Why not include the "magnum" handle as standard gear? And I understand this tool is a lot nicer than the Corbin... but why place the Corbin in the distance so it looks smaller (even though it is)? Just my $.02. Great tool here!

[rolltide]

It is hard to tell from that camera angle, but the back edges of the tools are almost even with each other (maybe off an inch or less, I really wasn't trying to be exact about placement, just a quick snapshot). The disparity in size is NOT due to camera tricks, the Ultimate Cannelure Tool IS just that much longer and bigger than the Corbin tool. That is precisely what makes the Ultimate Cannelure Tool superior. You will see when yours arrives.

[chuckbuster]

Magnum Handle is now "Standard" with both tools. We found a supply on them that is nearly same price as we were paying for the original round knob, identical handle, not a cheaper one. So the round knob is phased out, some of you out there now have a Collectors Item I guess.

Thanx for the interest and comments.
Have fun, be safe
Kevin

[David454]

How do I place an order for the cannelure tool?

[Bonz]

Just cannelured a bunch of swaged .44 bullets made out of .40 brass cases and your cannelure tool worked great !!!

[David454]

I would like to buy one, how do I get it done?

[chuckbuster]

David454, you have a "pm"
We have tools ready to ship
Thanx
Kevin

[M-Tecs]

Very nice tool.