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Turning your Rock Chucker into a slug press?

@GeneT I too am interested in learning how to alter this type of press to accommodate airgun slug swaging dies. Any more insight in this regard would be appreciated.
It's not really necessary to alter the press (though some do) - it's just the dies. I can't recall his name, but there's a (powder burner) benchrest guy that mods presses, but it's all about increasing their longevity - boring open the pin holes and bushing them with bronze bushings and perhaps larger pins - stuff like that. Just to get one to swage, you need nothing of the sort, and unless you're loading many thousands of slugs you'll probably never wear down an off the shelf 'Chucker. Another possible mod is an ejector. You need to pop the finished slug from the die, and that's usually done with pressure from above. In my simple setup it's just a post that I rap with a mallet. You can get die springs and set one up to eject automatically though (the Corbin presses do this).

What is needed, however is a forming die - the part that takes your measured lead chunk and forms it into a completed slug. Some (powder burner) setups use intermediate dies that pre-shape your 'chunk' to assist in the last process. Generally you'll also need a 'trimmer' - something to cut your lead wire to the right length to provide the right amount of lead to your die (a little extra is good and squirts out holes made for that purpose). An alternative is casting chunks to the right weight and potentially a better starting shape. An optional final step is a sizing die that shapes the outside diameter to a 'perfect' final dimension. It should be noted that even though lead is generally considered 'dead' it is slightly elastic, so taking a little time (e.g. a second) before popping it from the sizing die will help with uniformity.

Without jackets, everthing is pretty simple - except making or acquiring the dies.

HTH,
GsT
 
Purchased mine @ 1980 or so making it over 40 years old at this point ... SOLID Press !!

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The Rock Chucker (in all 3 (4?) of its incarnations) is more than capable of swaging pellets. I have swaged 9mm and 40 cal bullets with one, and know several (powder burner) benchrest guys that routinely make 6mm jacketed bullets on them. Dies are the issue. I've been meaning to try to make some, but that's not an option for all. Nonetheless, the press is not the obstacle...

GsT
Agreed, it's a solid press with the ram being supported with about 4" of bearing surface.
 
Ezana4CE --=--
If you visit ebay and search "bullet swaging dies", all of them show a 7/8" threaded swaging die. 7/8" threads are the same as the RCBS Rock Chucker, which has been used many times over the years to swage large diameter bullets such as .45 caliber.
I wouldn't hesitate to use a Rock Chucker on smaller diameter pellets, they built stoutly enough for largish PB bullets, pellets won't even break a sweat.
OR....you can try this guy for an answer....
BULLET SWAGING SUPPLY, Inc.206 River Oaks Dr. West Monroe. La. 71291Phone 318-387-3266 Cell [email protected] E. Blackmon NRA Patron Member
Conversion Kits for R.C.B.S. Rockchuckers, Lyman Orange Crusher and Pacific 007 $135.00
BSSP Press (only) $180.00
Dies for BSSP or R.C.B.S. ConversionCore Swage $100.00
Core Seat $100.00Point For·m $225.00
Lead Tip Forming Die (for rifle bullets) $130.00
Boattail Forming Die (w/BT punch for point form die) $200.00
Extra internal or external punches (most) $30.001
BSSP Press and 3 Die Set for Open Point Rifle and most pistol bullets $595.00
1R.C.B.S. Conversion Kit and 3 Die Set $550.00
For .14 and .17 Cal. Dies please add $10.00 per die or $20.00 for a 3 Die Set to listed price.
Die to make 22 R.F Hulls into 22 jackets$90.00
Core Mold 4 Cavity (please specify Diam.)3/16, 1/4, 5/16 $140.00. 5/32, 7/32, 3/8 $150.00
Precision Core Cutter with 1 Cutter $100.00
Extra Cutters $20.00Ring Die and Holder $70.00
Ring Die only $40.00
Tubing End Rounding Die and Punches $180.00
TUBING JACKET.
DIES
We must know what jacket you want us to make so that we can quote a price on the necessary dies.
Core and Bullet Swaging Lube 1 ½ oz. $4.00
Jacket availability varies according to prior sales. We are constantly looking for new jackets and will add to our stock whenever possible. Please call for availability and pricing of jackets.
ON ALL ORDERS PLEASE INCLUDE POSTAGE. PLEASE GIVE STREET ADDRESS FORUPS DELIVERY.*Prices are subject to change without notice.VISA & MasterCard accepted (Please add 4% to total)
 
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Adding an edit to these posts. Discovered that Corbin is under new ownership and any issues I experienced were not with them. Also, the new owners are the ones that finished my order and ended up sending me their current die offering which is an upgrade from what I had ordered at no additional cost.

I'm late to this thread but having researched this in depth and ran into the same issues and then waited some 20 months for CORBIN to fill an order I then found these. Plan on ordering a set to try. The arbor press can be found on a budget at places like Harbor Freight and each set of dies can be ordered to make 2 different weights at an absolute fraction of what the swaging press and press conversion kits cost. You can order 3 sets of these for what the kits cost...
https://www.gmiengg.com/product-page/6-35mm-cavity-die-set
 
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I'm late to this thread but having researched this in depth and ran into the same issues and then waited some 20 months for CORBIN to fill an order I then found these. Plan on ordering a set to try…
@IndyDurtdigger You waited almost 2 years? How long ago was this (in which year)? How many dies and presses did you order?

GMI SOC dies seem reasonable for the hobbyist as Arbor presses can be obtained relatively cheap. Communication with the customer appears to be good as well. Contact @Engg.Ken if you have questions about GMI dies. Good guy to talk to in my experience.
 
I'm late to this thread but having researched this in depth and ran into the same issues and then waited some 20 months for CORBIN to fill an order I then found these. Plan on ordering a set to try. The arbor press can be found on a budget at places like Harbor Freight and each set of dies can be ordered to make 2 different weights at an absolute fraction of what the swaging press and press conversion kits cost. You can order 3 sets of these for what the kits cost...
https://www.gmiengg.com/product-page/6-35mm-cavity-die-set
GMI swage dies are good, I use one.
Slower than a press set up but therapeutic and simple to understand, a added bonus is gmienng does not talk crap.

When funds allow, I'm getting some different weight swage dies, GMI ones.😉
 
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@IndyDurtdigger You waited almost 2 years? How long ago was this (in which year)? How many dies and presses did you order?

GMI SOC dies seem reasonable for the hobbyist as Arbor presses can be obtained relatively cheap. Communication with the customer appears to be good as well. Contact @Engg.Ken if you have questions about GMI dies. Good guy to talk to in my experience.
Adding an edit to these posts. Discovered that Corbin is under new ownership and any issues I experienced were not with them. Also, the new owners are the ones that finished my order and ended up sending me their current die offering which is an upgrade from what I had ordered at no additional cost.


I ordered one of their swage kits with press and die set in .25 cal, .250 dia. The press and accessories were shipped within a couple months. The dies were the 20 month wait. Looking back at my emails. I placed the order 5/31/22, made the first inquiry 7 months later about the dies, then one more time a year ish later via phone call per the recommendation of some on these forums and finally received the dies this March.
I've been chastised on here before for saying this, but I'll say it again. In my correspondence with them I was overly polite, and each time was treated rudely in return whether written or the one phone call. That combined with the wait they'll not get another penny of my money. I should probably have been an absolute prick, would most likely been taken better care of as a customer.
 
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