.he CHAPTER 17 CORBIN HANDBOOK AND CATALOG NO. 7, PAGE #

                                      LEAD

          Corbin  supplies  lead in several forms,  including lead wire  and 
     lead billets made to fit our extruder dies and machines.   We are not a 
     primary supplier of large quantities of lead,  however,  and  recommend 
     that  you locate a lead firm near your bussiness area for large lots of 
     lead.   If you wish to enter the extruded lead wire market, we can help 
     you  with machinery and billet moulds,  but we do not manufacture  lead 
     pots and would recommend that you contact the cast bullet suppliers for 
     these. 
          Corbin lead wire comes in sizes that are suitable for all calibers 
     of  rifle and handgun bullets.   The size of the wire usually  is  much 
     smaller  than the caliber of the bullet,  since the wire is made to fit 
     into a jacket.   Jackets are usually smaller than the caliber by a  few 
     thousands  of  an inch,  themselves.   Everything expands upward  under 
     swaging pressure to make a uniform, tightly fitted bullet.
          Custom  diameters and alloys are available on special order for  a 
     different price than the stock pure lead in standard  diameters.   When 
     you  order lead wire by caliber,  we supply the size that fits into the 
     standard  jacket for that caliber unless you specify some  other  size.  
     If  you order at the standard price and catalog number,  but specify  a 
     special size, then we supply the nearest stock size that appears likely 
     to fit into your jacket.  
          Lead  wire can be very economical,  depending on the caliber.   In 
     .224 caliber,  for instance,  a single 25-lb.  spool of lead wire makes 
     well  over 4,300 conventional 50 grain bullets (the jacket weighs  over 
     10  grains).   Even with coast-to-coast shipping,  your lead  cost  per 
     bullet is about one cent.  Who needs to bother with casting cores, when 
     you can snip off lead wire for that low a price?  On the other hand, if 
     you  already  have plenty of lead,  you may as well use it with a  core 
     mould, which makes around 1000 cores an hour.
          
     LW-25     Lead Wire, 25-lb. Spool
          To  order lead wire,  specify caliber or diameter you need to  fit 
     into  your jacket or core swage die.   Standard  diameters  are:   .125 
     (1/8") for .17 caliber,  .156 (5/32") for .20 caliber, .185 (3/16") for 
     .224,  .243, .25 caliber, and thick-wall .270 caliber, .218 (7/32") for 
     thin-wall  .270,  .284,  and thick-wall .308 caliber,  .250 (1/4")  for 
     .308,  8mm,  and other calibers up to .338 plus some tubing jacket big-
     bores,  .312 (5/16") for .38/9mm,  .358,  .366, .375 and some big bores 
     with  tubing jackets,  .340 (11/32") for the .40 and .41 calibers,  and 
     .356 (3/8") for most big bores except those with thick jackets.
          The  decimal size is the right one -- the fractional size  is  the 
     nearest  size you will normally find elsewhere.   Corbin makes wire  to 
     the  exact  size that fits rather than to match the  common  fractional 
     diameter.   However, you can use the next smaller wire in any jacket so 
     long  as  there is enough bulk to it that your desired  weight  doesn't 
     come out too long to fit into the die.
          Custom sizes and alloys are available but they are not stocked and 
     there is an additional cost involved in making special drawing dies and 

     in  getting a special alloy drawn.   A minimum of 100 pounds applies on 
     any special diameter or alloy.
          Stock lead wire is made in 99.95% chemically pure lead with  trace 
     silver,  packaged on spools of 25 lbs., and is not sold in smaller lots 
     since  this would be a costly way to stock and sell wire.   Many Corbin 
     clients  do  manufacture  lead wire in smaller lots  for  other  bullet 
     makers.   The book "World Directory of Custom Bullet Makers" is full of 
     information  by  and about other bullet makers who can  help  you  with 
     these  purchases.   If you wish to make lead wire or bullets for  sale, 
     please  request  a form to allow us to list your business in  the  next 
     edition of this directory.   


     LB-4      Lead Billets, Pack of Four             
          This is a package of four chemically pure Bh 5 hardness 0.795-inch 
     diameter  cylinders,  four  inches long.   The package  weighs  5,687.5 
     grains  and  the density of the lead is 0.4092 pounds per  cubic  inch.  
     You can use this as a test standard for other lead,  or as raw material 
     to extrude excellent wire in the Hydro-press LED-1 extruder kit.


     LB-5      Lead Billet, 1.5-inch Diameter
          These  billets are for melting down,  primarily,  although you can 
     use them to make 5 pound lengths of wire in an extruder.  If you need a 
     source for good quality pure lead,  and cannot find anyone near to you, 
     we  stock  a  moderate  quantity of these billets  to  help  solve  the 
     problem.


     BMT-1     Billet Mould Tube, for LED-1
          The LED-1 Lead Extruder Die kit comes with two mould tubes to make 
     your own 0.795-inch billets.   If you need more, these tubes are honed, 
     blued,  and ready to slip over the steel mould base that you fasten  to 
     your workbench.   Fill them full, pull them off the base, and give them 
     a shake to slide the billet out!

     
     PCS-1     Precision Core Cutter 
          The  Corbin  precision core cutter uses a pair of  hardened  steel 
     dies  which  slide over each other to slice off pieces of lead wire  to 
     proper  length.   You can adjust the length with a threaded stop  screw 
     that is supported by a steel bar below the dies.  The cutter comes with 
     a complete set of dies in standard wire sizes.    The dies are held  in 
     the two cutter bars by set screws and are easily changed.
          Mount  one bar of the cutter to your bench.   The other has a nice 
     padded  handle  that  you pull to cut the wire.   Push  the  wire  down 
     through the stationary top bar and die,  with the handle in a  straight 
     line  so the dies are above each other.   Adjust the stop screw so that 
     the lead wire will shear off at the length you wish (weigh a few pieces 
     to adjust the length for the right weight).   The stop screw can be set 
     off  to just catch the edge of the lead,  so it doesn't drag across the 
     top of the screw.   This gives you more accurate weights.   The  Corbin 
     Precision Core Cutter is made for soft lead to .365-inch diameter,  and 
     will  handle  lead of Bhn 10 hardness up to .312-inch  diameter.    For 
     larger diameters,  or for alloys up to Bhn 22 in any size,  I recommend 
     the PCS-2 "Magnum" model, instead.


     PCS-2     Corbin "Magnum" Core Cutter
          This  huge  version of the PSC-1 is built with  over-sized  pivot, 
     extra  large  frame and handle,  and accepts much larger diameter  dies 
     than  the PCS-1.   We make this on special order -- it is not  a  stock 
     item  -- and  will make the dies at the same time,  to fit any size  of 
     wire  you wish up to half an inch in diameter!   Few people  need  this 
     tool,  but  for those who do,  it is available from the die-works  that 
     makes whatever you need to produce bullets.


     PCS-D     Core Cutter Die, Pair
          Sometimes  people  lose  a die or need a different size  for  some 
     reason.  If you need a standard size, they are very inexpensive and are 
     in stock for each of the standard wire diameters (we use the  .365-inch 
     wire  die  for  the .340,  since it works just fine).   If you  want  a 
     special  diameter,  this can be made at standard shop rate rather  than 
     the stock die price.  Normally there is no need for any size other than 
     the  standards.   These dies are for the PCS-1 standard core cutter and 
     are kept in stock in standard sizes.  I recommend that you use standard 
     sizes in the PCS-1, and order your custom diameters along with a PCS-2, 
     since the cost will be about the same either way for custom work.

     
     CM-4      Corbin Four-Cavity Adjustable Weight Core Mould
          Turning your own scrap lead into useful lead cores is easier  than 
     casting bullets, and much faster.  These moulds do not require handles.  
     One  arm mounts to the bench.   The mould projects from the bench,  and 
     hangs over the edge.   The other arm is a sprue cutter,  but a long one 
     that doesn't need to be beaten to open it.  
          There  are four pistons and cylinders in the mould,  just  like  a 
     four-cylinder  in-line car engine.   The engine head would be like  the 
     sprue  cutter.   Adjustable weights screw up and down on the bottoms of 
     four connecting rods that project from the cylinders.   You can set all 
     four  cavities to have exactly the same displacement by means of  these 
     adjustment weights.  
          The  over-all weight range is from zero to some large maximum  for 
     each standard caliber.  This is achieved by resting the four pistons on 
     a sliding captive bar,  which we call a rest plate.  The rest plate has 
     two over-sized holes that let it slide easily up and down on a pair  of 
     threaded  rods.   The rods have a locking pairs of nuts on them,  under 
     the holes in the rest plate.
          You  adjust  the  weight by setting the nuts  on  the  rods,  thus 
     changing  the displacement or volume in all four cylinder at one  time.  
     To  eject  the cores,  you open the sprue cutter by pivoting it to  one 
     side, and then press up on the rest plate.  It easily moves up, pushing 
     all four pistons at once in front of it,  and pushing the cores out the 
     top of the die!  
          Core moulds are made in all standard sizes from .224 to  .458,  in 
     the same step ranges as the lead wire.   For sub-calibers,  Corbin does 
     not  make  a  core mould.   It is not worth the trouble to  cast  these 
     cores, when you can easily extrude a life-time supply using a LED-2 kit 
     in  your  Mity Mite press!   The LED-2 uses a  regular  .44/45  caliber 
     (.365") core mould for its billet supply.


     CM-I      Core Mould Insert (Piston & Cylinder Unit)
          Each  Corbin  Core Mould has four piston and  cylinder  units,  or 
     inserts,  installed in a steel frame with set screws.   You can  change 
     these if you wish, to use one core mould for several calibers.  I would 
     advise  a  person with a fairly active shooting schedule not to  change 
     inserts, but to purchase a mould for each caliber.  
          First, you will find that it is faster and much more convenient to 
     have a complete,  ready-to-use mould when you want to make cores.  Time 
     is  short  enough for enjoying the shooting part and most of  us  don't 
     need  to  waste any of it if there is a faster way to get  the  bullets 
     made.   Second,  you will find that after changing the mould inserts  a 
     few  dozen  times,  they are hard to get in and out.   This is  because 
     every  time you tighten the set screws,  you raise a little burr  which 
     eventually  builds  up the diameter of the insert so it won't  fit  the 
     frame.
          The  interchangability is fine for someone who only changes  mould 
     inserts  a few times a year.   You can easily stone off the burrs  that 

     result  on the mould inserts.   Eventually,  if you change  them  often 
     enough,  they  get  sloppy in the mould frame and have to be  replaced.  
     The best plan is to use a separate mould for each caliber as originally 
     intended  for  this design,  and to use replacement inserts  only  when 
     damage or dirty,  gritty lead spoils the honed inside of the die insert 
     and makes the lead stick.

     
     CM-2      Corbin "Magnum" Core Mould, Two-cavity Adjustable Weight
          This  adjustable weight two cavity mould is a huge version of  the 
     CM-4,  which has more cavities but is limited to diameters of .365-inch 
     and less.  When you want a special, larger diameter, order one of these 
     moulds  custom made to your requirements.   Custom inserts are no  less 
     costly  for  the CM-4,  and you may as well have the  larger  equipment 
     since it will stand up longer when used with large diameters.
          For  diameters  of half-inch and less,  the CM-2 offers  a  rugged 
     steel  frame with interchangable mould cylinders and pistons,  made  to 
     your  order.   These  are not stocked,  and there will  probably  be  a 
     waiting  list.   Examples of possible need for this mould would be  the 
     case  of  a person who wants to manufacture a lead .50  caliber  Sharps 
     bullet and wants a mould to turn out .490-.495 inch cores.  

