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Old February 10, 2012, 04:06 PM   #5
FrankenMauser
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Join Date: August 25, 2008
Location: In the valley above the plain
Posts: 13,400
Quote:
While I can stretch mind mind to grasp mashing the upper part of the case out to 0.429", I'm a thinking that the 40S&W base, at 0.424, would be "loose" on the bottom side. Is this true? What will be the effect?
Most factory ammo is actually out of SAAMI spec, on the low side. (Which is why I use unsized .243 Win R-P brass for my 6mm Wildcat, that is smaller than .243 Win.) The base of many of these cases actually comes in at 0.420-0.422". So, it's even more "loose" than you would expect by looking at cartridge drawings.

It doesn't matter, though. Just think of it as a very slight boat tail shape.


Quote:
Just curious, did anything motivate you to do this other than just because you can?
I have a large supply of .40 S&W brass.
I don't have a .40 S&W (and didn't/don't want to buy one).
I needed some cheap jacketed .44 caliber projectiles.
I wanted a decent jacketed hunting bullet for the .444, that didn't cost $1 apiece.
And, most importantly, I just love seeing the look on my father's face, every time I mention turning his beloved .40 S&W brass into bullet jackets.
Of course, they're dirt cheap, as well.


Assuming accuracy and terminal performance are acceptable, I'll be into this $5 for a set of Bair Cub 7x57mm Mauser dies.
The Lyman M die belongs to my set of .44 Mag dies, and the .429" sizer (used here mainly for the base punch) has future uses outside of this endeavor.

Cost breakdown is roughly ($):
Jacket: free (call it 0.01 each, if you want to count cleaning)
Lead: 0.11 each, with commercial lead wire; or 0.033 each, with reclaimed lead*; or 0.02 with wheel weight lead*. (*including 0.01 each, for propane, to smelt the lead.)
Bonding chemicals: 0.0098 each with commercial core bond liquid.

So, the most expensive product is the commercial lead wire, bonded, at 13 cents each. The cheapest bonded bullet comes in at 4 cents each for wheel weight lead. And the cheapest bullet, altogether, comes in at 3 cents.

I'm hoping these work out.
Down the road, I might try .380 Auto and/or .223 Rem for .375" projectiles, if I can get the tools together.
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