Introduction

[GerryM]

Hi Guys.
I just wanted to introduce myself.
My name is Gerry,
If you look at my profile you will se that I'm retired and a benchrest shooter.
I have been swaging bullets for quite a long time.
I make benchrest quality bullets in 224, 243 an d 30 calibers.
Most of my dies are the expensive ones that i have aquired over the years.
I have dies from many makers.
If anyone needs help making high quality bullets just ask.
Right now i'm trying to get my hydraulic press running and set up for Jacket makeing.
Any help would be appreciated.
Take care Gerry

[BT Sniper]

Welcome to the sight. Sounds like you have just as much to offer us as any of us may have to offer you. Look forward to hearing and seeing more about your shooting and swaging adventures.

Making jackets? From cut guilding metal disks? Cool!

Good shooting and swage on!

BT

[GerryM]

Thanks for the welcome Bt ""'
I stumbeled on this site by chance, It was lucky find.
The people posting seem to know quite abit about swaging and building dies and die sets.
The photos are great.

[DukeInFlorida]

Gerry,

Welcome to Cast Boolits, and especially welcome to our Swaging area of discussion. There's wealth of knowledge hanging around here, and we welcome all input.

I've been casting for decades, but the swaging stuff is somewhat new to me.

[GerryM]

Thank you for the welcome' Ive been swaging for longer then I want to admit'
I hope i can help someone . Right now i'm trying to get started in jacket makeing.

[Reload3006]

Pretty new here myself but Welcome. Started swaging a while ago like you i'm using the more expensive stuff. Have been working on my own tubing jacket dies. Close but no cigar yet but its getting there. Have been considering the strip for jackets too.

[BT Sniper]

I wasn't sure if Gerry plans to make jackets from strips (cut disks) and draw jackets or form them from tubing but I'm anxious to see. I'm going to make some 30 cal jackets real soon as well from 5/16 copper tubing. Just need a minute of time for my personal projects.

Good shooting

BT

[martin]

GerryM,

Welcome to the forum.

I too have been swaging on and off since the mid 70's. My interests are very similar to your in that I am a bench rest shooter and swage 22, 6mm and 30 cal for myself and a few select friends.

Much of what I have in the way of swaging dies I have purchased used along the way but have made several sets myself over the last couple of years. The process of making dies has been challenging, intersting, and rewarding.

I must say that I have looked at making my own copper jackets several times and each time came to the conclusion that it was unlikely that I could turn out quality jackets as good as Berger J4's. Perhaps you could post how you are going about doing this and if you think your jackets will be of bench rest quality?

Welcome and best regards,
Martin

[MIBULLETS]

Hi Gerry, as the others said, welcome. I would love to hear about your benchrest bullet process. I currently make 22, 35, and 8 mm bullets. I also make tubing jackets for my 35 bullets.

You mentioned a hydrolic press, is it similar to the Corbin types that are single stage or are you looking at something more progressive and automated?

[GerryM]

Hi Guys I plan on makeing jackets from strip guilding metal. Ive looked at KTN dies and they are a step in the right direction. I have also looked at corbins style of die and did some research on jacket drawing. I'm in the planning drawing stages of the Process.
Ive looked at some coining dies so far. Corbins are a two stage and KTn are a single stage.
Blanking coins is the first step.
I have a Dennison Hydraulic press 2 tons . The ram is in the top and is threaded for punch holders. theres 10 inches or more of daylight.{open area} On the press. 2 1/2 inch stroke
I have to make a table for the dies before anything else. I also have a Lathe and do some chambering but not really a lot of machine work. I have made punches and sizing dies/
I have a die maker willing to make the tools that i need for the complete process.

[GerryM]

The bullet making process is pretty straigh forward. I use J4 precision jacket. I'm hopeing to make my own of the same quality. I do things bit different then some bullet makers. i was included on a thread on benchrest central. I wound up being quite long with a lot of information from many bullet and die makers. What would you like to know about the process that i use? I'm willing to share.

[MIBULLETS]

I have read that piece on Bench Rest Central. A very interesting read. It looks like they have removed some of it. I just looked at it and it is much shorter than I remember.

I was just currious how your method compared to the what others shared in that article. Nothing really specific.

[martin]

GerryM,

When you say that you do things a bit different than some bullet makers, what do you do differently?

I would guess that the process is similar or the same in that you cut a core, squish it to size and weight, seat it in a jacket and point form. Beyond the process can be a lot of little steps of weighing, sorting, how much lube is used, type of lube, oxidizing cores, what process the lube is removed, tumbling and meplate fomation/triming. Am I in the right ball park or do you do somthing differnt in the process?

Thank you,
Martin

[GerryM]

I disagreed with some comments like tumbeling jackets and the shape of the core.
also about washing jackets in solvents and etching cores.
A lot of steps just made makeing bullets more complicated then it has to be.
I follow what Baihler and astles wrote in there book.
The J4 jackets we receive are ready for swaging right out of the bucket.
Clean lead is the key along with uniform core weights.
Mt formula is simple uniform cores =uniform core seating= uniform points
The proper lubes are amust Anhydrous Lanolin is the properlube also.

[Reload3006]

Gerry looks like we are in complete agreement. Although i have noticed that when i recover some of my bullets i have core separation issues no problem when your shooting paper or a steel ram. But can be a huge issue when hunting. So i have started using plumbers flux and melting the cores in my jackets works like a champ ... but huge warning if you bond your cores make sure and I mean doubly sure you clean your die immediately because the salts in the flux will rust the heck out of your dies.....Dont ask how I know. LOL

[GerryM]

I
read somewhere that there s aglue in powder form that is activated by friction{heat}
That would solve a core bonding problem. Usually core seperation is due to not having enough seating pressure . The jacket is springing back instead of trying to spring in.
If you use j4 or sierra jacket it shouldn't be a problem.
I left a few things out of my post.
I wash the cores after they are formed, then a rinse is hot water and a towel dry.
same with the finished bullet.

[martin]

GarryM,

Thank you for your feedback.

We are on the same page doing things in the same way. I was just inquiring to get your thoughts on each of the topics I listed.

Question: What do you mean by the shape of the core? With my various core making dies, I have a bevel that is formed that matches the contour of the jacket and it is flat on the other end. Is that what you are suggesting?

I have several sets of B&A dies that produce good quality bullets including 3 sets in 22 and 2 sets in 6mm. What die sets do you have?

You mention Anhydrous Lanolin - do you use this strieght or do you cut it with somthing (neetsfoot oil, caster oil, petrolium jell)?

Sorry for all the questions - just comparing notes with an experienced swager. By the way, do you sell any of your projectiles?

Martin

[cgtreml]

Welcome to the forum.

A good friend is a benchrest shooter and fellow swager. Very particular in everything he does. He and this forum have dragged me back to swaging after many years of just casting, reloading, and watching my swaging dies gather dust. Great bunch of guys and very helpful. Someday I will join you guys and make benchrest quality bullets. For now just handgun stuff and converting 22 emptys to 223 bullets.

Again Welcome
Chris

[Grandpas50AE]

I wasn't sure if Gerry plans to make jackets from strips (cut disks) and draw jackets or form them from tubing but I'm anxious to see. I'm going to make some 30 cal jackets real soon as well from 5/16 copper tubing. Just need a minute of time for my personal projects.

Good shooting

BT

BT, the 5/16 copper water tubing makes great jackets, I have done them in both plain-base and RBT. You will probably find however, that the core seating punch for those jackets will have to be a little smaller than the one you are used to using for the J-4 or drawn jackets since the copper tubing is a bit thicker.

Happy swaging.

[Grandpas50AE]

Welcome Gerry, you will find a wealth of knowledge and information here on this forum. I also stumbled onto it by accident, and I have been humbled by the amount of knowledge on here that I have discovered since. The folks on this site are just super, and I have not seen any of the character-assasination type threads that seem to occur on many other gun-related forum sites. All folks here seem to be genuinely interested in helping each other discover and learn, and I look forward to seeing the wealth of your knowledge shared over time as well. I began swaging about 20 years ago, and as far as I'm concerned, have much yet to learn.

Again welcome.