Swaging copper jacketed bullets?

[Fred Pillot]

Has anyone heard of swaging down copper jacketed bullets to a new size?
I am thinking like .338 bullets swaged down to .329 for the 8X56R M95 carbine.

[barretcreek]

I think Corbin makes the gear for that. Check with Graf's and Huntingdon's, Old Western Scrounger to see if they have bullets that diameter. After slugging your barrel.

[raymeketa]

I've done it using hand made dies, for making heavy 45 Colt bullets from .458 rifle bullets. But, swaging down is not generally a good idea. Lead (core) and Gilding metal (jacket) have different spring-back properties and you will likely end up with inaccurate bullets with a loose core. That's why jacketed bullets are made by bumping up to the final diameter.

You can probably buy dies to do what you want but the cost will likely be a lot more than you'd be willing to spend.

[mikld]

I have done it with varying success. I needed some .318" bullets for my Enfield 303 w/.318" groove diameter. I got a Lee sizing die in .318" and ran some .323" (32 cal.) bullets through it. Tough going with normal case lube so I went with STP. No visible jacket separation and bullets came out .318" and round. Seemed like too much work at that time so I just stayed with cast lead bullets...

[Sunray]

A Lee-Enfield 303 with a .318" groove diameter is shot out. Thought I saw some site with .318" bullets made for 8mm J though. Forget who or where, of course. Graf's maybe.
Anyway, trying to swage a jacketed bullet doesn't work. Changes the weight if nothing else.

[raymeketa]

. . .Anyway, trying to swage a jacketed bullet doesn't work. Changes the weight if nothing else.

Say WHAT??

Jacketed bullets are made by swaging. Re-swaging them to a different diameter can be done with the right dies and know-how.

How does swaging change the weight??