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Thread: Swaging 9/mm or 357/sig bullets using 9/mm drawn full length cases will it work ???

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
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    CLEVELAND, OHIO
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    Swaging 9/mm or 357/sig bullets using 9/mm drawn full length cases will it work ???

    From all my previous testing making these bullets I really thought the 9/mm drawn case would have to be trimmed. When making my last small batch of 100, 125/gn bullets using cases trimmed to 0.600", I just decided to seat the core in a full-length case 0.800" long. I just figured when the core is seated there is over 0.200" of an inch of jacket above the core and it would just get crushed in the point forming operation. The one picture shows how far down the core is seated.

    I didn't expect the end result, not what I expected. The finished bullets all came out with a very uniform finished point. The excess case length actually looks like it gets rolled back inside the case. The finished bullet is fully jacketed. From this last test, I will not need to further trim any 9/mm cases to make these bullets. To make a 1000 pc lot would now take about ten hours like all the other calibers I now make. If I had to trim the cases, and debur them would add an additional twenty plus hours, something I did not want to do.

    The other pictures show the finished 125/gn bullets and a cross section of how they fill out. The last picture shows how a 9/mm and a 357/Sig finished round would look. Lastly, I don't think you could make these on a manual press. I'm making these on a hydraulic press with the pressure set to obtain 3.1/TONS of force. I'm not sure what the breaking point of a standard 7/8-14 swage die is. Using 1-1/2" H-Type dies I don't see me every damaging one.

    Because the die set is made for a 357 bullet I may have to run them through a 0.355"-0.566" sizing die. I would first load a small batch to see how they shoot primarily in my 357/Sig. Since the jackets are brass and softer than copper they probably will shoot just fine. I will find out in the weeks ahead.

    Here are the end results and I do not need to do any further testing to see what will and what will not work.

    9/mm annealed drawn case to 0.357" x 0.800" long
    Sorted this batch, average case weight = 61.0/gn
    Swaged cores = 64.0/gn
    Standard Point die used one operation, not repointed
    Finished bullet weight = 125/gn
    Finished bullet length = 0.625"
    Pressure required = 3.1/Tons Force

    9/mm finished cartridge length = 1.060" maximum O.A.L. = 1.169"
    357/Sig finished cartridge length = 1.140" maximum O.A.L. = 1.140"

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  2. #2
    Boolit Master

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    Those are some fine looking rounds! I think you got something figured out for sure! Thanks for sharing.
    I firmly believe that you should only get treated by how you act, not by who or what you are!!

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    Dang... That is nice. Is the cannelure necessary? Ive never played with the 357 SIG before.
    Alcohol Inventory Reduction Specialist (Journeyman Level)

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    "Lastly, I don't think you could make these on a manual press."

    Could you explain this a bit more. I swage .355 bullets in my old Corbin Silver press for my 357 SIG, using copper jackets. The bullets look very similar in profile to what you are producing. Why would the brass "jacket", if it is softer as you stated earlier in your post, be more difficult?

    This version of the Corbin press, which I bought used 30+ years ago, is seldom seen in that it has "tie bar" cast into the frame, creating a sort of "O" press which is much stronger than the old SAS copy. If not for the fact that the name CORBIN is cast into the handle, I would question whether it was an actual Corbin press.

    Please understand I'm not trying to be a wise guy, I just would like to do what you have done since my supply of copper jackets is dwindling quite rapidly and 9mm cases are certainly more economical than copper jackets, if/when they can be found. I need to know if I could potentially damage either my dies or press attempting to do what you have done.
    When it's time to fight, you fight like you are the third monkey on the ramp to Noah's Ark.... and brother, it's STARTING TO RAIN!!

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    CLEVELAND, OHIO
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    I've already answered some of the specific questions and will post my response.
    A cannelure really isn't required for a taper crimp bullet but will offer a little more grip.
    Because I use Corbin's motorized cannelure, I add it. The bullet looks more finished, and it doesn't hurt anything.

    If you were making these bullets with a copper jacket, they were probably 0.500" in length.
    A fully drawn 9/mm case to 0.357" will end up being 0.800" in length quite a bit longer.
    The excess brass has to go somewhere and all the time it is going to end up in the point of the bullet.
    Sometimes you get creases and sometimes the nose of the bullet forms like you would like to see it, formed uniformly.
    From my tests, using the full length of the case the bullet nose formed uniformly.
    This was a plus for making these in the future, NO TRIMMING, NO DEBURRING CASES.
    From my other post the cases can be trimmed and achieve about the same results as a standard-length copper jacket.

    I talked to Meatpuppet and he states he can do the same using a manual swaging press. He would be the one to talk to if you're trying to do the same using a manual swage press. When using a hydraulic press, the final results may be different. The operation is one continuous cycle where the brass and lead are being shaped without any hesitations. Each cycle is the same and consistent from the first bullet to the 1000th bullet. Any of the operations are being done in less than 7/seconds or 300-350 per hour if you can move that fast.

    Thank you everyone for the comments.
    Last edited by KAYDADOG; 12-23-2022 at 03:45 PM.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check