Gunsmithing Seating Die mods...

[LRI]

Been tinkering with a new cartridge. Eventually I'll be making a seater die, but for now its easier to cannibalize some stuff to get it up and running. Issue has been the cup that registers against the ogive. It's been dinging the snot out of the bullets and distorting them.

What to do on the cheap?

I'd have to buy an super small boring bar to match the ogive 1:1. More money than I want to spend on this right now.

So, back to the original question?

I'm gonna bed that bugger. Whipped up a seater stem blank out of O-1 and drilled a .250 hole nice and deep down the center. Mixed up some JB kwik and filled a syringe used for cattle/horses. The needle gets to the bottom of the hole so that any air is pushed out ahead of the resin. Stuck it all back in the hardinge, sprayed a 300 grain 338cal SMK with release and stuck it in the drill chuck on the tail stock.

Squish together and go drink a cup o black wattah while it cures.

It's hardening now so we'll see if it works. My guess is it should provide me a 1:1 fit that could only be reliplicated by lapping a dozen or so bullets in a conventionally machined seater stem. Again, more work than I want to invest right now.

We shall see. . .

 

[LRI]

Oky doky then. That didn't work how I wanted.

Epoxy failed to adhere. Guessing there must have been some oil left in the hole. (thought I got it cleaned well enough)


Plan B

Mount part in drill chuck on mill. Have a 3 jaw chuck on the table. Put part in side jaw work space and tighten chuck. Aligns itself. No indicating this way.

Warmed up the part and pooled solder in the hole. Mount bullet in drill chuck and squish. It's cooling so we'll see. . .

 

[Edds]

Make a two piece one. Put a bushing inside a stem.

 

[LRI]

Solder trick worked. Gassin stuff up right naw to try this bugger out with 300's.

 

[Wheres-Waldo]

I bought a seater stem, milled the cup out oversized, media blasted it then smeared some MarineTex in it. Seat a bullet with a light coat of mold release and leave it overnight. Pull it apart in the morning and clean it up (had to drill out the apex of the cup as to not interfere with irregular meplats). It works like a charm.

 

[Geno C.]

I've done the epoxy thing for seating and worked slick. For uniform seating of vlds I've found this to work perfect

 

[bohem]

Solder's a nice idea. I was going to suggest trying some lapping compound on the bullet and running it in there with a drill. Rinse/repeat as necessary to get the contour you want.

 

[Red_SC]

Solder's a nice idea. I was going to suggest trying some lapping compound on the bullet and running it in there with a drill. Rinse/repeat as necessary to get the contour you want.

That's what I usually do, works pretty quick if you're only taking off enough to keep it from mashing' the jacket.

 

[Kebo57]

Chad- I've used that trick with Devcon plastic steel on seating dies and sizer dies for cast bullets for years. I used a drill bit for the over sized hole then scratched up the interior for more grab with the bedding compound. Never had one not stay in place.