Bullets from brass

2

270 totheend

Regular
GunNutz
Rating - 100%
132   0   1
Location
Van. Is. B.C.
I saw a YouTube of a guy using 5.7x28 brass to make .303 British bullets at .311”. I was thinking that if I got a 5.56 case and cut it off at the right length, heat the whole case to anneal the brass, drive the case through a sizing die at .366”, fill the case with lead from my Lee pot and drive it into a rough pointing die. Would I have cheap (my labour for projects is free to me) bullets for the 9.3x62? Like at most ranges, I have access to lots of 5.56 brass and a pipe cutter to rough trim it to bullet length. The 5.56 brass is nominally .373” at the base and can be sized down to .366” through a Lee .358” sizer opened up.
The YouTuber cut the rims off flush with the extractor groove for a modified boat tail, this might be useful.
I have made 35 Rem brass from .308 Win by driving it right through a .44mag sizer die to reduce the head and web from .473” to .460” so from .373” to .366” shouldn’t be that hard. The 35 Rem brass needs the power of a hydraulic shop press to push it through. The smaller starting diameter and with only .007” difference vs .013” there may be enough leverage in my Rockchucker. The problem is the forming die would need a shop press or bench vise for power.
The pointing die would probably be for a tapered flat nose design to accommodate a bullet ejector pin. Preheating the brass before pouring the pure lead core would be easy, toss them into the pot and pick them out of the lead one at a time before pouring the core.

What do you think?
 
270 totheend said:
I saw a YouTube of a guy using 5.7x28 brass to make .303 British bullets at .311”. I was thinking that if I got a 5.56 case and cut it off at the right length, heat the whole case to anneal the brass, drive the case through a sizing die at .366”, fill the case with lead from my Lee pot and drive it into a rough pointing die. Would I have cheap (my labour for projects is free to me) bullets for the 9.3x62? Like at most ranges, I have access to lots of 5.56 brass and a pipe cutter to rough trim it to bullet length. The 5.56 brass is nominally .373” at the base and can be sized down to .366” through a Lee .358” sizer opened up.
The YouTuber cut the rims off flush with the extractor groove for a modified boat tail, this might be useful.
I have made 35 Rem brass from .308 Win by driving it right through a .44mag sizer die to reduce the head and web from .473” to .460” so from .373” to .366” shouldn’t be that hard. The 35 Rem brass needs the power of a hydraulic shop press to push it through. The smaller starting diameter and with only .007” difference vs .013” there may be enough leverage in my Rockchucker. The problem is the forming die would need a shop press or bench vise for power.
The pointing die would probably be for a tapered flat nose design to accommodate a bullet ejector pin. Preheating the brass before pouring the pure lead core would be easy, toss them into the pot and pick them out of the lead one at a time before pouring the core.

What do you think?
Click to expand...
It is absolutely possible. I make .312” bullets from 5.56 brass. Your project would be much easier than mine as you will not have to go through 4 separate anneal and draw cycles. I listed my process here years back, and with some searching, you can find it.
 
Theres a kit out there you can buy you make 224 diameter bullets with 22lr casings. 5.56 brass would be a much thicker jacket, but absolutely seems possible.
 
A $60 mini chop saw would save you a lot of hassle trimming them with a pipe cutter. I'll be posting a Herter's 9 Ton Swage press on the ee in the next couple weeks, they're pretty easy to make forming dies for on a lathe.
 
How does such a method deal with the thick case head of a centre fire cartridge?

I've heard of using 22 rimfire cases as bullet jackets, which makes sense.
 
Boolitcaster said:
It is absolutely possible. I make .312” bullets from 5.56 brass. Your project would be much easier than mine as you will not have to go through 4 separate anneal and draw cycles. I listed my process here years back, and with some searching, you can find it.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't 9mm or 38 Special cases be easier to work with? Way less trimming to length.
 
I Dont Care About You said:
Wouldn't 9mm or 38 Special cases be easier to work with? Way less trimming to length.
Click to expand...

I have a metal lathe, so trimming is a lesser evil. Both 38 and 9mm brass are larger in diameter than 5.56 which necessitates an additional draw. With 38 Spl brass, there is also the rim to deal with. I have made .321” jackets from 9mm brass, but 9mm is too short for forming jackets for the heavier 30 cal bullets.
 
17asleep said:
Theres a kit out there you can buy you make 224 diameter bullets with 22lr casings. 5.56 brass would be a much thicker jacket, but absolutely seems possible.
Click to expand...
RCBS = Rock Chuck Bullet Swage. Fred Huntington started the business with tools to make .22 varmint bullets from fired .22LR cases during WW2.

I have heard of .30Carbine cases being used as jackets for .35 caliber rifle bullets.
 
How much “spring back” does brass have after swaging it? I opened up a bullet sizer from .356” to .366” and tried a couple of .222 Rem brass through it. They started out at .375” at the widest and through the die were .3695”! The good thing is they went through fairly easy on the rockchucker. On reflection I may try .38 Special brass with the rim turned off but that increases the time spent per bullet.

I should have taken note of the starting size of the die as it was almost .003” less than the stamped diameter to start with. I am using a micrometer and a spring loaded small hole gauge and can easily differentiate by fractions of a thou.

Are Lee dies only surface hardened or hardened through? It seemed it took a lot of work to move the first few thou and then started coming off easier. I will carry the bore out on this one to make a .375” bullet sizer for another project and start fresh with a new .358” sizer to make my .366” sizer. This time I will have to polish and try a few cases in steps to ensure I get the right size.
 
I have some .312 ( 150 grain i think)bullets from Courtney Casting that are made from .223 cases

I found them pretty darned accurate at 200 meters in my custom falling block
Cat
 
tiriaq said:
RCBS = Rock Chuck Bullet Swage. Fred Huntington started the business with tools to make .22 varmint bullets from fired .22LR cases during WW2.

I have heard of .30Carbine cases being used as jackets for .35 caliber rifle bullets.
Click to expand...
James Calhoun, who used to do business out of Alberta, but moved to Texas? used to make bullets utilizing fired 22rf cases.

I still have a couple of boxes somewhere, 45-62 grains. He never did find a way to iron out the firing pin dimple.

They shot OK, but were not match quality by any means.
 
Following up on my above post I opened up another lee sizing die but stopped short to see what comes of it. I can set my small hole gauge so that it turns between the jaws of my micrometer at .361” but not at .3615”. It will pass through the die without having to cant it but resistance is felt in the die at .3615” and definite stop at .362”. I ran a piece of brass through the die and it measures .3645”.
I figure the brass springs back .003” after sizing down.
I will go slow now and trial the brass through the die as I open the die to get the .366” I want. As for the forming process I wonder how bad it would be to form the taper at the front first, leaving a generous open exposed tip, throw them in the melt pot with the lead and then using pliers scoop the case full of molten lead before setting them aside to cool. A run through the tumbler to clean them up and maybe a final size before weight sorting and shooting.
Call it my own home made HOT-COR.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom