Don Lovel
Hunter
I would think this might be a handy thing to know for SHTF
Maybe you could demonstrate this weekend? I have a 20 ton press so I can really give it a squeeze. My idea would be to melt the lead into the case, swage a hollow into the lead and "roll crimp" the brass over into the hollow in the lead. I figure the swaging the hollow would swell the case to the full diameter needed.I watched the video.
I see several issues with using reversed .40 S&W cases, with lead inside, as the actual bullet.
First, his test,, he should have used (3) separate targets, to assure a clean study of bullet impacts & holes.
The lead is heavier than the brass case, and as such, his keyholing wasn't a surprise. Next, the lead core separating from the case,, unless there is a bond of some form, that will happen.
Now,, on to actual jacketed bullet making by using .40 S&W cases into actual bullets.
Swaging.
I have a couple of sets of custom dies,, by BT Sniper, to where I can turn .9mm cases into jackets for a .40 S&W/.10mm actual bullet. And I have a set where I can turn .40 S&W cases into .44 mag bullets.
The process isn't terribly hard, but you start with annealing the brass cases to soften them to where you can easily reform them into the shape & size you need.
Next, you can either buy lead wire & cut cores, or cast lead bullets to be used as the core.
Insert the lead core into a softened case, and form it in one die, and if a specific nose profile is desired, a second die is necessary.
Some folks do it a bit differently.
The put a lead core in an empty case, and heat them up until the lead melts easily, and fills the case. By doing this with the case mouth sitting upright, no lead spills or whatever. (Think; Cast iron skillet, over a good deep fryer cooker to where the temp of about 700 degrees can be achieved.) That anneals the brass AND fills the case completely.
I MUCH prefer to make my .44 bullets and my .40 cal bullets by swaging than thinking it's easy & ok to put a lead core in a case, reverse it, and load it.
BT Sniper's dies are not cheap. And to get the "ejector" adds to the expense. BUT,, if I need to make jacketed bullets,, this is the way to go. I was gifted my first die, the .9mm to .40 cal bullets by Miss Penny. Later on, I found a seller who had the auto ejector, the .40 cases to .44 mag bullet die, AND the nose profile die that mimics the Hornady XTP bullet all for a LOT cheaper than buying from BT Sniper. The nose profile die can be used with both calibers.
Once the bullets are formed,, they look a little funny, but once loaded,, nobody sees the rim of the brass case. They then look "normal."
I also have a cannalure tool to put a crimp ring on them if I desire one.
Hvymax, I can show you some of the process this weekend.
jgt is doing very similar stuff.
When making the jacketed swaged bullets,, I usually cast a lead bullet that will easily fit into a case. Like a 9mm bullet, and then insert it in the .40 cal case. As noted,, you can use a little solder to assist in the bonding if desired. Heat the whole thing to 700 degrees,, allowing the lead to melt, and the solder to bond things. And it anneals the case.
I don't trim my .40 cal cases,, or my .9mm cases,, as the nose forming die makes it un-necessary. But some folks do, when working with different dies or towards a certain profile or weight.
Agreed; the method used on YT is not the preferred or accepted method. I just ran a quick search and then linked to the one resulting video that came up. It can be done in a similar method to what Contender uses with swage dies using a minimum of equipment. The bullets are rather blunt nosed, but one additional die can solve that issue.
Here is a better method, although I don't see the need for the gas checks he seats over the meplat of the finished bullet:
And this shows him making .45 ACP bullets out of .40 S&W brass: