Expanding 22 lr cases
Read where guys on Cast Boolits .com were expanding 22 brass to make jackets for .223 and some were having trouble getting the expanded brass off the punch. Pondered this problem for a while, then decided to try my hand at expanding 22 lr brass to make jacketed bullets. Wondered how much the case can be expanded before
failing. Next thought was to use water hydraulics. Threw the 22 brass in a pan filled with water. You have to agitate them to get all the air out.
Beginning the process I made the proper size rods to drive into the 22 brass with a small rounded end and strike with a small brass hammer.
As the rod is struck, hydraulic pressure inside the brass helps hold the shape as the rod is driven to the bottom.
Water will escape upwards around the rod toward your hand and in the process expands the brass a mite larger than the rod. Then you can remove the brass from the rod with ease and no damage. Next anneal the brass. Expand in steps in approximately .020 steps up to whatever size is needed.
Fit the Lee.308 113 grain Hi-Tek coated bullet that comes out .312dia. inside the expanded jacket. Run through sizer die to .3075.
This was the first effort. Next time just size the bullets down to when you add the jacket and run through the sizer the bullet will be the right size and you would not have to expand the brass as much. This little bullet would go good in the 30-30 and other 30 caliber firearms.
This process is labor intensive, and messy, but it can be done. Here are pictures of the sized rods and the finished product.
Should there be some interest in the process we can go into more detail about diameters of the rods and such. Since I find it can be done, I am thinking that an inline press could be made to apply even pressure to do the process and rotate to the next step moving down the line with each pull of the handle. Still would have to pull the jackets from each rod and refill with water, add a new hull, and remove the finished on the other end.
The finished thickness of the 22lr brass measured .oo5.
The jacketed boolits weigh 123 grains.
Punch sizes used: .220 -- .238 -- .25825 -- .2695 -- .2845 -- The last one .3075 left the brass at .3095 ID. The escaping water causes the .002 bigger size. Getting the case expanded up to 30 caliber was my goal and here we have reached the goal.