Homemade swagging press... can load 50 BMG too

[kombayotch]

Been wanting one for a while, but didn't feel like shelling out $1k for Corbin's big press and waiting a year of two for it to show up. Started making swaging dies for the reloading press, but quickly found that it didn't have the steam to do what I wanted to do. Came across nice plans for a swagging press on the Cast Boolits forum, so I decided to build one.

It's pretty big (27" tall), bigger than either of the Corbins large presses. There is a setting for swagging and one for reloading and the top plate is threaded 1 1/2"-12, so 50 BMG can be reloaded on it. Actually, given the clearance and the potential force this thing can put out, even bigger cartridges can be loaded on it, and of course bullets are no longer an issue. Maybe it's time to start looking for a PTRD-41...

Will start working on some dies as soon as I get caught up on all the chores I neglected doing while I was building it.

 

[MALLARD]

Re: Homemade swagging press... can load 50 BMG too

thats awesome

 

[madd0c]

Re: Homemade swagging press... can load 50 BMG too

That is freaking NICE!
If you don't mind me asking what is your guesstimate of how much that cost to put together?

Is the 1 1/2"-12 standard for swaging dies?
What are you using for swagging? Copper or brass? And how do you form it for the swagging die - I am assuming it is a series of dies to draw out the copper/brass for the jacket.

Sorry for the questions, but that would be something I would be interested in trying to make - unless you want to sell yours lol.

madd0c

 

[kombayotch]

Re: Homemade swagging press... can load 50 BMG too

It cost around $200 for the parts and materials. You could do if for cheaper if you scrounged, but I just went to the store and bought what I needed.

1 1/2"-12 is the standard for 50 BMG dies, although I think Lee's set uses a smaller thread. Regular dies are 7/8"-14.

You can get a lot of information from either of the Corbin brothers websites:
http://rceco.com/MN.asp?pg=RBSBook
http://www.corbins.com/swaging.htm

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: Homemade swagging press... can load 50 BMG too

Great job. One thing about the Corbin. I was looking into one also when I was in the market for a .50 press. I discovered the Walnut Hills press.
http://rceco.com/MN.asp?pg=products&specific=81&from=36
I guess it is Corbin's brother or relative of some kind. Anyways he makes the same press for half the price. Under $500. But that is still over double what you made yours for. How the heck did you thread and bush the holes?

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: Homemade swagging press... can load 50 BMG too

Dang it just saw you have walnut hills on your last thread.

 

[kombayotch]

Re: Homemade swagging press... can load 50 BMG too

It's Dave Corbin's bother, but they apparently no longer speak due to some kind of falling out or something.

Threading the top plate was actually very easy. I drilled a small pilot hole on the mill, then opened it up with a large 60 degree countersink. Then I took it over to the lathe and used the tail stock with a dead center to hold it against, and center it on the faceplate before bolting it there. I opened up hole with a 1" drill bit, then bored it to the minor diameter of the thread. Then I threaded it to perfectly fit the plug I had threaded to the maximum 2A specification. I used Dee Pee wires and a micrometer to measure the external thread precisely.

Nope, no walnut hills press. Every time I've went to order a swagging setup, the wait time was ridiculous and I just said forget it. I started making swagging dies for a regular reloading press, but it was clear it wouldn't survive long. Then, I came across the plans for this one and built it.

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: Homemade swagging press... can load 50 BMG too

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kombayotch</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It's Dave Corbin's bother, but they apparently no longer speak due to some kind of falling out or something.

Threading the top plate was actually very easy. I drilled a small pilot hole on the mill, then opened it up with a large 60 degree countersink. Then I took it over to the lathe and used the tail stock with a dead center to hold it against, and center it on the faceplate before bolting it there. I opened up hole with a 1" drill bit, then bored it to the minor diameter of the thread. Then I threaded it to perfectly fit the plug I had threaded to the maximum 2A specification. I used Dee Pee wires and a micrometer to measure the external thread precisely.

Nope, no walnut hills press. Every time I've went to order a swagging setup, the wait time was ridiculous and I just said forget it. I started making swagging dies for a regular reloading press, but it was clear it wouldn't survive long. Then, I came across the plans for this one and built it.</div></div>
You are my hero. That is great. Have you ever thought of making more?

 

[kombayotch]

Re: Homemade swagging press... can load 50 BMG too

It would be too labor intensive to offer for sale making them on my manual tools. I CNC'd my mill, but I the lead screws are still the originals, and not ball screws. So, I only use that feature for rough hogging and for non-critical surfaces.

If I were to build more for myself, I would probably try and automate the process as much as possible. Will be keeping my eye out for cheap hydraulics and large geared motors for future projects...

Need to develop some dies first though. I had just started toying with a few things on the Co-ax before I came across these plans. I made a simple de-rimming die for it:

.22 WMR case de-rimmed and sized, lead fishing sinker, sinker after being pushed through the die, one that I trimmed the flash off of and copper plated.

I made a spoon cutter from a carbide glass drill bit I picked up at the hardware store by grinding one side off of it with a diamond Dremel cutting disk I got at Harbor Freight.

Tested in in a piece of scrap material, then pushed a sinker into it with a piece of bar stock. It was undersized and lead flowed around it, but I ended up with a nicely shaped ogive and the finish was pretty good. No polishing was done to the "die". Should work well for pistol and subsonic rifle bullets.

 

[nicholst55]

Re: Homemade swagging press... can load 50 BMG too

There's a guy making and selling them on Cast Boolits; search for u.p.north (Tim). I think mine was just north of $600, including shipping, with a 7/8-14 adapter for the top plate.

 

[bornehunting]

Homemade Dies?

Been wanting one for a while, but didn't feel like shelling out $1k for Corbin's big press and waiting a year of two for it to show up. Started making swaging dies for the reloading press, but quickly found that it didn't have the steam to do what I wanted to do. Came across nice plans for a swagging press on the Cast Boolits forum, so I decided to build one.

It's pretty big (27" tall), bigger than either of the Corbins large presses. There is a setting for swagging and one for reloading and the top plate is threaded 1 1/2"-12, so 50 BMG can be reloaded on it. Actually, given the clearance and the potential force this thing can put out, even bigger cartridges can be loaded on it, and of course bullets are no longer an issue. Maybe it's time to start looking for a PTRD-41...

Will start working on some dies as soon as I get caught up on all the chores I neglected doing while I was building it.

Very Impressive, I guess I getting to the game a little late, whats' new? I was looking for your thread on the dies that you referenced you would be making. Very interested.

Bornehunting

"Take you children hunting and you will never hunt for your children."

 

[kombayotch]

I haven't had the time to make any more dies for it. I have made some custom brass forming dies and reloading dies though.

Mention the caliber here:
shorten 7 mm ultra magnum

Its a 7mm based on a shortened 300 RUM case. I call it 7mm Kraken.