FrankenMauser
New member
As many of you are aware, I swage bullets for my (and my family's) .44s and .444s from .40 S&W cases.
I usually use pure lead 195 gr SWCs (.41 cal, Lee) as the cores, but I just can't find the time to get ANY casting done. ...And I am out of these swaged bullets. (I'm really low on pure lead, anyway.)
So, I bit the bullet and ordered some lead wire to use in place of the SWCs. It's still cheaper than commercial jacketed bullets.
As such, I needed a much more repeatable method for core-cutting. I've used linesman's pliers in the past, and it doesn't result in good cores. It also requires "nibbling" at each core with wire cutters, to get them to the proper weight.
So I looked at the scrap materials on hand, and decided I'd need slightly thicker steel. I paid $11.72 for some 1/4"x1.5" cold-rolled flat, and started some "organic"/free-form building.
It needed to be used in the vise, rather than bolted to a bench.
I wanted continuous-feed of wire, to eliminate the waste created by the common method of cutting two or three foot sections from the spool.
And having a feed guide would be nice.
I ended up having to spend another $0.96 on 4 washers and 2 bolts.
The constantly-evolving "plan" turned into this:
Overhead wire feed.
Square tube serves as the clamping 'lug' and wire guide.
Depth stop keeps core weights within ~2.0 gr (there's some flex in it).
Continued...
I usually use pure lead 195 gr SWCs (.41 cal, Lee) as the cores, but I just can't find the time to get ANY casting done. ...And I am out of these swaged bullets. (I'm really low on pure lead, anyway.)
So, I bit the bullet and ordered some lead wire to use in place of the SWCs. It's still cheaper than commercial jacketed bullets.
As such, I needed a much more repeatable method for core-cutting. I've used linesman's pliers in the past, and it doesn't result in good cores. It also requires "nibbling" at each core with wire cutters, to get them to the proper weight.
So I looked at the scrap materials on hand, and decided I'd need slightly thicker steel. I paid $11.72 for some 1/4"x1.5" cold-rolled flat, and started some "organic"/free-form building.
It needed to be used in the vise, rather than bolted to a bench.
I wanted continuous-feed of wire, to eliminate the waste created by the common method of cutting two or three foot sections from the spool.
And having a feed guide would be nice.
I ended up having to spend another $0.96 on 4 washers and 2 bolts.
The constantly-evolving "plan" turned into this:
Overhead wire feed.
Square tube serves as the clamping 'lug' and wire guide.
Depth stop keeps core weights within ~2.0 gr (there's some flex in it).
Continued...
Attachments
Last edited: