Does anyone here make bullets by swaging rather than casting? I've been casting for more than a decade and what to try something more advanced. I have a set of C-H 357 swaging dies that I can use for making .357 mag hollow points. The big stumbling block for me is the cost of brass jackets. Corbin's website "www.corbins.com suggests that you can make jackets for some fired brass. Fired 30 carbine brass mikes out at about .355 thousands, so I think those might make dandy .357 jackets. What I had in mind was to cut the 30C cases down to the right length, then dip the shortened cases into a pot of hot molten lead. The hot lead would both anneal and fill the case with lead at the same time. After the bullet blanks cool and solidify, I'd run them through the bullet forming die and out would drop a finished hollowpoint. After adding a cannelure I'd have a perfect 357mag bullet. Has anyone here done this? I'd also give .44mag a try. A 40S&W case filled with lead weighs 285grains, and might make a great hunting bullet.

__________________
Michael Kawalek

Old post, but decided to answer anyway.
Tried the molten lead method back when I was making 223 bullets out of 22 rimfir hulls. Not very efficient. Better to case a bullet of the appropriate weight and diameter, put it into the case/hull and then swage. That method works well.

hello,
i've done this, and many many other bullet swaging techniques.
what you speak of will work.. though, i would anneal the cases first.. the lead doesnt get the case hot enough to anneal it soft enough for a good bullet jacket.

also, you may want to use a 9mm case instead of a 30 carbine.. its allot less work to use 9mm's.

40 into 44 mag works well.. you can even make a swage die out of a 257 roberts bullet seating die.

if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

thanks,
Dan Rickard
Owner of Kaine Dies.
drickard at gmail.com

Another thread revival.

Take a look at the swaging section on the Castboolits forum, TONS of info, great community, and some really innovative characters that have come up with easy ways to make cheaper reasonable quality bullets.

I pore my bullets then run them throw a sizer.

__________________
man that loves guns Big Little X NAVY