Rock Chucker died - what swage press to get?

So - while RCBS does offer a swaging ram - none of their current press models in production are actually rated for swaging pressures. They used to offer swaging presses - The Big Max RCBS is swage rated. The current rock chucker is officially not.

As noted in passing above - MOST "historical" swaging was pure cast lead - no jackets. Then gas checks came along. The jackets came along.

Large caliber bullets took more pressure than small ones.

Standard modern bullet presses work from 10000 to 50000 PSI - A steel swage press is expected to start at 60000 PSI and runs up to 125000 PSI for the really big stuff. That's why they are typically made of heavy cold rolled tool steel instead of cast iron.

So a .40 soft lead core in an annealed brass jacket - forming a hollow point in the core - I was likely hitting 70000 to 85000 psi pressures, maybe less.

The Rock Chucker failed at one of the pivot linkage points and the appx half inch thick cast iron collar at that point broke apart.

You can find the occasional used RCBS big max press on ebay from $350 to $800. I can't find my way clear to spending that on a used press no longer in production.

My search continues.
 
""Seriously, I have never actually heard of this being done with centerfire Cases, rimfire only.""

Take a look at this attachment -

From left to right -
Annealed & cleaned 9mm brass shell
soft lead 9mm cast round
bullet core - 9mm soft lead cast round forced nose down into the 9mm annealed shell with an expanding die
and the finished JHP - the core has been forced up into a .40 BTsniper JHP die with a ram in the press shell holder which smashes the core into the 9mm shell filling it out then forming the nose point & the nose cavity.

You can make either a creased JHP by putting the core up into a creasing die or forgo the creases. I prefer creased hollw points - they expand and perform FAR better than smooth hollow points.

As to the primers in the cores - I remove mine - As noted above those occasionally come loose during "production" - so I process them out of the brass - remove the variable.....
 

Attachments

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The Special order catalog from RCBS list rams for Rock Chuckers, they lost two rams, one is a solid ram for bullet swaging , it does not have s slot cut into the top for primers. My Herter equipment comes with shell holders that are designed to be used when bullet swaging. I do not suggest all Herter presses should be used when swaging.

I believe the Special order catalog list parts for presses on page 11.

F. Guffey
 
I'm thinking of getting a walnut hill swage press and go that route. I've asked RCBS about a replacement frame for my broken press - to buy - not warranty - but they don't make them any more. It is a slightly older model. So its scrap parts for someone in the future.

I've looked at going the route to make one but that route almost always leads to a $1000+ project which may not work out.

I've looked into some who offer swage press kits and their threads almost ALWAYS back up with refund demands and shipping delay questions - no thanks

I like swaging my own rounds - went the cheap route on equipment not rated for it and made my first 600 or so JHP - time to get serious and pay the man for gear designed for the purpose.....
 
So Update -

Larry Blackmon did email me back but indicated that his press didn't handle the upside pressures of using a 9mm shell casing as the jacket.

Richard Corbin wrote me back and I'm moving ahead getting a Walnut Hill swage press.

As for the Rock Chucker - I may be able to machine a baseplate to replace the frame sections that broke and continue to use it for single stage loading - we'll see.
 
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