Author Topic: A Problem - Core Swaging (Read 757 times)

Rick Teal · « **on:** March 21, 2004, 05:18:03 AM »

I have some .75 inch jackets, and decided to make some light .35 calibre bullets of my design. In order to do this, I figured I needed a .280 core of something in the 80 grain range. However, as it turns out, it appears that the lightest core I can make with my core swage is 106 grains. After that point, my external punch drops below the level of the holes in the die body.

It looks like I'll need either another core swage with holes drilled lower in the body, or a longer internal punch.

I was wondering if anyone else had dealt with this problem, and what their solution was. I'm hoping there's some way to "jimmy" my existing die to make a lighter core without having to wait for an additional die or punch to be made.

talon · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2004, 10:27:22 AM »

Rick, try putting a stack of small washers on the tail of your internal punch. A little heavy grease may be needed to hold them on. They will have to be no larger than the diameter than the punch body, and no thicker than 1/4". You may need a small wire to fish them out of the ram after you are thru. Be careful on your first test swage that the increased heigth of your internal punch doesn't cover the blead holes. I have several 'S' punces I'd had modified with special washers to use them on heavy or light cores. I think they will work for the 'M' or 'H' group as well. What this procedure does is to cause the punch to stand higher in the die. Richard told me about it.

Rick Teal · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2004, 01:45:34 PM »

talon:

Thanks for the idea. I don't have any washers of an appropriate size, so I'll have to pick some up.

Before I read your reply, I was considering another approach.

I discovered that the holes were too high when I put a piece of under sized wire in my die and tried to swage it. It formed into a cylinder, but then I met unusual resistance so I backed off.

I was wondering if I put such an undersized cylinder in my die with the end heavily lubed, and then swaged another piece of wire on top of it. And I would then separate the two cores at the end of the first one, I (hopefully) would have an undersized core in the weight I want. I may still give this approach a try.

Rick

talon · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2004, 04:46:16 PM »

It should work as long as the lub doesn't creep up the side of the die as the top core is being swaged out to the wall. Try it. If there's a glitch, perhaps you can use a soft iron or brass cylinder the same diameter as the punch in lue of the lead 'cheater' core, but the washers are a safer way to go, I think.

Donna · « **Reply #4 on:** March 22, 2004, 11:02:23 AM »

Rick,

Your idea is right, that is what I did when I needed some 5 to 10 grain lead wafers. I swaged a lead core as small as I could then I swaged another core on top of it and then seperated the two and a core of the desired size. For the first 6 or 7 times the two cores at the junction will both form into the bleed holes but after that the first core will have been bled out. I mean will be at the bottom of the bleed holes.

Donna :wink: