Bought the Corbin setup to change 22 brass into 223 bullets

[dukalmighty]

I will try to get pics up in the next day or two,I got the dies last Tuesday and discovered a Lee single stage press isn't rugged enough,so I bought a RCBS Supreme press for $129.00 on sale at Midway the Dies were $825.00 shipped.The Commercial Mil-Spec bullets I normally buy are almost .08 cents each or about 5000 for $400.00.I plan on using these bullets for more than reloading.It took a few tries to figure everything out and due to my disability I put a 2 foot cheater bar on the press handle to swage the 22 brass in other words pushing the rim back out so you have a smooth cylinder.This is the hardest part.
I then used the casting mold for the lead inserts and after rigging up a Lee bottom pour lead pot was chunking out lead pins 4 at a time the case and lead are weighing about 57.5 grains right now and want to get down to 55 grain,I can get as high as 62+ grain but in reality would probably get the point forming die so you would have a jacketed soft point,right now they are hollow points.
I then took the lead inserts and inserted in the case,using the lead seating die I used just enough pressure to seat the lead and swell the case out to about 223 diameter,I then used the point forming die and using enough pressure and holding it for a couple seconds finished the bullet,you can kinda adjust how big an opening you want in the hollow point and if making soft point ammo can opt for minimal lead tip or a little heavier tip.
The main difference is Factory bullets are about.08 cents each,The swaged 22 cases are free,the lead used per bullet is almost nothing,savings per bullet are around 7 3/4 cents.I'm gonna load and shoot some tonight and compare the groups with the same load I use with the factory rounds out of a match barrel.
My initial investment was almost $1000.00 the price of 12,500 factory bullets.
My reloaded 223 with these bullets will cost me about ($7.00 100 rounds) about a $43.00 saving if you buy federal 100 pack in Walmart.Before half my cost was the bullet tip.I can recoup my cost within a month at the most,after that it's all gravy.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Lewis128]

Recycling is a good thing. I always wondered if people couldn't use all that spent brass. Good Job!

[HotGuns]

I've considered it. At the rate prices are going up on bullets, having the ability to use spent brass to make jacketeed bullets is going to be a good thing to be able to do.

[mcp1810]

Very interesting! I am wondering, is there a way to roll a cannelure into them? All my .223s are semi autos so I like having cannelures I can crimp into.

[sgb]

Corbin HCT-1 Hand Cannelure Tool

[bmcgilvray]

Hi Dukalmighty;

I've long wondered about such a set-up and considered acquiring one. Please report on this occasionally.

I was once was given a large supply of .22 bullets fabricated from .22 LR cases on a Corbin set-up. They offered good, solid, round 1 1/2-inch, 5-shot groups at 100 yards from a really accurate .22 centerfire bolt action. This, despite some obvious problems with quality control on the part of the gentleman who produced them. Weight was inconsistent and jackets were shoddily formed yet used in some instances. I weighed the bullets individually and tossed out only the most egregious stinkers, shooting the rest.

They were also used in an AR 15 with 1-12" twist with good usable accuracy. These didn't possess a cannelure but gave perfect feeding and function.

These bullets weighed 55 grains but varied well over a grain + or -. In the middle of a batch I found an absurdly long one that proved to weigh well over 80 grains. Was a really odd looking thing. Don't know if it was just a mistake or some experiment that fell into the batch. The bullets were made in the 1960s and I shot them up in the late 70s/early 80s, long before the arrival of quick twists and heavy .224 bullets.

Still have those culls somewhere on the bench. If I can turn them up I'll photograph the weirdo heavyweight just for fun.

Despite the workmanship issues, the bullets, while not up to Sierra Matchking levels, performed quite decently and such a set-up, if done right, would be a boon to a heavy user of .22 center fire bullets.

[OldVet]

Man, that's sounds like a fun hobby to get into if one has the time. I really enjoy "rolling my own," and at that kind of savings, I could break out my Rem 722 and enjoy putting rounds downrange. Let us know how your first range session with the homemade bullets goes. Steep to get into, but sometimes it's not all about the money.

[Tubby45]

I've been swaging my own bullets for a few years. Definitely worth it for shooting any volume. I've got tens of thousands of rimfire brass on hand, but I also make 9mm, 10mm, and .45 bullets.

[dukalmighty]

Very interesting! I am wondering, is there a way to roll a cannelure into them? All my .223s are semi autos so I like having cannelures I can crimp into.

They make a hand cannelure tool to put a cannelure on the jacket,Price is $139.00.
I'm gonna load some bullets using 55 grain JHP made with corbin dies and my regular loads using Mil-Spec 55 grain fmj,then I'm gonna compare them out of a match AR15 and see how they compare

[Sticks]

Just so I understand this...

You are using .22 rimfire cases with the rim removed then filled with lead as actual jacketed .223 bullets???

I would have thought that the brass of the case would be to hard for the rifling. Let alone the larger pistol calibers (Tubby45).

[Tubby45]

Nope. Perfectly fine. That's how RCBS got it's start. RCBS stands for Rock Chuck Bullet Swaging. Huntington started out making a press kit with swage dies to make .224 bullets out of .22 rimfire cases. His friends complained about other manufacturers dies so they had Fred make some for them on his lathe. The rest is history.

The cases are annealed to soften them so they don't split during forming. Cartridge brass, when annealed (get it red hot then allow to cool) is pretty malleable. You can make different bullets out of different cases. .380 and 9mm brass can make .40 or 10mm bullets. .40 brass can make .429 bullets for the .44 Mag. Take the FN 5.7 and make .308 caliber bullets. Take .223 Rem brass and make .375 bullets for the .375 Win or 375 H&H Mag.

Castboolits.gunloads.com has a special swaging subforum if anyone wants to learn more about it. It's a lost art. There is also a guy there that makes swaging dies on the side and has excellent reviews. Think his username is something like BTsniper or something like that.

[Sticks]

Huh...

Learned something.

Thank you.

[dukalmighty]

I had no idea tubby,is there a brass size that makes 9mm and 45acp,I may have to invest in a buncha swagging dies to make jacketed bullets,I'm assuming if you anneal the 22 lr cases that they will swage easier with less effort.

I did compare the regular mil spec and then the swaged 22 bullets at 50 yards,I'm no sniper but the pattern was about the same for both bullets,so accuracy should be the same

[Tubby45]

If you go to Corbin's brother's site, Richard's Swaging Book he has a free swaging book in PDF format. Chapter 7 deals with cases for jackets. There is a chart towards the end of the chapter.

[dukalmighty]

Sweeeet thanks for the response,this may be the cats meow to making jacketed rounds for about the same price as cast lead bullets