Making 458 bullets from brass cases?

[troy fairweather]

I am hoping to get a new press soon, so I was thinking off making some 458 bullets for my 45/70 Siamese mauser. I've seen them done before using 45 acp brass or 308win brass for heavier bullets. Anyone here make them before, I would appreciate any help to save time experimenting with dies.

what temp is best to anneal the brass, or what dies you like to form the point of the bullets.
I may have to pick up a 44 mold the only one I have at the moment is a Lee 200, my mause r shoots all bullet weights good so that's not a problem.

I will have to get some fired 45 cal brass, have to see where has the cheapest once fired brass.
Any help will be appreciated thanks troy.

 

[jmorris]

ReloaderFred would be who I asked about the subject.

 

[ReloaderFred]

I don't swage .458" bullets, simply because I don't have the swaging dies. I do swage bullets from brass cases for .355", .357", .400", .410", .429" and .452". Once you have the equipment, it's a pretty simple process, but rather time consuming. There are a couple of threads around here somewhere on the process, and I'm headed for bed, so I don't have time to go into detail right now. I'll be gone most of tomorrow, but when I get back I can see if I can find those threads for you.

Fred

 

[ReloaderFred]

A quick search turned up this one, but there are others that go into more detail:

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...lets-from-brass-cases••.827912/#post-10671286

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[troy fairweather]

A quick search turned up this one, but there are others that go into more detail:

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/••making-bullets-from-brass-cases••.827912/#post-10671286

Hope this helps.

Fred

Thanks

 

[Bat Rastard]

This is a fascinating thread.
I lack ingenuity, but I am fascinated by others.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Here's another thread on the same subject, with a couple different ways of doing it. Some of the information is the same as the other thread, but maybe a little more information.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/home-made-bullets.815795/#post-10449263

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Bat Rastard]

How well do they fly ?

I read this yesterday, and may have missed or forgot, but are the spent primers left in ?

 

[whughett]

You Tube it. Chances are there’s a vid on the process if not the caliber.

 

[jmorris]

ReloaderFred was kind enough to give me some examples of his work 5 years ago, so are not quite as shiny as they were back then and he stated at the time that he started using the citric acid bath prior to core seating, making a better bullet.

Thank you again for the time to gather up and share examples of your work!

 

[ReloaderFred]

Thank you for posting those, jmorris. I'm surprised you've held onto them all this time. Those were all done on my big Hollywood Senior press. Since switching over to my Corbin CSP1 swaging press, I'm able to get an even better bullet swaged, since the CSP1 has slightly more leverage and is designed specifically for swaging. You can load ammunition on the CSP1, but it's not as convenient as a dedicated loading press.

Bat Rastard,
The primers are left in, since I melt the cores into the cases during annealing. Without the primers in place, the molten lead would run out the flash hole and make a mess in my kiln. I'm heating the combination to 1,125 Degrees F and letting is set overnight in the kiln. I don't like handling the pans of molten lead/hot brass, since it's unwieldy with my pans. Something could be cobbled up to make it easier, but I've never dedicated the time to come up with it, since this is just a pastime for me.

By annealing them together (jacket and core), they totally bond without the use of any type of flux. I'm not a metallurgist, but I'm thinking it's at the molecular level, since the only way to separate the core from the jacket on my bullets is to melt the core out with heat.

I've shot some pretty good groups with my swaged bullets from both handguns and pistol caliber rifles. They don't give away much when it comes to accuracy.

As a side note, one year at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, I handed two of the Sierra Bullets reps some samples of my bullets made from cartridge cases. The look of consternation was priceless, but after I explained the process to them, they said it made sense.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[whughett]

In the late 70's , early 80's I entertained the idea of someday making jacketed bullets with the Corbin Gear and started saving 22LR cases. I subscribed to Handloader magazine for decades and somewhere around that time they had done an article on 22 caliber bullet making using Corbin Dies, Lead wire and spent 22 caliber cases Never did it and just a few years ago dumped about 15 pounds of brass. All of this sorta coincided with the introduction of the Mini14. I think.

 

[jmorris]

Thank you for posting those, jmorris. I'm surprised you've held onto them all this time.

No problem and they were easy to find, they stay front and center on my powder shelf and have impressed many that have been to my home and like to “talk guns”.

 

[Bat Rastard]

Has anyone shot these into gel?
I would love to see if they open up or act as a solid. That's a mighty thick jacket.
Again, this is a fascinating thread.

 

[the Black Spot]

Somewhere i saw where a guy used 40 smith cases to make bullets for his 444 marlin and took an elk, irc.

 

[earplug]

At the velocity the 45/70 chunks bullets i'd save time and energy by using powder cast bullets. I know a cast powder cast bullet can work with your set up.

 

[troy fairweather]

At the velocity the 45/70 chunks bullets i'd save time and energy by using powder cast bullets. I know a cast powder cast bullet can work with your set up.

Ya I shoot them now but can't load them hot, plus it's fun making bullets.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Has anyone shot these into gel?
I would love to see if they open up or act as a solid. That's a mighty thick jacket.
Again, this is a fascinating thread.

Actually, the brass cases are thinner than most regular bullet jackets. Only the base is more substantial. The hollowpoints I make open up dramatically in wet newspaper when driven hard, which is all I've tried them in as far as a medium goes. I did use some of my .44 Magnum bullets made from .40 S&W brass to punch holes in the tops of empty propane bottles so I could cut them down for smelting pots. They punched through one side just fine, but then deformed to the point they just put a small bulge on the other side. I've probably shot 10 or 11 rounds into different propane bottles and none of them went through both sides. This was done to ventilate the propane bottles of all propane before cutting the tops off for smelting pots, which they work great for.

I've been accumulating some of the FM and Freedom 9x19 brass with the thick lower half of the case wall. Those are the ones with the pronounced step on the inside to prevent bullet setback that everyone complains about. They should produce a fast opening bullet that will hold together when it hits the thicker portion of the jacket (case). I hope to get some made this winter to try out.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[jmorris]

I've been accumulating some of the FM and Freedom 9x19 brass with the thick lower half of the case wall. Those are the ones with the pronounced step on the inside to prevent bullet setback that everyone complains about.

I’ll save them for you from now on.