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Old 07-22-2016, 10:20 AM
WayneShaw WayneShaw is offline
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Default Pure Lead or With Antimony

What advantage does a small percent of antimony give in a core? I've read 1/2% to 1% is used, but what is the reason?

Searching here, one reason stated was to reduce the cored jacket from sticking on the punch. This makes sense. There is a fine line, no pun intended, between a punch too big that scrapes the jacket, and a punch that has clearance. Clearance means some lead squeezing by the punch. Pure lead flows easy, and it doesn't take long to get a bit of lead buildup on the punch then the core jacket sticks on the punch. With a little harder alloy, maybe you can get the pressure to fill the core and not have the issue of bleed by.

Last edited by WayneShaw; 07-22-2016 at 12:27 PM.
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Old 07-22-2016, 02:04 PM
Mntngoat Mntngoat is offline
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for harder cores
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Old 07-22-2016, 02:54 PM
WayneShaw WayneShaw is offline
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Well, yeah......
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Old 07-22-2016, 05:47 PM
reed1911 reed1911 is offline
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I would call it swager preference. I use pure lead. I don't mind a little bleed by, I never get lead stuck to my punch though. That is the only thing that confuses me on your post. Of course there is a fine line of a little bleed (small amount up the walls) vs. too much (bleeds all the way up and or over the edge of the jacket). I have a whole line of punches though so regardless of the jacket ID I have one that will fit. Of course I use 1 or 2 the most for each caliber and the other linger until needed for a project.
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Old 07-23-2016, 04:20 PM
Al Nyhus Al Nyhus is offline
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Hi Wayne.

I used both .5% and 1% antimony cores in my .30's with my preference being 1%. With the proper core seating punch, both would produce a perfectly concentric bleed by ring of .005-.006 with no core flashing up the walls.

Core build up on the punch(es) was minimal with both the .5% and 1%....the 1% was noticeably less, however. A couple of swipes with some 0000 steel wool is all it took to clean the punch.

When I made my own cores, 1% was my preference. When I started getting them from Charlie Hood, he only did the .5% cores, so that's where I ended up. I'd tested my own cores with .5% and 1% so I knew there was no difference in accuracy so making the switch to Charlie's cores was an easy transition.

I did some 2% cores and they shot great, also. The core seating process with a manual core seater requires more effort depending on your core seating press, etc, etc. Randy Robinett's air-over core seater sure made me smile when I used it.
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Old 07-23-2016, 07:58 PM
WayneShaw WayneShaw is offline
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Thanks Al. Going to send you a PM.
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  #7  
Old 07-24-2016, 02:31 PM
Randy Robinett Randy Robinett is offline
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Default I'm with Al . . .

I prefer the 1% antimony. Regardless of the alloy, some bleed-by is preferable to none. I have used up to 3% antimony: even that works GREAT - especially for "huntin'" bullets.

I am probably too anal, but have punches @ 0.0002" increments. That said, if the bleed-by is uniform, even what I consider, "excessive" still shoots! A closer punch/jacket fit makes for more sticking and punch "etching".

Even "converted" presses are not necessarily SQUARE. If you experience the bleed squirting [disproportionately] up one side, try keeping your core punch centered by using one, or, more O-rings between the punch flange and the punch nut: slip the O-ring(s) onto the punch, seat a core with the punch loose, then, at top of stroke, tighten the nut against the O-ring. Properly sized O-ring are usually stocked at the local hardware store.

Verify centering by ejecting jacket mouth to the die mouth, and running the punch back into the jacket mouth - if it doesn't return without contacting the jacket lip, repeat until the punch re-enters the the jackets w/out contact.

Largely, misalignment cannot be corrected - though some presses have provisions for [supposedly] doing so, it can be accomplished only to a very small degree. Good shootin'! RG
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Old 07-29-2016, 02:53 AM
Al Nyhus Al Nyhus is offline
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Wayne, in this pic you can barely make out the small metric 'o' ring between the die and the ram. I also used a flat rubber washer between the lock nut on the punch holder and the press. Also, note the shoulder bolt and bronze thrust washers and self locking nut rather than the c-clip cross pin...nice upgrade for these presses. Liberal amounts of moly lube (ARP fastener lube works great), also.

Hope this helps. -Al


Last edited by Al Nyhus; 07-29-2016 at 02:57 AM.
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