Swaging Home Cast Bullets...

[Oyeboten]

Reloading Pistol Cartridges...


Now...does one do well to Swage Home Cast Bullets? To bring them to uniform Diameters?

And or, to have Moulds which produce Bullets a few thousandths over-large, for allowing enough overage for Swaging 'down'?


And, I gather, some Swagers also Lubricate the annular Grooves at the same time, so, does it follow, that one may as well have a combination Swager-Lube Tool..?

Or, have seperate Tools, for each of these two procedures?



Phil
l v

 

[nicholst55]

Casting and swaging are two different methods of making your own bullets. I think you're confusing swaging with sizing. Typically, one sizes his cast bullets to the desired diameter, while lubricating them at the same time. This is accomplished with a lubricator/sizer, which uses interchangeable sizing dies to determine bullet diameter.

https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/Ma...creenlabel=index&productId=3262&route=C12J055

It can be done in two separate steps if you're on a budget or only processing very small quantities of bullets. A Lee push-through sizing die and some Liquid Alox will do the job:

http://www.leeprecision.com/html/catalog/lubesize.html

One swages bullets by forcing pure lead wire into a bullet jacket under pressure.

Many things can combine to determine the diameter of your as-cast bullets; only one of them is the bullet mold. Different lead/tin/antimony alloys will cast to different diameters, with the 'harder' alloys like Linotype being larger than pure lead. Probably 99% of bullet casters size their bullets; a very few use them 'as-cast' (after lubing) for specific guns with odd sized bores - usually significantly oversize.

For in-depth discussion of all things concerning cast bullets, I recommend the Cast Boolits forum here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php

 

[Oyeboten]

Hi nicholst55,




Yes, I was confusing 'sizing' and 'swaging'...having not yet got a clear distinction ( till now, ) between them...

But 'Sizing', yes...was what I was after.


I've seen devices which Size and Lube in one operation, and was no sure if 'swaging' was the same thing.

So...


Okay...


Cool...

Sizing makes sense to me, as something worth doing.


And, may as well Lube at the same time...if one has a Device for doing so.


Thanks!


Thanks for the Links also...


Phil
Las Vegas

 

[loadedround]

Both Lyman and RCBS make Lubricator/Sizers that will size your cast bullet to your exact diameter and fill your lubrication grooves on your bullet at the same time. You must have specific sizing dies(different from loading dies) installed in the lube/sizer to properly size your bullet . Stick lubricant must be added also. This was just basic information to help you out w/o going into great detail. Lyman's Reloading Manual will give you much data on sizing cast bullets. Hope this helps you.

 

[SASS#23149]

If you search for Star lubrisizer on youtube,you'll find a fella reall zinging along with sizing/lubing.
From what Iv'e read,the Star is 'the one' to get...as gleaned from the cast boolits bulletiin board.

 

[ReloaderFred]

I have the Star, Lyman, RCBS and Saeco Lubri-sizers. If you have specific questions about any of them, PM me and I'll answer as best I can.

Hope this helps.

Fred