Making your Own Pellets (Swaging)

[Ca_Varminter]

Well I have been playing with and liking the "Slug" type of pellets.
So I decided to make my own....

Since I have been reloading for a many decades...
I have known of this one company, Corbin's Precision.
They are known for making Bullet Swaging equipment and Supplies.
Swaging is a process of using High Pressure to size and form shapes out of malleable Metals.
Military and match gun makers have used their equipment to test out new platforms.
You can make almost any style of bullet with their equipment...

When I started to see these "Slug" type pellets being sold..
I check on Corbin's website and found out they were one's designed this pellet style and were making the dies to make them!
So I decided to give a try....

So where do you start.....
Well first you cut yourself a 33 grains piece of Lead. I am going for a pellet weight of 29 grains.
You want about 4 to 5 grains over to allow for proper forming




Next Using the Core Forming Die. You form the piece of lead to cylindrical core, that is hollow in the front.
During this step you also adjust the weight where you want for the finished pellet....29.5 grns.


Finally you make into the shape of a "bullet" in the Point Forming Die.
Here you close the front of the pellet to a Hollow Point form.
Also you form the base.


I achieved the weight I wanted..


Here a photo of the progression of Swaging a pellet..


Also for fun.. More testing..
Here is a Rebated Boat-tail on the same weight of pellet 29.5 grns.

Finally here is a photo of my CSP-1 Press...
I will use for reloading too..
It has the ability to exert about 285% more force than a standard reloading press..


So more Fun and test in my Little Shop!!

I will post more info as I go... That's all for Now
Stuart

[Daztilley]

Looking good Stuart 👍 be interesting to see how they shoot. Have seen on other forums where they use dies to form slugs from pellets. Using the same cold pressure forming process. The hollow skirt forms the hollow end of the slug 👍

[KCE]

Looking forward to more info on this product and the posts.

Regards kev.

[Aggy]

Really really want a Corbin press and dies ,slugs are absolutely the next logical step for fac pcp rifles being able to totally control what you are shooting, are you casting your own cores or buying wire ?

[Ca_Varminter]

Really really want a Corbin press and dies ,slugs are absolutely the next logical step for fac pcp rifles being able to totally control what you are shooting, are you casting your own cores or buying wire ?

At this point I am using Lead Wire....
I have been considering saving the Bleed-of lead and recasting to cores...
But I am not to comfortable of using used lead or wheel weights...
The chance of grit and impurities is high.
This will lead to damage to the Dies... Not worth it!!

I had a long discussion on just this subject with Dave Corbin!!
Very Nice and Knowledgeable..... He has work with a lot of well know bullet makers.
So a lot of them start their business with his dies and equipment!!!

It seems the Airgun Pellet side has been taking off!
Dave said he is sending his dies and equipment all over the World now!!
In fact it took almost 6 months for my order to be finished...
He said if I placed my order a year before... It might have taken 45 days to build the Dies!!

So My next step will be the getting some lead casting equipment....
This will happen sometime in the future.

Stuart

[Aggy]

I haven't seen that process before only cut the core and drop it in the die out pops the finished slug , I have about six stone of lead I have been keeping for 'something useful for the last ten years ranging from lead diving weights lead shot from diving belts and shotgun reloading and lead water pipe ,I would process it I. To ingots first skimming off the dross and then cast cores I wouldn't have thought that would remove grit ect but I would still have no idea if it contained tin or anything else .and I do t know if when mixed it can be processed out.
What did the whole set up cost if you don't mind me asking ?

[Ca_Varminter]

Here is the Corbin's online Store's page on Airgun Pellet swaging..
http://www.swagedies.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CBST&Category_Code=Airgun

The prices depends on how Deep you want to go...
There are two ways to make the Airgun slugs..
The 2 step process, with a large hollow cavity....They way I illustrated.
This require Corbin's press!!!
Base price is US $1550...

But you make these slugs in One Step!!
The hollow point is smaller, created by the ejection pin.
The big difference, you can make them on a good reloading Press if you want!
The dies for use on a reloading press..US $529
The full Corbin Press kit...US $1065

All kits can purchased with the casting mold in place of the Lead Wire and Cutter.. Add US $49.50

Stuart

[Ca_Varminter]

On the subject of Scrap lead.
Check this page out on Corbin's site:
http://www.corbins.com/lead.htm#wire

Another factor to consider... if your lead has been alloyed with antimony or zinc.
This can make the lead harder.... which can lead to Die or Press damage...
But Corbins offers a service to test your lead... Let him break his Dies...
Also on the above page, there is a simple way of testing the hardness of your lead!!

Good Luck,
Stuart

[Ca_Varminter]

OK Guys,


Here is a a little follow up and some videos...
(Apple .mov compatible video are post below each video)

Cutting up the Lead wire to raw lead cores.......
Weight.. 33 grns
Once you get into the rhythm it goes fast.......



Now this forming the hollow cylinders cores.
This are slight under-sized by a couple of Thou...
Also they are set to the final Weight of 30 grns.
You can see the lead exiting the die through the bleed hole of the Core Die.



Here is the final step. Forming the hollow tip of the pellet.
The cylindrical cores are now size to specs too in the Point Forming Die



Now here is a modified version of the hollow point slug.
It formed in a single step from the same RAW core used to form up the cylindrical core!
Hollow point is formed around a precision ejector pin!
This is a fast way of making a slug!!
The Same Point Forming Die is used here!



The 1-step Slug is shorter than the 2-step Slug!


The reason for this...
Since the 2-step slug is formed from a hollow cylinder, it has a large hollow cavity!
And the 1-step slug, the hollow point is formed around the ejector pin...
Here is a cross section slice of both slugs... 2-step slug on the left, 1-step on the right..


Having Fun... Don't Know where this is leading Me!!
Stuart

[Aggy]

Hi Stuart cant play the video

[Ca_Varminter]

They play on my PC, iPad and Cellphone.....
But there is a problem over here with the Internet....
It seems there has major outages of DS Server...April Fools hacks!!!!

What platform are you using??

Stuart

[Ca_Varminter]

Also I re-rendered the videos...
Made them a little smaller... easier to stream....
Let's see if this helps...

Stuart

[Aggy]

I pad

[Ca_Varminter]

I have an iPad Pro and iPad Air...
Both plays the videos...
Check the safari setting..
Make sure Java is enabled!

Stuart

[The Robin]

Superb and very interesting, thanks for sharing