I'm interested in swaging my own jacketed bullets and wanted to get yalls ideas on something. From what I can gather there are only about 3 or 4 small opperations that make the dies, corbin being the biggest that I've found and they all seem to be fully custom die makers. That being said, they have to charge fully custom die makers prices or full shop rate to make your dies because they aren't making a run of dies at a time. I haven't seen many on here mention anything about swaging their own bullets and figure it's probably for the same reason I can't justify doing it....the dies cost to much for me to afford, up to several grand for a set of carbide dies to make 1 caliber and around a grand for steel dies. If there is enough interest in something like this we should start sending emails out to companies that already make reloading dies or carbide reamers to get them in the business. If I can buy an RCBS carbide 3 die reloading set for $40, why would RCBS or a similar company not be able to make some carbide dies with a few punches for bullet swaging at a reasonable price? I wouldn't hesitate to pay a couple hundred bucks for a set of dies if someone would make them, but approaching a grand or more it's out of my price range. How many of you would be interested in swaging your own jacketed bullets if you could buy a non-custom standard die set for under $300 off the shelf?
- Thread starter Bryan27
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Re: Bullet Swaging Dies
I've got a couple of friends that have taken the leap to making their own jacketed bullets and from everything I've heard from them, it's quite a bit more complicated than reloading. The dies both are using came from Larry Blackmon and are of the steel variety as carbide are just too expensive for most to be able to justify for personal production. For the most part, the people making their own bullets are doing so for benchrest competition although dies are available to produce just about any style of bullet out there.
I've got a couple of friends that have taken the leap to making their own jacketed bullets and from everything I've heard from them, it's quite a bit more complicated than reloading. The dies both are using came from Larry Blackmon and are of the steel variety as carbide are just too expensive for most to be able to justify for personal production. For the most part, the people making their own bullets are doing so for benchrest competition although dies are available to produce just about any style of bullet out there.
Re: Bullet Swaging Dies
One problem is that if you want to swage anything larger than about 6mm bullets, you WILL NEED a hydraulic swaging press - if you want to make any volume of bullets, anyway. Those presses are quite expensive - probably $3,500-5,000, ballpark. That's one major roadblock there.
If you want to swage .22 LR brass into .224 or .243 jackets and bullets, then you can get away with doing it on a standard reloading press. I'm told that the time involved is another major consideration. People who are doing it say that it's a labor of love, because you couldn't sell your product for enough money to pay for your time plus materials.
I'm planning to get set up to swage .22 LR brass into .224" bullets once I return to the States, but only if Larry Blackmon is still making the dies. Corbin - both Richard and David - are just too expensive for me. They should work just peachy in one (or more) of my .223s.
One problem is that if you want to swage anything larger than about 6mm bullets, you WILL NEED a hydraulic swaging press - if you want to make any volume of bullets, anyway. Those presses are quite expensive - probably $3,500-5,000, ballpark. That's one major roadblock there.
If you want to swage .22 LR brass into .224 or .243 jackets and bullets, then you can get away with doing it on a standard reloading press. I'm told that the time involved is another major consideration. People who are doing it say that it's a labor of love, because you couldn't sell your product for enough money to pay for your time plus materials.
I'm planning to get set up to swage .22 LR brass into .224" bullets once I return to the States, but only if Larry Blackmon is still making the dies. Corbin - both Richard and David - are just too expensive for me. They should work just peachy in one (or more) of my .223s.
Re: Bullet Swaging Dies
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: nicholst55</div><div class="ubbcode-body">One problem is that if you want to swage anything larger than about 6mm bullets, you WILL NEED a hydraulic swaging press - if you want to make any volume of bullets, anyway. Those presses are quite expensive - probably $3,500-5,000, ballpark. </div></div>
Sunnen makes an exceptionally nice press designed for pressing out piston pins. I recommend it highly.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: nicholst55</div><div class="ubbcode-body">One problem is that if you want to swage anything larger than about 6mm bullets, you WILL NEED a hydraulic swaging press - if you want to make any volume of bullets, anyway. Those presses are quite expensive - probably $3,500-5,000, ballpark. </div></div>
Sunnen makes an exceptionally nice press designed for pressing out piston pins. I recommend it highly.
Re: Bullet Swaging Dies
Corbin advertises his roller bearing presses to swage bulltst larger than 6mm.
Corbin advertises his roller bearing presses to swage bulltst larger than 6mm.
Re: Bullet Swaging Dies
I got into the Bullet/ammo business back in 99' I started using D.Corbin's dies and then quickly switched to Richard Corbins dies, Much better and easier to get at that time. I will not buy anything from D. Corbin. Too many lies and too many items charged to my CC that I did not order. I just got a set of dies a few months ago that are carbide. I use a modified Redding press. I had a hydraulic press to make my .50 bullets but you have no feel when making the bullets. I can punch out 500 bullets in one evening no problem. you will break a sweat but it's kinda fun. The Carbide dies were around $3300 I think.They are worth it. I have some .224 dies From Larry Blackmon. He makes a very nice die set for a reasonable price. His Rebated BT is much less than D.Corbins. To make good bullets just remember accuracy is consistency...consistency is accuracy. Make your own lube with anhydrous lanolin and castor oil. use a J4 jacket bucket to lube your jackets and lead cores. CLEAN YOUR CORES & JACKETS. I will try to answer any ? you may have. I am currently deployed so bear with me on the response time. Have fun !
I got into the Bullet/ammo business back in 99' I started using D.Corbin's dies and then quickly switched to Richard Corbins dies, Much better and easier to get at that time. I will not buy anything from D. Corbin. Too many lies and too many items charged to my CC that I did not order. I just got a set of dies a few months ago that are carbide. I use a modified Redding press. I had a hydraulic press to make my .50 bullets but you have no feel when making the bullets. I can punch out 500 bullets in one evening no problem. you will break a sweat but it's kinda fun. The Carbide dies were around $3300 I think.They are worth it. I have some .224 dies From Larry Blackmon. He makes a very nice die set for a reasonable price. His Rebated BT is much less than D.Corbins. To make good bullets just remember accuracy is consistency...consistency is accuracy. Make your own lube with anhydrous lanolin and castor oil. use a J4 jacket bucket to lube your jackets and lead cores. CLEAN YOUR CORES & JACKETS. I will try to answer any ? you may have. I am currently deployed so bear with me on the response time. Have fun !
Re: Bullet Swaging Dies
We started making custom benchrest bullets in 2000. Because of the sheer numbers of a commercial operation we went with solid tungsten carbide dies from Niemi Engineering in Vermont. (I can get you their contact information if you need it.) The operation we have was not set up on the cheap. We have between $15,000 and $20,000 invested in the 6 altered presses and the carbide dies. Those figures include several different inspection instruments.
But if you just want to make a few for yourself to play around with, I'm sure the Corbin equipment will be fine.
We started making custom benchrest bullets in 2000. Because of the sheer numbers of a commercial operation we went with solid tungsten carbide dies from Niemi Engineering in Vermont. (I can get you their contact information if you need it.) The operation we have was not set up on the cheap. We have between $15,000 and $20,000 invested in the 6 altered presses and the carbide dies. Those figures include several different inspection instruments.
But if you just want to make a few for yourself to play around with, I'm sure the Corbin equipment will be fine.
Re: Bullet Swaging Dies
LARMIKE, Thank you for your service and your response. That $3300 number is what I am talking about being tough on the home reloader. If I were to get a die in that price range I would have to go in on it with one or two likeminded others or set myself up to sell bullets to justify the cost. I take it you sell bullets? If so, would you say it is probably to recoup the cost of the dies/equipment selling bullets part time? Who did you get your carbide dies from?
Victor, Knowing what you know now, is it worth it to swage bullets for yourself and sell custom bullets commercially? How may sets of dies would that figure include if you don't mind my asking?
I originally started this thread to get a feel for interest in having "off the shelf" dies that people can buy without having to pay for custom die prices. I've never made a die in my life so I don't know how much of the die cost is a result of machine set up and research and development of the die design, but if a run of 100 identical dies were to be made instead of one custom die I'm sure that the 100 dies could be substancially lower in price. I think that there would be a lot of interest if someone were to make a die to form bullets similar to the SMK or some other popular bullet and the die be affordable. Maybe I'm just a cheapskate?
LARMIKE, Thank you for your service and your response. That $3300 number is what I am talking about being tough on the home reloader. If I were to get a die in that price range I would have to go in on it with one or two likeminded others or set myself up to sell bullets to justify the cost. I take it you sell bullets? If so, would you say it is probably to recoup the cost of the dies/equipment selling bullets part time? Who did you get your carbide dies from?
Victor, Knowing what you know now, is it worth it to swage bullets for yourself and sell custom bullets commercially? How may sets of dies would that figure include if you don't mind my asking?
I originally started this thread to get a feel for interest in having "off the shelf" dies that people can buy without having to pay for custom die prices. I've never made a die in my life so I don't know how much of the die cost is a result of machine set up and research and development of the die design, but if a run of 100 identical dies were to be made instead of one custom die I'm sure that the 100 dies could be substancially lower in price. I think that there would be a lot of interest if someone were to make a die to form bullets similar to the SMK or some other popular bullet and the die be affordable. Maybe I'm just a cheapskate?
Re: Bullet Swaging Dies
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bryan27</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Victor, Knowing what you know now, is it worth it to swage bullets for yourself and sell custom bullets commercially? How may sets of dies would that figure include if you don't mind my asking?
</div></div>
We make bullets for 22 and 6mm. Any other questions you have just ask. It may be better to do it by PM or regular email.
If you never contemplate making a profit you'll do OK. But you can really sink up a lot of money FAST. Knowing what I know now... I would probably just buy a truckload of Berger's. I've inspected a lot of bullets. There's are the way you would make them if you could. There's are as close to custom hand made as you can get without them being hand made.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bryan27</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Victor, Knowing what you know now, is it worth it to swage bullets for yourself and sell custom bullets commercially? How may sets of dies would that figure include if you don't mind my asking?
</div></div>
We make bullets for 22 and 6mm. Any other questions you have just ask. It may be better to do it by PM or regular email.
If you never contemplate making a profit you'll do OK. But you can really sink up a lot of money FAST. Knowing what I know now... I would probably just buy a truckload of Berger's. I've inspected a lot of bullets. There's are the way you would make them if you could. There's are as close to custom hand made as you can get without them being hand made.
Re: Bullet Swaging Dies
Victor have you contacted Niemi and got prices latley on carbide dies?? Holy moly have they went UP big time. About a year ago I contacted them about making a set of 338 carbide dies when berger starts releacing the j4 jackets, I about crapped my self.
Victor have you contacted Niemi and got prices latley on carbide dies?? Holy moly have they went UP big time. About a year ago I contacted them about making a set of 338 carbide dies when berger starts releacing the j4 jackets, I about crapped my self.
Re: Bullet Swaging Dies
The last time I spoke to Brian I was asking about some 30 cal dies. I don't know about right now. AT THAT TIME... he wasn't looking for any new customers. But they were really covered up with their regular work. I'm sure everything is out the roof.
The last time I spoke to Brian I was asking about some 30 cal dies. I don't know about right now. AT THAT TIME... he wasn't looking for any new customers. But they were really covered up with their regular work. I'm sure everything is out the roof.
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