Converting a Lee Classic press into a swaging press?

[zrifleman]

Has any one given any thought to modifying a Lee Classic press into  a swaging press? The RCBS presses don't lend themselves to converting them to this application. Looking at my Lee Classic, it looks like a good candidate to make into a swage. All parts are steel and oversized. The lower arms are .400"+X1 1/2". All cross bolts are 1/2 to 9/16 and the ram is 1 1/8" dia. It looks like all one needs to do to the press is change the pivot position on the lower arms for less travel and more leverage and grind of the stops so it will over travel. Making custom dies to fit or an adapter would be the next step. At $65 for L C versus $300+ for Corbin it looks like a worthwhile project. Any ideas on this??

[talon]

Not recommended for jacketed calibers above 25, or lead above .44 pistol. The frame is cast iron. And, Lee doesn't say what grade of steel is used. Mass/thickness isn't all there is to the ability of metal to ensure strength. Too, unless the swage dies are made for a reloading press, the cost of conversion of the ram, while moderate, would be less of a problem than how long it would be before the ram would deform under 80,000 psi pressure. Those "$300 Corbin" presses are definitely worth the bucks, and retain thir value very well. In even the short run they would cost less than modifying a Lee Classic.

[zrifleman]

Talon--thanks for the imput. I will do some more research on this. I have owned a Corbin mighty mite for over 20 yrs and swaged many thousands of 35-45 cal. paper patched bullets. Several sets of dies have broken and pivot pins breaking is a regular thing. The Walnut Hill press looks like the best of the litter but 6 month wait and over $450 for press and dies gives one reason for pause.

[talon]

If you can wreck a swaging press, consider what would happen to a reloading press only 50% as capable! Concerning those old Mity Mite Presses and 'M' dies ( particularly the 44. and 45 sizes), they are excellent tools, but do wear as does anything. Corbin used to sell replacement parts for these older presses and probably still do. Too, if you were swaging other than pure lead, the stress could have easily been more than the dies or link pins could take. The difference between BnH 5 and 6 is great; between 5 and 8, huge. Some of the Corbin LSWC and Core dies have larger squirt holes and can therefor handle lead alloy up to around 6 or 7, but when you get 1/2 way between pure and wheelweight alloy(BnH14) you are on very thin ice with your MM tooling. Today, the Series II and 'S' press line, and the Walnut Hill press have much greater capability, but both manufactures stress the use of pure lead only. As to cost: owning a bullet swaging system, particularly one of the Corbin's ( RCE is one of the Corbin brothers), is money in the bank if you take care of it. Lately, swagers who have sold some of their gear on eBay have gotten from 90-110% of their investment back!

[zrifleman]

Talon--You are preaching to the choir. I was already aware of much of what you said. It never hurts to explore ideas. I talked to Lee Precision and they had never even thought about building a swaging press. They felt that the weakness would be in the pins on the ram and leverage. I am still doing research.

[sixgun_symphony]

If you are still looking for a swaging press...


 http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=69550

[Bigbore fun]

It has been done, see the Lee Classic bullet ejector and shellholder I submitted at top of this coluum of threads.

It is a really neat bullet swaging device, but has to be aulterd on the shellholder to make it work well.

The automatic bullet ejector device just makes things nicer to operate.

I've also put these devices on two other Herter presses and they work extremely well.

Jim