.22 derimming die

**LoopSoosStroop** · 09-02-2015, 13:13

Man, I need a lathe.

**Grim** · 09-02-2015, 13:28

Originally Posted by LoopSoosStroop

Man, I need a lathe.

I'm just down the road from you in Buccleuch...

Finished my lead wire extruding die & my point forming reamer. I suspect that the reamer may cut slightly oversize, but it works well enough to try for a better one :)

I'll load some pics when I'm out of my meeting.

**LoopSoosStroop** · 09-02-2015, 13:42

Would love to come and have a look sometime.

There is a chap on Cast Boolits who's making .224 plinking bullets in only two steps. 1. Derim. 2. Insert cast core in jacket and seat/swage in one step.

Would love to start making for my Mini-14.

Would have to get a stronger press first as well.

If you run a bit oversize, can you not size the bullet back down to .224 with a Lee push through sizer?

**Grim** · 09-02-2015, 13:48

The jacket needs to be expanded out by the lead. If you size it down the core sizes down and the jacket springs back, separating from the jacket. Apparently.

**LoopSoosStroop** · 09-02-2015, 14:28

I'll keep on following his results and see. I suppose the core seating die is not that difficult to make compared to the point forming die.

**Andy37** · 09-02-2015, 15:37

The core seater is pretty simple, you however need to get the seating stem diameter right otherwise you bleed lead back up the case. Don't anneal your 22 doppies before straightening, they become too soft and tear apart on the straightening ram, derim, wash lube off then anneal. Then wash again, Then sort by headstamp, that's a real PITA.
Lube is made by mixing caster oil and anhydrous lanolin ( it's expensive stuff, but get the good quality lanoline) 1part oil to 4 parts lanolin. Just be warned, it's difficult to get off, I wash the straightened jackets in a concrete mixer with petrol to remove it, nothing else I have tried has worked.
i have made these for years now, they really really work well. They are very accurate if you watch your consistency and their terminal ballistics on vermin are absolutely off the page- must be the thin jacket and pure lead. I however battle to change a light bulb, technically deficient, so I'm using commercial dies. Also, this particular project requires a bit less mechanical advantage than other calibers, but a strong press is a prerequisite.
another aside, the nickel plated doppies are apparently unsuitable for this application.

**Peter Wells** · 09-02-2015, 15:45

Corbin in the USA has been doing this for years and sells presses and die sets. See what you can glean from them

**Andy37** · 09-02-2015, 15:50

Yup Peter, I use Dave's dies and press, bought when the ZAR was worth more than today. Expensive stuff, with long waiting lists, but extremely high quality. His website is a wealth of information, just check out the prices before spending hours reading there, they are spooky.

**Epsilon** · 09-02-2015, 19:42

Andy37

I too am looking at making a set of swaging dies to reload for my .223 AR. Most material for the press has arrived.
My first dies will be a machineable steel. Intuitively, I don't feel that wear will be excessive. Anyway, the facilities to machine
carbide are beyond me. I'll experiment with easier materials to get dimensions correct, and then go on to make final dies
out of a suitable tool steel. I may be nearly finished by the time my licence arrives!

**Andy37** · 10-02-2015, 08:17

I envy you guys with the skills to make these dies. I read somewhere that if you are making your own dies, start with the point forming die. If you can't get that right, the others are unimportant.
im no expert, but I don't think carbide is a common material in this process, hardened steel yes, but carbide is prone to shattering. I have already cracked a core seat die body and that's not carbide.