Making Copper Bullet Jackets: Machining Punching & Drawing Dies! Part 1

Having been a long time shooter and reloader, I am undertaking my next project for my new Emco V13 lathe: Making Copper Bullet Jackets. The process steps are to blank a copper coin out of a strip of copper, cup it, then draw it in to progressively longer and thinner-walled shapes. The goal in this project is to end up with a 9MM jacket which will be about 0.6" long and 0.352" in diameter. That jacket can then be used in a swaging system (e.g. Corbin) and combined with a lead slug to make an actual bullet!
This video is an introduction video to the project and demonstrates the aluminum test dies recently made as a 'proof of concept'. 5 Reasons to Use a Fixture Plate on Your CNC Machine: bit.ly/3sNA4uH

[@P51DDreamer]

I'd like to see something about making casings as well.

[@gelloyangsteryang6481]

yeahh me 2

[@clive1236]

It's possible to cast lead bullets easily... Making casings at home is something that would be really useful. Pls help

[@pacman10182]

@@clive1236 you'd have to turn them, the the hardware for drawing brass thick enough to form that case head would be out of your price range.

[@clive1236]

@@pacman10182 that makes sense... Thanks👍

[@jebediahpace460]

Me to

[@InvisibleCitizen]

Started wiping down machines and sweeping my dad's T&D Shop out at 12yo. At 14 I started in the grinding shop. At 16 I moved to die building and at 18 I took over supervision of the 2nd shift. We built just about everything over the years and many thing other said could not be done. You are correct about the reverse draw for short dia to depth ratios. You are a natural and a person must be born with it.

[@claytonnoyes6002]

This is an awesome idea for a series! I would love all the nitty gritty detail, since I am going to be embarking on this same journey as well. I would love to see your process.

[@skizzysmith1146]

this shows how that casing is made, thanks, the other vids just show machines working, not how the metal is shaped. love to see more of yours

[@russtuff]

Amazing! I was actually researching this myself as I have always been into reloading, and recently decided I want to do my own casting as well. I'm very much interested in a detailed series.

[@ronaldwhittaker6327]

it's every res blooded American boys personal responsibility to know how to do this at this point in time

[@1Rowdy1derful]

You betcha I am interested in more videos along this line. It is the main agenda that brought me to buying a lathe. Got me started, now I gotta get a mill.

[@BulletCastDuo]

I would like to see as much as possible! This is sooooo interesting! Realy good project! Have a nice day!

[@erklaerbaer01]

I'm all for it! Personally I would like a series that goes into all the details

[@kevinauld4367]

After seven years I'd bet you have already done it just ran across this I hope you have given every detail ! I'm starting from scratch again .

[@joell439]

John, if you post it I will watch it. I really enjoy all of your videos, and I don't skip through any of it. I think one of the best features of your is showing the real details of what it takes to get to the end product. Thanks and keep posting :-)

[@ChrisMuncy]

It will be interesting to see how you form your primer pockets. Keep the videos coming!

[@beauwilliams1972]

Great to see someone doing this, with all the ability, so please as much detail as possible, thanks

[@kilgoretrout7396]

SUCH AN AMAZING THING, SWAGING IS AWSOME!.

[@chipngo9758]

Man, the channel is gold 👌 ❤ wish I could find it earlier. This is exactly what I have been looking for.

[@kneedown4GOD]

cant wait to see it. make it as detailed as you can.like some of the other guys have said you make really good videos so being a little long wont hurt a thing.

[@bill65761]

Clamp the copper with the outer edge of the die first. Continue the stroke to form the completed draw and then cut the part free from the strip. So, a heavy spring holds the part in place while it is being drawn. The drawing cavity is supported by an even heavier spring, rendering it immobile until near the end of the stroke. At that time it gives way, allowing the shearing edges to do their thing. A small pin under a light spring load in the center of the first part of the die (concave side of the part) then pushes the finished part off the die. At the beginning of the stroke, when it first encounters the material, the spring will not offer enough resistance to affect the material, but after the part has been formed and is cut free from the strip, it will be enough to push the finished part off the forming die, where it would otherwise cling as if electroplated on. The stripper pin should NOT be a close-tolerance fit ... .020 wiggle is good ... because you want to prevent a vacuum from forming on the back of the part. Clamp. Form. Punch. Eject. Full soft copper is so malleable that you can start with stock that is already nearly the finished thickness. Make the clearance on the shearing edges 1/3 the thickness of the material per side. IE .030" material needs .010" clearance. Make the punch .020" smaller than the die. You may be able to tighten that up a few thousandths, but those numbers will get you close enough to make parts. You WANT the material to fracture, leaving a compression line on each side of a fracture zone. When those three zones are equal, you have the clearance between the punch and die right. I can't give you the weights on the springs, sorry but I never got that far, but think in terms of valve lifter springs. You can drop one spring inside another to get more resistance, if needed.

[@bilbo_gamers6417]

With normal cupping, you can just pull the punch back out and it'll strip the cup off just fine. That's what I do anyway. With really small diameter punches as well, the name of the game is polish. Every die surface should be a mirror, and, between every anneal, you must remove any scale so you don't scratch it. This is just from my own personal experience. Also don't use too much lube but also don't use too little. And, if you have a spring loaded stripper under a light spring like you say, if you're a good machinist and made your dies very carefully, it should work for stripping the parts. Unfortunately I wasn't really able to do this with my 22 cartridge case forming project because my hydraulic press didn't have a threaded part on the ram for it and it's very easy to bend the really long thin punch you need for forming 22 lr cases.

[@Moronicsmurf]

Details, every little gritty one.. (and we have missed your videos!)

[@hondathinktank]

Would love to see more on this project!

[@jfwl1985]

Awesome video, thanks for sharing. Keep it going!

[@jaycousland9835]

Genius!I'm doing a more primitive jacketing,turning a 1/2 copper plumbing cap into something similar to the .73 Fury for 12 ga.Also to make FMJ round nose for the same-shot out of 12 ga fully rifled ultra slug.

[@michaeljohn8905]

Finally ! Somebody making a full video on how FMJ ,s are made.

[@user-ji8tt2iw1j]

This is truly fascinating!

[@CameronMcCreary]

At 1:05 the video shows someone measuring a bore with a twin pin tool. I bought Hexagon Tesa 3 point Imicro and TRI O Bore inside micrometers. They do a great job correctly measuring bored holes. They catch out of round, barrel shape, bulged bores and many other poor conditions of boring holes.

[@RFAdventures]

Would love to see the whole process to a final product. Would buy the plans to make my own as well. Great job

[@user-oz7yo6bu7k]

How interesting. This video is 7 years old, but now I see new comments. This means that the topic is more relevant than the time.

[@JimFleming1953]

I wish I'd've found your channel about two years sooner! I know you've had a lot of comments on the series, but I just hope you've gone into exhaustive detail about making bullet jackets. I have a small, and very old Craftsman bench lathe, but it'd work great for making the dies the way you've got them set up here. I like it, and I like it a lot! (Your series, on making jacket drawing dies, I mean.) I have a hand press that has lots of the muscle that's needed for moving metal. This is actually exciting for me!

[@nonameHEF]

Hi John. I enjoyed the most of your Great and High quality Videos. I wanna see the complete Series of your Projekt. Greets from Germany

[@TheCharillz23]

nice video i would like to see the whole process making you punches dies ect and the finished product

[@ErwinEnterprises]

What a great topic. Thanks god you got out of nyc and can shoot again. This is a very interesting subject. I'm interested in heat treating. 1144 is used the Parker Hannifin for their hydraulic quick couplers. It makes a great bearing surface when hard. They induction harden it. We used it for 2" drive shafts at work and it cracked. It also cracks if your weld it (high sulfur).

[@icclg5768]

Exactly why you said you got interested is my reasons and I just found this video.

[@jimburnsjr.]

Great stuff Sir, thank you for the many great videos. I would like to see anything you think would be helpful to anyone trying to learn a related trade or hobby. People who really like this kind of work aren't generally the sort to call it boring or wasted thought / experience. I very much appreciate your investment of energy in the endeavor of inspiring the community to learn and build; genuinely first class.

[@deanlee9786]

thank you very much for your presentations. how would a novice begin this sort of thing?

[@HanstheTraffer]

Thank you. I want to learn how to draw smaller stuff. My goal is to draw cups for making primers for rifles and pistols and to draw brass for making rim fire rounds. Starting with 22 long rifle, but I would also like to be able to draw cases for 41 Swiss Rim Fire. The most important by far are the cups for primers. I do not have a machine shop. So far I have been making dies for swaging 22 long rifle bullets (no jackets) and dies for sizing the brass for 22 LR. I use a drill press and a dremel with diamond bits for machining.

[@pacman10182]

just convert your vetterli to centerfire, it's so much easier then loading rimfire brass

[@wypkewypkema6306]

Yes would like to see much more detail 😊👍

[@Tawheed_101]

Impressed with your work, can u please post the sizes of your dies. Do u have some diagrams or blueprints?

[@ArmstrongMixture]

Don't forget about draft angles! Makes ejection so much easier.

[@TurboMitsubishi]

Detail! Detail! Esp, on the machines used as well, because i'm considering purchasing a small lathe.

[@mcdsdaddy]

Are planning to sell these at any time? Thx for your great videos!

[@greglaroche1753]

Very interesting. I’m subscribed. How do you plan to add lead and tapper the nose. Originally, jacketed bullets were open on the bottom.

[@1boringdudeonline97]

Nice videos. How hard would it be to fabricate a punch and die set to make primer caps and anvils for reloading? Primers are not currently for sale and I can only reload factory primers so many times. Thank You.

[@northtohome345]

This is cool!

[@happyhorsexxx]

The more detail with this project the better have had a serious go at making projectiles

[@teh_major4106]

Could these dies be made to work with the many Reload presses available, or are shop presses needed for the extra convincing?

[@InterestingTed]

Really cool man.

[@NoelBarlau]

Absolutely fascinating, and excellent timing! Please include as much detail as possible, and if this works out for you I'm sure there would be much interest in a brass casings test as well.

[@Sport--willow]

Quick question for you. Able to make a tool to make large pistol primer cups and also a tool for make the anvil for them too. That right there is something I may be very interested in and possibly pursuing

[@asherdog9248]

The world needs more swage die makers

[@calhiser8265]

Cast iron has been used on radiosed draw dies. Thow relitively soft, It is polished quickly and easily. So your aluminum may work quite well. Just a thought from a retired tool and die maker. Oh. Another thing that is fun to do is to invert the shell onto what would look like the end of a pipe with inner and outer Rad. The ID of this is the OD of your next shell. It totale controls the line up. Do the punch the same with a radiosed end. Just fun to watch the material being pulled up that outside of the pillar and around th top. Have fun.

[@naturalhealthwaypete5584]

Nice instruction video. Do you know ifs it possible to make jackets out of stainless steel or is that not ductile enough? Maybe heat the piece first?

[@InvisibleCitizen]

Another note, as you step up to 3, 4, 5 times diameter the length you may have to use a reverse draw to keep from ripping the wall apart. As you work the copper or brass it becomes somewhat hardened. This is called work hardening and this makes the next draw more difficult. A tempering can be done (heat treatment) to relieve the built up stress in the wall but may not be necessary if you do a reverse draw. Great jobs man!

[@greatsamson3000]

How exciting! Put me down for more detail too! How much detail? Well, I don't know. Enough that I have a good understanding of how this all works, but I don't want to see each pass of the lathe either. I'm looking forward to seeing this project!

[@GeofDumas]

I am indeed. Yeah, it's solid! The only downside is the belt ratio changes. The variable speed setup is the way to go

[@bluehandsvideo]

I'm up for the detail too. I'm looking forward to see if and how you incorporate any extraction into the punch. I was wondering about maybe putting and extra stepped diameter or two into your punch....that way, when you cut and press it the first time, you wouldn't have to extract it from the female die, just change the male die and press it again. Maybe do all the stepped pressing but the final so that it could be controlled a bit better?

[@ianober23]

Would love to see all steps. Doesn't matter if the video is 5 minutes or 50, as long as there is good content then we will watch. You put up good content so don't worry about time.

[@somethang9264]

awesome bro, awesome

[@robertfenney]

I vote for all the details!

[@SweatyWelder68]

Love the video very interesting...

[@TexasHoosier3118]

Perfect video. I would like to see it all.

[@gulf4yankee]

Can you show the process for making cartridge castings? Rifle and Pistol would be great.

[@craigsbully]

Hi, I am a very avid shooter and reloaded ammo. This is a project that I would love to see ALL the detail you can give. This is something I would like to try myself. Thanks for the videos great stuff.

[@justinestell2333]

What are the dimensions for the dies and what caliber is this for? Also what aluminum and what steel would be best? I was thinking 6061 or 7071t6 aluminum and O1 tool steel round stock.

[@brentdude2100]

I’m a little late to the party but I’d love to watch the whole machining process

[@StephenB2]

do you or would you sell a set up like that. I would love to make my own jackets with some dies and a press since I currently cast my own bullets.

[@disonesto]

Can you use 3/8 copper pipe caps and swage them into 9mm jackets?

[@iiinsaiii]

Hi, two thumbs up in my book. Great video and I would like to see every step, as I also reload my own ammo and reload .233. You can never have to much information, well except that one friend that tells you there going to the bathroom and what they are going to do in there. Now that right there is TMI lol

[@imhigh0013]

Could you please advise the source book you reference; and where you buy specific steels. I am trying to get a 10-20 steel for amateur smithing, and can't ask at local home depot. No one can get beyond technician now a days. But basically - I am trying to learn metal and working metal. Heat and Hammer/Machining/whatever.

[@user-ji8tt2iw1j]

I use soft iron which is very easy to get very hard due case hardening, very easy to do.

[@patrickcassar8338]

Hi, do you sell ready to use machine punching dies? I am intereseted if so....

[@bencapobianco2045]

I would love to see it all and if you had the cad drawings downloadable/for sale it would be great to make these on my old Southbend. This video got me to subscribe hit the bell notification and give a thumbs up I am looking forward to the rest of the series!!!

[@thomashunting9969]

U have a good voice and are a good speaker. U sound like we want to listen to what u have to say instead of wanting to press stop and look for other vids

[@maybeiam3367]

what about thicker hardened steel jackets(then using a copper jacket over that, of course)?

[@kawivloger]

What software do you use to create your CADs? Ps: Im also from NYC (although Im not old enough to own a gun:( How do you like NYC and do you plan on moving back to the midwest? (I hate NYC its too hostile, crowded, noisy, and dirty)

[@GeofDumas]

I feel like they should be contacting you about teaching at the NY techshop when it opens also, a detailed look at this project would be great - I've been wanting to see what would sort of metal forming tools could be made in a shop similar to mine

[@georgegoff8298]

John, Are you going to show how to make swaging dies? I would like to see how to make swaging dies. thanks, George

[@davidnavaille7535]

Please show more and with details so I can make my own!

[@morgan79347]

I'm in for the works.

[@vipertx4615]

Both. I use gas checks in my cast bullets. I had never though to jacketting the whole bullet. I'm wondering if I can resize a jacketed bullet. I am also very interested in generic blanking and the making of progressive dies. Paul

[@authentic4225]

A pretty complex process!

[@thereturningshadow]

Instead of running it thru die after die after die, perhaps making a single multi-level die but using multiple sized push rods that fit each level so you could essentially push the one copper blank straight down from the top and by the time it reaches the bottom it is the size and shape to surround the bullet core?

[@SWLAMECH84]

I would like to see a lot of detail. I'm very interested !!

[@SamEEE12]

Something I am very interested in personally. More information the better in my books.

[@joesezzz4324]

Can you make a mold for a . 32 cal teatfire cartridge casing mold?

[@InvisibleCitizen]

As a very old Tool & Die Maker I sure like to see others with the born ability to concieve and produce stamping and forming dies of all type. Very nice work! My best projects were deep form dies for all sorts of parts. I like your work and wonder if you have thought about pressure extruded copper or brass alloy casings. A small puck is placed down in a female form cavity and a form punch is pushed in which reverse extrudes the material up the sides forming a casing. Soda and Beer can technology

[@orpheusepiphanes2797]

Out of curiosity, how much would you charge for a setup to make 7.62x39 jackets at .311?

[@squrilebrain]

fun qu for you . by any chance could you make some gas check dies that are very simple . say for a .224 that would be a 223, .277 that would be a 270 , .260 for a 25-06 and the fun one a .243 for a 243 .. what would you charge for a one stage gas check die, maker.

[@user-it3qp7rn1n]

hi!please tell me the formula (or size) how to calculate the size of a copper billet for 308 caliber bullets ?what thickness is better to take copper ? and what are the diameters of punches and matrices to use when stamping?

[@3uba296]

Every detail please! :)

[@kylehuber3323]

Can you release plans for the dies?

[@jamesbennett44]

absolutely carry on

[@Raffaelo08]

Can you make the casings?

[@hamdicanozdemir5760]

What about the press power as tons, sir?

[@chrisdominguez9496]

I also would like to know if these will be for sale?

[@Ilumin2000]

Nice, but how to get a reduced diameter at the end of the shell as it is, for example, in rifle cartridges or 7.63×25mm

[@InvisibleCitizen]

Sure the tonnage is higher but the material metallurgy is very important. The material must be one that flows. Did you know that Kiddy Fire Extinguishers are formed buy extrusion? Great work and great video!

[@gizzo123us]

Really get into it

[@bruhmode283]

Could you please make your cad files public so we could use them? Or if you sell them how much please?

[@HeaanLasai]

Thank you for posting this, these ideas are very interesting! This may be a bit too late. I'm watching your videos right now and they're very interesting and well made. I'd love to see as much information as you feel you can post. As for feedback; a lot of people here on youtube post long videos where they have long monologues about their personal feelings about certain things. Your talking portions are well structured and to the point, and have a high density of information. Again, thank you for posting this info and these well made videos! --- If you have the time, I have one question and one mental challenge. Perhaps you'll find it as entertaining as I have. Question: How'd you decide on how much to draw the metal in each step? Most of the people I've talked to seem to haves chosen the amount of draw in each step by trial and error, or by looking at exiting manufacturing procedures. The people I know who manufacture specialty am. can't share that kind of information. Copper is forgiving, but I have some ideas which would require swaging and drawing aluminium. I've been looking for, but found no information about numeric or computer assisted calculations on how much to draw various metals in each step. I'd love some help if you can point me in the right direction. --- Brain teaser: I'm a mil. shooting instructor (Sweden). I also have some contact with companies producing unusual specialty ammunition. As a mental challenge I've spent a lot of time designing machines for making certain types of specialty am. but there is one nut I can't crack. I don't have the goal of actually producing this, it's just a way for me to challenge myself. *Perhaps you have some ideas?* The projectile here is a platform for testing and manufacturing small batches of experimental projectiles with specialized core materials. --- One example of this construction principle is in use by the Swedish police force. They have been issued a special type of 9 mm hollow points (9 mm Luger Parabellum), with a core made from plastics and metal. These have three advantages; * They never fragment, so you can wound someone without killing them, and do so with full conficence the projectile will give exactly the effect you want. Never more, never less. * No secondary penetration, they stop in the first thing they hit. This is vital when there are civilians near or behind the target. * No obstacle penetration in an urban environment, if your shot misses and hits a shop window, it will not penetrate it. --- A few real life examples are; * A person attempts to commit "suicide by cop" and charges an officer with an axe. The officer shoots him in the foot (hitting a running man in the foot is not easy) knowing that the projectile will expand well enough to stop the person, and also have no secondary effect against the crowd. * A police officer panics when he believed to be under fire, and shoots a whole magazine "against" a person. All shots miss and instead hit a window at a local gym full of people, there is no penetration. (Unfortunately he wasn't fired for that unforgivable mistake, but the equipment worked as intended.) --- The materials I'm wrestling with have the property that you can't form a core with them. You have to form the jacket into the shape you want, pour the core material powder into that empty jacket and cold swage it into a solid core. Once cold swaged, the core material becomes solid enough for use. The material is not strong enough to be swaged into a solid core and have the jacket swaged around it. The projectile must have the opening of the jacket at the end, to allow for the addition of other components such as a tracer component. For various reasons I've selected a parabellum shape jacket, formed from the nose. The core will be cold swaged inside the jacket during the second to last step, and the last step is to roll crimp the rear edge of the jacket back onto the core, locking in place. Similar to how a plastic shotgun casing can be sealed with a paper disk, and the plastic roll crimped back onto the disk locking it in place. One of the challenges is to design it for 22lr projectiles. You can't buy jackets for those (at least not here). The stage I can't get right is drawing the jacket. If you'd draw the jacket with a rounded nose, the pulling procedure would pull the jacket cup bottom over the tip (like pushing a needle through a condom) instead of extending the walls of the jacket cup. If the jacket is drawn with a half rounded, flat cup like is normally done, when you swage the nose into a rounded shape you'll get a ring of excess metal from where the L-shaped edge of the front of the jacket cup was. The only copper material available here is copper sheet. You can't buy copper tubes of a useful diameter. They are sold, but only for fine mechanics so theoretically it would cost a fortune to use pre fabricated tubing. If a single component costs more than the potential sale price for that specialty ammunition, it's not a fun project. So the jacket needs to be drawn from a flat disk. Do you have any ideas on how to make a jacket, formed from the front of the projectile instead of from the rear? Sincerely yours A fan

[@ExploringCabinsandMines]

If I buy a tool from Finland is it of "finish" quality ?

[@markstambaugh3273]

You could probably make rimfire cases for old obsolete rimfire calibers like the 25 Stevens.

[@NeXtarProducts]

Can you make your own cartages and primers too? I'm at a point where I'm thinking of doing my own ammo making because I can't reload my ammo if I don't have any to begin with!

[@pacman10182]

primers can be done the cup is this but smaller the anvil will be harder to do eph20/26 is your best bet for live priming