Back from the dead...Anybody swaging airgun slugs?

Well I didn't die, I have just not been active on the forum as of late. I have in the past two years been really getting into PCP airguns. I cast for all of them but really want to swage my own. I swage currently .308 and .223 and have been for years. I want the versatility swaging brings us for my airguns. My most recent PCP is enroute FX express 600 in .357. I need to be able to feed my guns. I love not having to source brass, primers, and powder as much. Still shoot my powder burners, but I bet I shoot air over powder 10-1 due to the cost of ever recycling components :-D. Do you make your own? Let me hear about it.

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Originally Posted by kweidner

Well I didn't die, I have just not been active on the forum as of late. I have in the past two years been really getting into PCP airguns. I cast for all of them but really want to swage my own. I swage currently .308 and .223 and have been for years. I want the versatility swaging brings us for my airguns. My most recent PCP is enroute FX express 600 in .357. I need to be able to feed my guns. I love not having to source brass, primers, and powder as much. Still shoot my powder burners, but I bet I shoot air over powder 10-1 due to the cost of ever recycling components :-D. Do you make your own? Let me hear about it.

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Sounds like another rabbit hole, but a great next step into that world.
I do not swage for PCPs and will be following with interest.

Bill

Being a shell of the man I used to be I live on little money these days. Because I have little. I too have gotten into the airgun world and started down the rabbit hole a bit. I do not swage for my airguns but have looked into it. Press slug looks to be nice but man most including myself can not afford it. I do not know why someone does not set up a slug die for a standard reloading press. No corbin does not do it. Not for airguns.

I think this is a interest of many. A niche market? maybe.... I just have a Benjamin discovery, but I like the thought of being able to make my own...

Anyone ever try hammer swage dies? You use a hammer or something like that to swage the lead into a pellet using a die with a base and nose punch. This link is for larger bullets but has a good description of the dies. You would still want a squirt die or core mold or some way of making sure each pellet was within weight tolerance.

https://svartkrutt.net/articles/vis.php?id=32

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Originally Posted by elginrunner

I think this is a interest of many. A niche market? maybe.... I just have a Benjamin discovery, but I like the thought of being able to make my own...

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Ya I used to agree with you and only had that same airgun. After seeing what modern ones can do you might be a bit off on that thought. I know I learned I was and man they are really cool now and bring a very big fun factor to 150yrd in shooting.

If you go down that hole you will be lost to the darkside. Remember Alice@

I have cast .22 round balls for airguns but swaging those is going to be complicated.

I am not into pcp guns. What is the difference between a normal style bullet and a large cal. air gun pellet? And, why couldn't you use a regular style bullet sized to the gun and cast in soft lead?

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Originally Posted by Sasquatch-1

I am not into pcp guns. What is the difference between a normal style bullet and a large cal. air gun pellet? And, why couldn't you use a regular style bullet sized to the gun and cast in soft lead?

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So you can. The bigger the cal the easier this is. Swaging with lead bleed off will produce the same projectile every time. Casting not so much. In the airgun world with most of your shots taking subsonic under 1080 it makes a difference. Airguns are a slight bit smaller than powder burners in projectile size. And a bit behind in the weight as well. Now some airguns shoot full house loads but most people do not need massive ammo for that style as they are air hungry. Most swagers or casters are not looking to make pellets as they are looking for slugs. Not sure this explains it well. Sorry.

As long as it’s not the wasp waisted design it should not be that hard to make a single die similar to a core squirt die but with a nose profile in the ejector rod a a hollow base profile or flat base for the other end or vice versa.
Basically a die like is used in the Herters 9 ton press but fitted to a reloading press, similar to CH swaging dies.
I made a similar set of dies for a member a long time ago to Swage Brenke.410 slugs for his rifled barreled AK in 410.

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Originally Posted by deltaenterprizes

As long as it’s not the wasp waisted design it should not be that hard to make a single die similar to a core squirt die but with a nose profile in the ejector rod a a hollow base profile or flat base for the other end or vice versa.
Basically a die like is used in the Herters 9 ton press but fitted to a reloading press, similar to CH swaging dies.
I made a similar set of dies for a member a long time ago to Swage Brenke.410 slugs for his rifled barreled AK in 410.

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Lots of good stuff here. I have a walnut hill. Any interest in making a .357 single pull slug HP with about a 2s? With a bleed hole, you could adjust the weight of the slug just like a core swage. I have seen a few on youtube. MAN I WISH I HAD A LATHE. I have so many projects I could do. I have killed multiple deer with the texan. About to go to the stand for the last evening of the season. A 300 grain cast in soft lead NOE mold with a huge HP does incredible on white tail. I would just like to be able to swage mine so I do not have to weight sort after casting and coating.

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Originally Posted by kweidner

Lots of good stuff here. I have a walnut hill. Any interest in making a .357 single pull slug HP with about a 2s? With a bleed hole, you could adjust the weight of the slug just like a core swage. I have seen a few on youtube. MAN I WISH I HAD A LATHE. I have so many projects I could do. I have killed multiple deer with the texan. About to go to the stand for the last evening of the season. A 300 grain cast in soft lead NOE mold with a huge HP does incredible on white tail. I would just like to be able to swage mine so I do not have to weight sort after casting and coating.

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C-H Die & Tool made an item like that!
I made that die after recovering from a long illness around 2007 ,it was rehabilitation for me.
He had a rough design and I had to do modifications because he was not a machinist and my tooling was limited.

Today’s cost because of inflation would be close to $1500-2000, but I am working fully time now and my shop is not temperature controlled.

Look on eBay or put WTB ad in Swapping and Selling for the C-H die.

I don’t have time or energy for my own projects right now so as much as I would like to do such a project I must decline.

A set of dies for a Herters 9 ton press would be fairly easy too!

A few years ago I bought a Benjamin .25 cal. N.P. rifle I planned from the beginning to swage my own pellets .

The dies I cut can make either solid or hollow based pellets I can not make wasp waisted pellets . I use Lee mold to cast #4 buckshot* that gives me a 20.3 grain ball that I swage into pellets . They shoot quite well and average mid 800 f/s and kill well Seating them in the rifling with thumb pressure does not always work but closing the barrel seats them flat without damage to the "O" ring .
While the gun is .25 caliber Number 3 buckshot rolls right down the barrel, I suspect #2 (.27") buckshot would work quite well in the gun but can not get any to test that is not Nickle plated.

You might also look at round balls they are pretty effective if you gun shoots them well. I have an old .177 pellet gun I sometimes shoot lead BB in they are accurate and kill .



* I have really started liking the #4 buckshot in shotgun also the denser pattern kills pests very well!

What you are looking for as Deltaenterprizes mentioned, is a blast from the past with either Herters or CH Swag-O-Matic press and dies. These were made in the common pistol calibers plus 308 and 223 rifle calibers. Herters made dies for 9 ton press, their own Super Bullet Makers press, and reloading presses. I have examples of all the presses and different die sets all purchased off Ebay in the last year. They are not common but do pop up from time to time. Die sets usually under $100, and presses with die sets usually under $100. If you check out my post in the thread linked below, you will see pictures of the presses and dies mentioned. All bullets made by all these presses and dies will look similar to those pictured below, regardless of caliber. Of course bullet length, and therefore weight is totally adjustable. These Herters and CH dies have bleed holes and use soft lead only for very uniform weights for projectiles. Bullets in picture below made with RCE dies and press which is much superior, but also more expensive.


Attachment 322460

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-lead-boollits

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Originally Posted by rolltide999

What you are looking for as Deltaenterprizes mentioned, is a blast from the past with either Herters or CH Swag-O-Matic press and dies. These were made in the common pistol calibers plus 308 and 223 rifle calibers. Herters made dies for 9 ton press, their own Super Bullet Makers press, and reloading presses. I have examples of all the presses and different die sets all purchased off Ebay in the last year. They are not common but do pop up from time to time. Die sets usually under $100, and presses with die sets usually under $100. If you check out my post in the thread linked below, you will see pictures of the presses and dies mentioned. All bullets made by all these presses and dies will look similar to those pictured below, regardless of caliber. Of course bullet length, and therefore weight is totally adjustable. These Herters and CH dies have bleed holes and use soft lead only for very uniform weights for projectiles. Bullets in picture below made with RCE dies and press which is much superior, but also more expensive.


Attachment 322460

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-lead-boollits

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If you are interested in this style bullet, try contacting Hawk's Precision Bullets at https://hawkbullets.com/index.html

I have a couple of dies he has made that make that style bullet. They are not listed on his page so you will have to contact him. If I remember correctly, the last one I bought was around $130.00

GONRA sez the bullets pictured could be made on an
olde CH Swag-O-Matic press with home made dies.

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Originally Posted by MIBULLETS

Anyone ever try hammer swage dies? You use a hammer or something like that to swage the lead into a pellet using a die with a base and nose punch. This link is for larger bullets but has a good description of the dies. You would still want a squirt die or core mold or some way of making sure each pellet was within weight tolerance.

https://svartkrutt.net/articles/vis.php?id=32

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Very cool, with a little press and pressure gauge..you could make alot, in a very short period of time..made with the same pressure..and size..you got me thinking!
Thanks
Cheers
B

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Originally Posted by GONRA

GONRA sez the bullets pictured could be made on an
olde CH Swag-O-Matic press with home made dies.

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I have this press..only dies I have are 38/357...Is there a company that makes, dies for these old press..I'd like to try .177, and 22. I've got a 1200 fps( steel shot..they say, never had steel shot) break air rifle. Would love to build some..I reload for alot of different..well maybe not a lot..3-4 different calibers..
Cheers
B
Any leads would be great!

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Originally Posted by Quinnbrian

I have this press..only dies I have are 38/357...Is there a company that makes, dies for these old press..I'd like to try .177, and 22. I've got a 1200 fps( steel shot..they say, never had steel shot) break air rifle. Would love to build some..I reload for alot of different..well maybe not a lot..3-4 different calibers..
Cheers
B
Any leads would be great!

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It looks like you are in Canada, that complicates things!