Is it possible to use .40sw brass as .45acp bullets?

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Lee308

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By slightly expanding .40sw brass, you get .450. (i found a 40 stuck in one of my 45acp brass and started thinking)

Could a .45 expander die, ran down into .40sw brass and filled with melted lead, be used as a bullet? ( of course measured weight)

Feeding and accuracy may not be perfect, but for 10 yrds,,,, just thinking,, times are hard.
 
We've had a thread discussing this process here: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=703058

What I demonstrated in the thread was making .429" diameter bullets from .40 S&W brass, but it also works making them into .452" diameter bullets. The thread explains the process, except for the last post, which had nothing to do with the discussion.........

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
...but why would you want to do that to .40 cal brass?

I know the answer, but I'd rather shoot .40, that's all.
 
Because its a good use of range pickup .40 brass, especially when you don't shoot a .40 but you do shoot .45. I've personally loaded up about 125 .451 JHP bullets that were made from cast cores with .40 brass swaged around the cores. They're a pretty wicked looking hollow point, pretty accurate, and they were free (i traded away some brass I'll never use). It makes me want to invest in some casting and swaging equipment.
 
In my area you can't even give .40 brass away, so most of it goes to the recycler. I've tried selling it on the internet, but most people want to pay less than the recycler pays, and then complain about the shipping.

I've found a good use for it, making .429" and .452" bullets out of it. Works for me........

Fred
 
The process to make your own jacketed bullets from brass casings with lead wire has been around for a long time. I think Corbon is the name of one company that sells the tools and components to do this. I've looked into a while back, but the start up was pretty steep.

GS
 
Sounds like a good way to jam up your gun, maybe it can be done. It's not that hard to find proper components, you just have to look a little harder.
 
My first thought was "WTH....", but after seeing a video on cutting shotgun shells, nothing surprises me. Ain't for me though.
 
There are lots of info on the castboolits swaging page.

Thanks for the links, but I'm thinking something simpler and cheaper than swaging.

If I expand the case to .45, cut to length , pour lead in the open end and load it base forward, much easier than pouring into a mold, and I don't care what the zinc/lead ratio is as long as its consistant for 50 pours.

I find .40 brass all over the firing range, but I don't reload that cal. I have maybe 300 .40 cases laying around and what to do with them? Bullets are now hard to come by as is quality lead.

Heck, I've been trying to think of stuff to fill them with other than lead, non lead solder, melted pennys zinc/copper? BB's and glue? cheap jewlery and glue? etc........times are getting desperate. I can't even find .22 ammo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any ideas would be welcome.
 
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