Anyone else make their own dies?

Model5 · #1 01-31-2021, 04:15 PM

I couldn’t believe the price of 9mm dies. Makes me wish I would have got them a couple years ago but with how cheap 9mm was I couldn’t make it for that cheap. But anyhow. I ended up making my own shell holder and three die set. Has anyone else done this? I finished up my first set of test rounds this morning. Now just to test them. Also I made a bullet sizer to resize my 357 bullets I have to use as 9mm. That’s why they have a cannelure.

Funflyer · #2 01-31-2021, 09:00 PM

Nice work Model5. Nothing better than to have the tools and ability to make your own.

I've never had to make a complete die, body and all, but have made many bullet seater stems for my RCBS dies. I've also made several custom sized M type expander plugs for the Lee universal expander.

Cdog · #3 02-01-2021, 04:48 AM

Have to say that I'm more than a little envious.

Looks like great results.

Ivan the Butcher · #4 02-01-2021, 06:31 AM

In his book on Cartridge Case Conversions, George Nonte gives plans for a hydraulic jack powered press for swaging one case down into another. I built my own updated version about 35 years ago. (2 12"x1" square steel plates separated by 1" all thread rods at the corners- double nutted on the outside for extra support. The top plate has a 7/8x14 threaded hole in the center. George's press used a 2 ton jack, mine uses the only jack I had available at the time:20 tons!

I made dies from plumbing reducing bushings (1/2" black pipe is threaded 7/8-14!) The drill out the center and hone or sand to desired Internal diameter.

Over the years I have made 20 caliber bullets into 19 and .338 Winchester bullets into 330 bullets for 8x56R Hungarian. I have pressed bearings in and out of machines and straightened warped steel targets also.

I don't have a lathe or the skill to make threaded dies. But I have opened High Speed Steel dies for making larger neck areas on dies.

At gun shops and yard sales, I never turn away reasonable prices loading dies for any cartridge. They are a cheap source of nuts, stems, rods, bushings and bodies that are already threaded in pitches that are common to reloading!

Ivan

max503 · #5 02-01-2021, 08:08 AM

"Has anyone else done this?"

Yes. Twenty years ago I was teaching a high school metals class and had access to a machine shop. I made this die (except for the lock ring) to expand and bell the necks of 30 caliber cartridges. I shoot cast bullets, and my RCBS dies left the case necks too tight. So I made this. It works great.

Model5 · #6 02-01-2021, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max503

"Has anyone else done this?"

Yes. Twenty years ago I was teaching a high school metals class and had access to a machine shop. I made this die (except for the lock ring) to expand and bell the necks of 30 caliber cartridges. I shoot cast bullets, and my RCBS dies left the case necks too tight. So I made this. It works great.

That’s definitely something they need to bring back in high school. That’s some top notch knurling.

max503 · #7 02-01-2021, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ivan the Butcher

In his book on Cartridge Case Conversions, George Nonte gives plans for a hydraulic jack powered press for swaging one case down into another. I built my own updated version about 35 years ago. (2 12"x1" square steel plates separated by 1" all thread rods at the corners- double nutted on the outside for extra support. The top plate has a 7/8x14 threaded hole in the center. George's press used a 2 ton jack, mine uses the only jack I had available at the time:20 tons!

I made dies from plumbing reducing bushings (1/2" black pipe is threaded 7/8-14!) The drill out the center and hone or sand to desired Internal diameter.

Over the years I have made 20 caliber bullets into 19 and .338 Winchester bullets into 330 bullets for 8x56R Hungarian. I have pressed bearings in and out of machines and straightened warped steel targets also.

I don't have a lathe or the skill to make threaded dies. But I have opened High Speed Steel dies for making larger neck areas on dies.

At gun shops and yard sales, I never turn away reasonable prices loading dies for any cartridge. They are a cheap source of nuts, stems, rods, bushings and bodies that are already threaded in pitches that are common to reloading!

Ivan

Nonte is my favorite gun writer of all time. I wish I could get up the nerve to round butt my square butt Model 15. Then to file grooves on the backstrap with a checkering file. He goes into great detail how to do it.

"(1/2" black pipe is threaded 7/8-14!)" <<<This is good to know.

max503 · #8 02-01-2021, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Model5

That’s definitely something they need to bring back in high school. That’s some top notch knurling.

The guy that taught me made clocks from scratch.

Ivan the Butcher · #9 02-01-2021, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max503

"(1/2" black pipe is threaded 7/8-14!)" <<<This is good to know.

Just so you know, plumbing is tapered, loading dies are straight, but for small distances they are close enough!

Ivan

cwneely · #10 02-01-2021, 05:41 PM

I have but only for ctgs that I couldn't buy, 9.3x82 and 38 50 Hepburn. And bullet swaging. Other than that I consider almost any price a bargain.

jcelect · #11 02-01-2021, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ivan the Butcher

Just so you know, plumbing is tapered, loading dies are straight, but for small distances they are close enough!

Ivan

And conduit threads are straight!
jcelect

Mike, SC Hunter · #12 02-01-2021, 06:54 PM

Good you have the equipment to do so. 9mm dies are out there if you search. Month or so ago I bought a new .380 die set off of Amazon for $47.00. Bet Ebay has them too. Wally mart has lot of non store stuff on the internet.

Mike, SC Hunter · #13 02-01-2021, 07:01 PM

Amazon has Lee carbide 9mm die set for $39.00....In stock

..........But ya already made yours.

Model5 · #14 02-01-2021, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike, SC Hunter

Amazon has Lee carbide 9mm die set for $39.00....In stock

..........But ya already made yours.

Last week I checked and looked at a few places. Couldn’t find any for less than $100. I guess they just got a shipment in. Oh well. At least I got to do some learning on the new cnc lathe.

Tex1001 · #15 02-02-2021, 07:38 PM

Over 52 years I've developed procedures and equipment that serves and streamlines my reloading purposes. I periodically offer advice based on my successes. Sometimes that advice is accepted, sometimes ignored. Suits me either way.

I've altered innumerable dies, measures, scales, mounts, and presses. with varying success. Now that I've had everything developed for 25 years I'm in the winter of my life and all of my development will probably die with me.
But it has worked out great for me.

Funflyer · #16 02-02-2021, 10:47 PM

Forgot I made some dies to punch out gas checks. Made one for 357, 44 and also 500 Magnum.

Ole Joe Clark · #17 02-02-2021, 11:10 PM

Back in the day, I made a sizing die for my .41 mag cast bullets, and a shell holder for the press. I still have them among the stuff.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

LoboGunLeather · #18 02-02-2021, 11:41 PM

About 1984 a nephew was studying to become a machinist. I had him do a couple of projects based on my imaginings of perfection in reloading tools. Couple of minor accomplishments, but I really learned that the folks in the business knew a lot more than I ever will.

One success story was a swaging die set to convert cast 148-grain HBWC bullets to a truncated cone hollow-point configuration, which overcame the problem of difficult loading of wadcutter rounds into a revolver cylinder while retaining the massive hollow cavity. The new dies worked great in my RCBS Rock-Chucker press, but to describe the process as slow and tedious would be an understatement.

Nephew received some extra credit for the design and die production work. Graduated, became an apprentice electrician, eventually a master electrician, now retired and I don't think he has been around a machine shop ever since.

Model5 · #19 02-02-2021, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoboGunLeather

About 1984 a nephew was studying to become a machinist. I had him do a couple of projects based on my imaginings of perfection in reloading tools. Couple of minor accomplishments, but I really learned that the folks in the business knew a lot more than I ever will.

One success story was a swaging die set to convert cast 148-grain HBWC bullets to a truncated cone hollow-point configuration, which overcame the problem of difficult loading of wadcutter rounds into a revolver cylinder while retaining the massive hollow cavity. The new dies worked great in my RCBS Rock-Chucker press, but to describe the process as slow and tedious would be an understatement.

Nephew received some extra credit for the design and die production work. Graduated, became an apprentice electrician, eventually a master electrician, now retired and I don't think he has been around a machine shop ever since.

The majority of the guys I went to trade school with aren’t in the trade. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Especially when I can go to work and make reloading components under the guise of learning how to operate a new machine. And making these dies was no walk in the park. I’ve learned that 9mm isn’t manufactured by the saami spec and if that’s what your basing your dies off of. There is going to be lots of trial and error until you figure that out.