.he CHAPTER 13 CORBIN HANDBOOK AND CATALOG NO. 7, PAGE #

                      SWAGE DIES OF THE HYDRO-PRESS SYSTEM

          Hydro-press  dies are huge.   They are larger than the ram of  the 
     Mity  Mite press and their punches are like night sticks,  so big  they 
     could just about replace the Mity Mite ram.  Naturally, there is no way 
     they would "interchange" with dies from a hand press or the Mity Mite.  
          The  reason for making these large dies is to withstand super-high 
     pressures  -- pressures  that  would  blow  a  firearm  to  bits.   For 
     instance,  a  .224 caliber die in the Hydro-press design can  withstand 
     176,667  psi  repeatedly.   Even  the huge .512 caliber  die  can  take 
     pressures  of 102,198 psi.   These pressures would crack a smaller  die 
     immediately.  
          Because these dies can withstand such monumental pressures,  it is 
     possible  to do things with them that were not possible before in  home 
     swaging.   In  fact,  things that are impractical for any of the  major 
     bullet plants can also be done easily at home because of the design  of 
     both the dies and the press.
          The  same dies that are made in the Mity Mite are also produced in 
     the  Hydro-press system.   Turn to the chapter on Mity Mite dies for  a 
     list of all the styles and sets you can obtain, and what they do.  Just 
     replace the -M at the end of the catalog number with a -H, and you have 
     a catalog number for the same thing in the Hydro-press system.  
          For details on the operation of each of the various kinds of dies, 
     I  will refer you to the section on Mity Mite dies.   The operation  is 
     basically  the  same,  except  that much greater pressure can  be  used 
     safely  in  the  Hydro-press die than is possible  in  the  Mity  Mite.  
     Hydro-press dies also fit into the Mega Mite press, but it isn't always 
     practical  or  even  possible to develop enough pressure  to  form  the 
     bullet.   The Mega Mite is strong enough and so are the dies,  but some 
     calibers,  materials, and designs simply require a full-power hydraulic 
     system in order to operate properly.   On the other hand,  many bullets 
     can be made in the Mega Mite,  including lead .50 calibers and jacketed 
     .458 calibers with up to 0.030-inch wall tubing.  
          There  are   special dies that the great control and power of  the 
     Hydro-press can utilize.  One is the LED-1 Lead Extruder Die set.  This 
     extruder makes any size of lead wire, from the .224 to the .458 caliber 
     size.   Four standard LED-D inserts are provided (.185, .250, .312, and 
     .365-inch diameters), and you can order any other standard diameter you 
     need, or have a special diameter made to order.
          The  LED-1 comes will instructions for use.   Basically,  the  die 
     replaces  the floating punch holder in the press head.   It  accepts  a 
     0.795-inch  diameter  lead  billet  four  inches  long.   Corbin  makes 
     packages  of four such billets under the catalog number of  LB-4,  from 
     pure  chemical lead.   The kit also comes with a set of two mould tubes 
     and a base, which lets you cast your own soft lead into proper-diameter 
     billets in rapid order.  Extra mould tubes can be ordered by name.
          A special,  long punch assembly with floating head screws into the 
     press  ram.   This punch self-aligns with the die bore,  and is a  very 
     snug fit.   I don't recommend pushing it in by hand,  because it can be 
     difficult to remove.   To extrude lead wire,  simply lubricate the lead 
     billet with Corbin Swage Lube, and drop it into the top of the extruder 
     die.   The  punch and die should be adjusted so that the punch is  just 
     inside the die mouth, and it will support the lead billet.
          Then,  place the desired diameter of die insert (LED-D)  carefully 
     in  the top of the die body,  with the smooth,  dished side toward  the 
     lead.   Slide  it  into place in the top of the die.   Then  screw  the 
     bushing  down  into the top of the die body to hold the die  in  place.  
     Start the press moving up.  Normally, I like to adjust the top position 
     sensor  so  that the ram is just short of the top of the die  when  the 
     press stops.  This is best done by running the ram up before the die is 
     installed,  then screwing the die down until it stops against the punch 
     face,  and finally backing it off slightly for clearance.  Then set the 
     location of the top sensor to shut off the press and reverse it at this 
     point in the ram travel.
          Small  diameter wire can take 1,800 psi or so to extrude.   Larger 
     diameters can take as little as 1000 psi on the press gauge.  The exact 
     pressures  are suggested in the literature that comes with  the  LED-1.  
     When  you  start up the press,  lead will come out the top of  the  die 
     quickly.   It  will  be hot,  so don't immediately grab it with a  bare 
     hand.   Trapped air or lube can cause bits of lead to be expelled  with 
     great  force  from the top of the die,  so never lean over the  die  or 
     place  any part of your body over the top of it while you are extruding 
     lead.  If you ever observe this rare occurrance, you will be careful to 
     follow that advise.
          The  quality  of wire that you can produce this  way  far  exceeds 
     nearly any commercial supply.   It looks like chrome, and it is so even 
     and  consistent  that it is hard to believe the material is soft  lead.  
     Many Corbin customers sell their lead wire at a premium price,  and get 
     it, because it is indeed a premium product.
          Copper tubing jacket-maker dies, CTJM-1-H, for the Hydro-press can 
     be  ordered  in .030,  0.049,  or 0.065-inch  wall  thickness.   Brass, 
     copper,  or even steel jackets can be formed.   In copper of 0.030  and 
     0.049  wall  thickness,  it  is practical to form a partition  or  wall 
     across  the  middle of the jacket in several of  the  larger  calibers.  
     This  isn't possible or practical in all calibers or wall  thicknesses, 
     but generally works well above .30 caliber in 0.030 wall copper tubing, 
     and with most of the larger calibers in 0.049 wall copper tubing.
          The  base closure that is possible with the Hydro-press die set is 
     total,  in flat base designs.   Recently,  we have developed methods of 
     making  nearly  total closures in a  rebated  boattail,  copper  tubing 
     jacket.   Solid  noses can also be formed to a high degree of  closure.  
     Bullet designs that far outshine any conventional factory design can be 
     produced  at home.   Hundreds of fired bullets,  recovered from  trophy 
     game  by  excited  customers,  line the shelves in  my  office.   Their 
     performance  all over the world,  time and time again,  proves  that  a 
     person  can  produce a better bullet in his own garage or loading  room 
     than most of the very expensive factory bullets available today.
          
          JRD-1-H   Jacket Reducing Die, Hydro-press
          Available for tubing reduction,  bullet drawing,  or jacket redraw 
     operations.   Also  used  for reducing the diameter of pieces  of  cut, 
     solid tubing in copper or brass alloys, in order to produce solid metal 
     bullets for special applications.   The JRD-1-H fits a 7/8-14 to 1.5-12 
     thread adapter in the press head,  and the punch screws into the  press 
     ram.   For  unusual applications,  automatic stripper plates and  guide 
     frames  can be built to fit on the CHP-1 Mark IV  Hydro-press,  quickly 
     removing  the  drawn  component from the punch on the down  stroke  and 
     allowing  rapid,  hand-fed  operation that  approaches  automatic  feed 
     production (at a fraction of the cost).

     CTJM-1-H  Copper Tubing Jacket-maker, Hydro-press
          Normally used in calibers above .308, up to and including the .600 
     Nitro,  special  sets  can  be used in calibers such as .270  and  7mm.  
     Usually, smaller calibers can utilize commercially available jackets at 
     lower  cost,  or use commercial jackets reduced in diameter to  thicken 
     the walls.   Wall thickness of 0.030,  0.049, and 0.065 are standard in 
     the  larger bores.   Special sets can be made for other wall  thickness 
     tubing.   The flat-base sets round the end of the tubing,  draw it down 
     to proper size,  and flatten the end in the regular core seating die of 
     your  swage set.   The partition sets utilize two punches to  fold  and 
     pressure-weld  a  band between their ends,  making a partition  in  the 
     middle  of  the  bullet  (exact position can be  set  by  punch  length 
     ratios).   The  base  is rolled over after the core is  inserted.   Two 
     short cores are inserted,  one from either end.  Partition sets are the 
     same  price  as regular sets,  although different kinds  of  parts  are 
     included.   Five  punches  are normally used to convert a  conventional 
     flat  base  set into a partition set.   Rebated boattail  sets  can  be 
     produced as well,  again at the same price.   RBT and partition designs 
     are not usually combined.

     CSW-1-H   Core Swage Die, Hydro-press
          The  core  swage makes precise lead cores from soft or hard  lead.  
     Unlike the Hydro-press dies,  there is no restriction on lead hardness.  
     Special  diameter bleed holes are utilized to produce a soft or a  hard 
     lead  swage  die.   Specify  which kind of lead you wish  to  use  when 
     ordering, in order to get optimum performance.

     CS-1-H    Core Swage Die, Hydro-press
          The  core swage die can make a semi-wadcutter handgun bullet  with 
     or without a jacket, or it can be used as a preliminary step in forming 
     a  rifle  bullet  (where the final stage is  the  point  forming  die).  
     Pressure  limits for each caliber of die are given in the book,  "Power 
     Swaging".   Punches  can  be ordered by function and shape  under  that 
     catalog number PUNCH-H (for this and all other Hydro-press dies).

     PF-1-H    Point Form Die, Hydro-press
          The point forming die has the actual bullet shape lapped into  its 
     cavity.   It  can form both jacket and lead into the ogive,  unlike the 
     straight  wall  core seater which uses a punch to shape just  the  lead 
     nose.   The  internal  punch  is a tough  spring-steel  ejection  wire.  
     Larger  calibers  normally use a wire that can be 0.180 to  0.200  inch 
     diameter.   This  assures  easy ejection on lead  tip  bullet  designs.  
     Smaller  calibers normally utilize wires of 0.120 or less,  down to  as 
     little as 0.080 inches for very small caliber bullets.  It is important 
     to  know  the  ejection  pin  diameter and  length  so  you  can  order 
     replacements  easily.   One of the first measurements you should record 
     is the diameter and length of the wire part of this punch, just in case 
     you ever need a replacement sent quickly.

     LT-1-H    Lead Tip Forming Die, Hydro-press
          The lead tip die shapes the extended lead tip of the  bullet,  and 
     it  can  also be used to close down the open tip of a bullet below  the 
     diameter  of the ejection pin (as discussed under the PF-1-H  heading).   
     The  internal  punch  of  this die has a  cavity  that  determines  the 
     tip  shape.   You can order extra internal punches to make  flat  nose, 
     spitzer  tip,  or semi-spitzer (rounded end) tips.   This die uses  the 
     same  external  punch  as the point forming die,  and  cannot  be  used 
     without first having a point forming die of the same caliber.   It does 
     not come with external punch for that reason.

     RBT-2-H   Rebated Boattail Add-On 2-die Set, Hydro-press
          This  set ounch  of  this die has a  cavity  that  determines  the 
     tip  shape.   You can order extra internal punches to make  flat  nose, 
     spitzer  tip,  or semi-spitzer (rounded end) tips.   This die uses  the 
     same  external  punch  as the point forming die,  and  cannot  be  used 
     without first having a point forming die of the same caliber.   It does 
     not come with external punch for that reason.

     RBT-2-H   Rebated Boattail Add-On 2-die Set, Hydro-press
          This  set o         The  combination of a core swage with bleed holes and the base and 
     nose  forming  punches of a semi-wadcutter or  paper-patch  rifle  core 
     swage die makes this die.  The weight is adjusted and the nose and base 
     formed  all  in  one stroke.   The die is used to make  lead  or  half-
     jacketed  handgun  and rifle bullets.   Typical rifle ogive would be  a 
     nose punch having a 1-caliber long,  eliptical shape.   Typical handgun 
     nose shape might be a Keith or wadcutter.   Other shapes can be made to 
     order.   Standard shapes include conical, Keith, round nose, wadcutter, 
     or hollow point,  and flat base,  cup base,  dish base, and hollow base 
     shapes.

     JSWC-2-H  Jacketed Semi-wadcutter 2-die Set, Hydro-press
          This  set breaks up the operation of weight adjustment  and  final 
     sizing  into two steps,  making it possible to use 3/4-jacket  lengths.  
     It  can also make lead or half jackets.   Since bullet noses and  bases 
     are formed by pressing against punches, there can be no curve or radius 
     of  the jacket away from full bore diameter.   The nose must be  formed 
     entirely  of lead,  with a small step between the end of the ogive  and 
     the  start of the shank,  also formed in the lead extending beyond  the 
     jacket.  

     FJFB-3-H  Full Jacket, Flat Base 3-die Set, Hydro-press
          The  3-die  set described under the Mity Mite section is also  the 
     basic  set for the power press.   Any caliber from .14 to .72  (or  so) 
     diameter  may  be ordered.   Standard calibers for  every  conventional 
     factory  bore  size  are available,  though demand is  quite  high  and 
     delivery  times depend entirely on the current backlog:   call or write 
     to get a copy of the immediate delivery list.          

     LTFB-4-H  Lead Tip, Flat Base 4-die Set, Hydro-press
          Lead  tip  bullets or open tip styles can be made with  this  set.  
     Generally,  the lead tip styles are for rifles, because a blunt handgun 
     ogive  can usually be formed with a lead tip even without  the  special 
     lead  tip  die.   Sharper ogives require the extra die to shape up  the 
     lead tip after the actual ogive is formed.

     RBT0-4-H  Rebated Boattail, Open Tip 4-die Set, Hydro-press
          The  open tip,  rebated boattail is a favorite amount  competition 
     rifle  shooters and is rapidly becoming popular among winning  metallic 
     silhouette shooters who use long range handguns.   The rebated boattail 
     can  be made in copper tubing jackets in the Hydro-press.   Hard alloys 
     are  also  feasible with these high pressure dies and  the  press  that 
     "thinks"  so  it  can  avoid  over-pressure  conditions  when  properly 
     programmed.

     RBTL-5-H  Rebated Boattail, Lead Tip 5-die Set, Hydro-press
          The  five  die  rebated boattail,  open or lead tip rifle  set  is 
     popular among shooters who take their firearms afield as well as to the 
     range.   Choosing  a  lead tip offers greater expansion than  the  same 
     weight  of open tip (and most people think it is the  opposite!).   The 
     open  tip  bullet brought to a small meplat (typically  less  than  0.1 
     inches  in diameter at the bullet tip) brings a considerable thickening 
     to the jacket tip.   Many factory bullets that were advertised as being 
     0.049-inch  wall  thickness showed over 0.060 inches at the  tip  as  a 
     result  of  this unavoidable thickening when the jacket is drawn  to  a 
     point.   Using  the lead tip gives you a greater opening at the  actual 
     jacket's end,  since the lead extends beyond it to serve the purpose of 
     a  smaller tip for better ballistics.   It is the jacket thickness  and 
     opening  size  that controls expansion,  rather than the mere  fact  of 
     whether or not the tip is open.

     FRB0-5-H  Flat or Rebated Boattail, Open Tip 5-die Set, Hydro-press
          A  set for the person who likes open tip (which is NOT the same as 

     hollow point,  no matter what some of the mass producers of bullets say 
     in  their literature) bullets,  but wants the widest possible range  of 
     weights.   Many  people purchase an extra point forming die,  as  well, 
     getting  a  6 or 7-S ogive for their longer range target work  and  for 
     more conventional weights,  then getting the extra PF-1-H in a 1-E or a 
     round  nose ogive (.5-E or .5-S -- it is the same thing) for  both  the 
     very  light  weights  (short shank and short nose) or  the  very  heavy 
     weights (long shank,  short nose).  The advantage of the blunt ogive is 
     that  it  gives  you a greater range of  useful  bullet  weights.   The 
     advantage  of  the  sharper  ogive is less drop  and  higher  delivered 
     velocity over a given range.

     FRBL-6-H  All Style System, 6-die Set, Hydro-press
          Finally,  the set that gives you everything.   This set makes  all 
     the  styles  of any of the other sets,  except that you would  need  to 
     order extra punches (PUNCH-H,  External,  specify caliber and shape) to 
     make  semi-wadcutter  noses in the core  seating  die.   Naturally,  it 
     doesn't make every possible ogive shape,  since the ogive is controlled 
     by the cavity lapped into the point forming die.   Various ogive curves 
     would  be  made  by ordering extra PF-1-H dies made  in  those  shapes.  
     Usually  one or two shapes will suffice for the widest range of hunting 
     and target shooting situations.

     LED-1     Lead Extruder Die Set, Hydro-press
          The lead extruder die set has a large heat-treated steel body that 
     fits into the press head, a long floating punch or piston assembly that 
     fits snugly into this die,  a series of four die inserts which  control 
     the  diameter of the lead wire you can extrude,  a bushing to hold  the 
     die insert into the top of the die, a pack of lead billets, and a mould 
     base with two mould tubes to make your own billets from scrap lead,  if 
     you wish.  Standard sizes of .185", .250", .312", and .365" die inserts 
     are included.   Others can be ordered in any desired size down to .125" 
     (which  is  the  smallest  size this extruder  can  safely  produce  -- 
     pressure and system size increase with the reduction in wire diameter).


     LED-D     Lead Extruder Die Insert, for LED-1
          The  die  insert for the LED-1 is a heat-treated button  which  is 
     about  three-quarters  of an inch long and equally broad,  made to  fit 
     precisely  into  the  top of the LED-1  extruder.   Corbin  also  makes 
     various  kinds of wire drawing dies for major lead  wire  manufacturers 
     and others involved in defense or sporting ammunition manufacture.  You 
     can  order a standard size for a caliber,  or you can specify a  custom 
     diameter.   Lead wire diameters depend both on the hole size in the die 
     and on the extrusion velocity and ambient temperature,  the lubrication 
     used  and the particular alloy being extruded.   If the application  is 
     critical,  it  may be necessary to purchase a set of dies in 0.001-inch 
     increments to adjust the size to your conditions and materials.

     LB-4      Lead Billet, Pack of 4, for LED-1
          Corbin  has  pure  (99.95  percent)  lead  billets  in  0.795-inch 
     diameter,  four inches long, sealed in packets of four.  A complete set 
     of  specifications  is included with each packet.   A  simple  Brinnell 
     hardness test can be made using a steel ball,  a vise,  and these known 
     hardness  cylinders  of  lead.   Details can be  found  in  the  Corbin 
     textbooks.

     RLA-1     Reloading Adapter Kit, Hydro-press
          This  is one accessory I would consider necessary with any  Hydro-
     press.  You would be amazed at the number of times you'll find yourself 
     putting  regular  type 7/8-14 dies and shell holders of the  RCBS  type 
     into your Hydro-press.   It is so fast and easy to set it up for  power 
     case  sizing and depriming,  using the automatic cycle.   Case forming, 
     military case conversion,  depriming crimped primers,  and other  tough 
     jobs  that put a strain on your progressive press are trivial jobs  for 
     the Hydro-press.   The bushing from the RLA-1 is required on JRD-1 type 
     dies,  which makes it possible to use your Mity Mite or Reloading Press 
     draw dies,  along with a different punch,  in the Hydro-press.  Come to 
     think  of  it,  you can use a reloading press  punch,  too,  with  this 
     adapter  kit.  (The  longer  Hydro-press  punches  are  sometimes  more 
     convenient, however.)

     RLA-50    .50 BMG Shell Holder, Hydro-press
          The  .50  caliber 1-1/2 inch threaded dies that CH and  RCBS  make 
     screw  directly into the head of the Hydro-press.   Using the reloading 
     adapter  kit,  you can screw this large shell holder directly into  the 
     ram extension that is part of the kit.  Primers are shunted to the side 
     and out an exhaust port in the side of the extender.   If you load  the 
     .50 Browning Machine Gun cartridge, this is a handy accessory.

     RFJM-22H  Rimfire Jacket Maker, 224 cal., for Hydro-press
          Why  not automate the making of free .22 jackets?   With the CHP-1 
     Hydro-press set for an automatic stroke cycle,  you can slip cases over 
     the punch and let the press shove them all the way through the die  and 
     out  the top in one stroke.   It certainly is more fun than doing it by 
     hand!

     RFJM-6MH  Rimfire Jacket Maker, 6MM cal., for Hydro-press
          The  6mm  or .243 caliber (also .244) jacket maker  utilizes  long 
     rifle or Stinger cases to make 65 to 70 grain bullets.   A special JRD-
     1-H  die  and punch set can be made to draw .22 Magnum cases to 6mm  or 
     .257  (undersized,   but  they  expand  nicely  in  the  core   seating 
     operation).

     SPJM-25H  Shotgun Primer Jacket Maker, 25 ACP cal., for Hydro-press
          For  50  grains and less,  a spent shotgun primer cup can be  made 
     into a good jacket for the .25 ACP or the .25-20,  .256 Winchester,  or 
     other  light-weight  quarter-inch bore.   The .25 ACP  uses  a  .251-2" 
     bullet  and the .25 rifles all use a .257" bullet,  but the same jacket 
     diameter works for making either.

