.he CHAPTER 5 CORBIN HANDBOOK AND CATALOG NO. 7, PAGE #.op

                        SWAGING WITH THE MITY MITE SYSTEM

          Swaging  with the Mity Mite press and dies is a huge step up  from 
     using a reloading press.  It's faster, easier to use, more than doubles 
     the  power you have,  so that the effort is cut by more than half,  and 
     extends the caliber and design range to dizzying heights.
          You  can  obtain dies to make any caliber from .14  to  .458,  any 
     weight  up to about 450 grains,  with a maximum bullet length of  about 
     1.3 inches.   You're read about the CORE SEATING DIE, POINT FORMER, and 
     LEAD TIP DIE in the previous chapter (or, if you skipped it, you should 
     read  it  now).   Let's explore other kinds of dies that  can  actually 
     adjust the weight of the bullet as you swage,  or form boattails on the 
     normal flat-base jacket.

          There are FIVE kinds of swage dies for the Mity Mite system:

                             (1) The CORE SWAGE die
                             (2) The CORE SEATER die
                             (3) The POINT FORMING die
                             (4) The LEAD TIP die
                             (5) The REBATED BOATTAIL die set

          In addition to swage dies, there are draw dies, and special jacket 
     forming  dies.   Copper  tubing can be formed into bullet  jackets  for 
     those calibers where regular drawn jackets are not available,  too thin 
     for big game hunting, or too expensive and difficult to obtain.  Tubing 
     jackets  can be made in the Mity Mite in 0.030-inch wall thickness,  in 
     the  calibers  from  .308 to .458.   The quality  of  such  jackets  is 
     outstanding, even if they are produced from ordinary copper water tube.  
     The  literature that comes with the kit of dies explains the process in 
     detail.  The one die that is used in this set and not discussed here is 
     the  END ROUNDING DIE,  which rolls over the tubing in preparation  for 
     closing  one end.   In reality,  it is simply a special size  of  point 
     forming die, with a round nose cavity and special punches for tubing.
          The  core swage die is made like a core seating die,  except  that 
     both the internal and external punches are very close,  sliding fits to 
     the  bore,  and  the bore is just large enough to accept a cast or  cut 
     lead core.   Also, there are three orifices in the walls of the die, at 
     120-degree positions around the circumference.  
          You can easily tell this die from the others by looking for  these 
     three  bleed holes.   It is easy to determine which punches go with the 
     die:   the punches are far too small to fit closely in any other die of 
     the  same caliber set.   Just try them by hand.   If they fit  smoothly 
     into the die cavity, they are right.
          There are really two forms of core swage die.  One is the ordinary 
     core swage,  used to adjust the lead core weight shape before making  a 
     bullet  from  it.   The  other  is a variation called  the  LEAD  SEMI-
     WADCUTTER DIE, or LSWC-1.  In the Mity Mite system, we place a -M after 
     the  model number of the die set,  and for the same kind of set in  the 
     Hydro-press system,  we place a -H after the model.  There is no LSWC-1 
     or,  for that matter,  any kind of core swage or bleed-off die for  the 
     reloading press.
          The  LSWC-1-M can be used to make a complete bullet in one stroke.  
     It  has a bore size that is finished bullet diameter,  and the  punches 
     have  ends that are shaped just like a reverse of the bullet  nose  and 
     base  you  want to form.   Because the punch forms the nose by  flowing 
     lead into its cavity, there has to be a small shoulder between the nose 
     and  shank,  where the edge of the punch presses into  the  core.   The 
     LSWC-1-M cannot make a smoothly curved ogive without a step.
          Let's  make  a bullet in this die.   First,  cut or cast  a  small 
     quantity of lead core as described in the earlier chapters.   But leave 
     from  two to five grains more lead than you actually want in the  final 
     bullet weight.  Locate your LSWC-1-M die set.  You can see that the die 
     has no adapter body like the reloading press die.  
          The  Mity  Mite dies don't use an adapter body,  because they  are 
     made to screw directly into the RAM of the Mity Mite press!  The die is 
     a very tough knurled cylinder of costly, special steel, heat treated in 
     electronic  furnaces  with a special kind of  atmosphere.   The  Corbin 
     process of die-making has been developed over the past twenty years  to 
     a  level  far beyond that used by most of the mass-production arms  and 
     ammo companies.   The dies you receive are superior in construction and 
     in design to the usual production die,  and the bullets you can make in 
     them should be superior to those you can purchase, if you do your part!
          The die has an internal punch,  which normally is left in the  die 
     (no need to remove it).   It goes into the die from the threaded end of 
     the  die.   The threaded end of the die screws directly into the  press 
     ram.   This  is just the opposite of reloading press dies,  which screw 
     into the press head.  In the Mity Mite, the press head holds a FLOATING 
     PUNCH HOLDER.   This black oxide finished, 7/8-14 TPI threaded cylinder 
     looks like a reloading press die.  But it holds the external punch.
          The ram of the Mity Mite press is machined so it performs all  the 
     functions  of  the universal adapter body.   There is a  shoulder  that 
     stops the internal punch from coming out of the top of the die when you 
     move the ram forward to swage.  There is also a hardened tool steel pin 
     with  a  knurled head,  passing through a slot in the side of the  ram.  
     This is the STOP PIN.  It's job is to stop the backward movement of the 
     internal punch when you pull the ram back,  so that the internal  punch 
     is  forced  to slide forward and eject the bullet.   You don't  need  a 
     mallet, ejector rod, or the power ejector unit with the Mity Mite.
          When  you consider the wide range of calibers,  styles,  and  jobs 
     that  Mity  Mite dies must do,  then think of the years of  development 
     that went into the complete system of interchangable,  simple dies  and 
     punches to fit the Mity Mity press, you may realize why it is better to 
     purchase  the ready-made system rather than trying to modify  reloading 
     presses,  come up with custom parts or tools,  or try to modify dies to 
     work  in  arbor presses,  hydraulic jacks,  or  vises.   The  universal  
     interchange of calibers,  jobs, and styles in the Mity Mite system is a 
     major benefit,  and the ease which which future changes or special work 
     can be done in this system makes it far more cost-effective than trying 
     to come up with one-of-a-kind tools for specific jobs.
          The  FLOATING PUNCH HOLDER,  (Model FPH-1),  is included with each 
     Mity  Mite  press.   Instead of moving the die to adjust for  depth  of 
     punch  insertion,  you screw the die all the way into the ram until  it 
     comes to rest on a shoulder.  This shoulder, not the threads, takes all 
     the force.  Adjustment is all done with the micrometer-like movement of 
     the  threaded punch holder.   Screw it toward the ram to  make  lighter 
     bullets,  or to push a punch further into the core.  Screw it away from 
     the  ram  to fit a heavier core,  or to push a punch a little less  far 
     into the die. 
          To  install the LSWC-1-M die and punches in the Mity  Mite,  first 
     make sure that the internal punch is correctly placed in the die.   The 
     internal  punch has a 1/2-inch diameter head at one end,  and  a  short 
     "tail" protruding from the other side of this head.   The tail is about 
     5/16-inch  diameter,  and its length varies from a quarter inch to five 
     eighths of an inch,  depending on the nominal weight (length) for which 
     the  punch was designed.   This tail,  working with the over-all  punch 
     length  and the dimensions of the ram itself,  determines the  lightest 
     and heaviest weight of bullet that you can get into the  die.   Lighter 
     bullets require less of a tail, and heavier ones take a longer tail.
          You  don't need to know the technical details -- just let us  know 
     what  general  weight  range you want,  and we'll see  that  the  punch 
     provided will do it.  If one punch won't handle the whole range, we may 
     suggest  a second punch.   Usually,  the range is so great that you can 
     reasonably  expect  to make handgun weights with one  punch  and  rifle 
     weights  with  another.   The punch tail determines how much volume  is 
     left in the die cavity,  which 
          You  don't need to know the technical details -- just let us  know 
     what  general  weight  range you want,  and we'll see  that  the  punch 
     provided will do it.  If one punch won't handle the whole range, we may 
     suggest  a second punch.   Usually,  the range is so great that you can 
     reasonably  expect  to make handgun weights with one  punch  and  rifle 
     weights  with  another.   The punch tail determines how much volume  is 
     left in the die cavity,  which nger pressure.  It isn't necessary 
     to use a pair of pliers.  Now identify the external punch.  
          The  external  punch  fits the die cavity,  but it has  no  "tail" 
     section on its half-inch diameter head.  Whereas the internal punch has 
     to  be  as long as the entire die,  so it can push the bullet  out  the 
     mouth,  the external punch needs only to fit half-way or less into  the 
     die bore.   It is shorter.   The part that is matched to the die cavity 
     diameter is less than half the entire punch length.  There is a section 
     of  the punch just after the head that is turned to about three eighths 
     of an inch in diameter.  
          This  section  slips into a hardened bushing that  you  will  find 
     inside  the floating punch holder.   There are three parts in the punch 
     holder  besides  the body itself.   First,  there is  a  hexagon-shaped 
     bushing  or retainer that threads into the mouth of the  punch  holder.  
     Remove  this bushing.   It should unscrew easily by hand.   Inside  the 
     punch  holder  are two hardened tool steel parts.   One is a  half-inch 
     diameter bushing or ring.  One side is flat, the other curved.  
          This  part  is  called the ROCKER  BUSHING.   It  slips  over  the 
     external  punch,  so  that the flat side rests against the head of  the 
     punch,  and  the  curved side faces toward the small end of  the  punch 
     (toward the die).   On punches that must be made larger than 0.375-inch 
     diameter,  the  hex  bushing  and the rocker  bushing  are  permanently 
     assembled to the punch.   These punches must have the end opposite  the 
     head  larger than the standard hole size in the two bushings.   We make 
     them  fit the standard system by building them with a  removable,  cap-
     screw secured head.   We assemble them here,  so you don't have to take 
     them  apart  and  reassemble  them every time you  want  to  install  a 
     bushing.  
          If  your  caliber  takes  a  punch  smaller  than  0.375-inch  tip 
     diameter,  the rocker bushing and hex bushing supplied with the  press, 
     in  the punch holder,  will easily slip over the punch.   Assemble them 
     now.  Put the hex bushing over the punch so it will hold the punch into 
     the  punch  holder.   Look inside the punch holder.   If you  use  your 
     little finger, or a toothpick, you can probably pick out the last part, 
     called  the  ROCKER  BUTTON.   This part looks  just  like  the  rocker 
     bushing, but is solid.
          The  rocker  button fits into a V-shaped surface in the bottom  of 
     the punch holder cavity.   It allows the head of the punch to  transfer 
     all the tons of swaging force to the punch holder in a safe manner, yet 
     still  allows  the punch to rotate slightly so it can line up with  the 
     die bore perfectly.   If the punch were held rigid,  it could not self-
     align or float to keep the punch perfectly aligned under stress.   This 
     is  another  advantage  of  the Mity Mite  system  over  other  swaging 
     methods.
          Notice that the rocker button has a curve on one side, and is flat 
     on the other.  Make sure that you put this button into the punch holder 
     so that the curved side goes in first.  You want the punch head to rest 
     against the flat side of the button.   And the flat side of the  rocker 
     bushing  presses against the other side of the punch head.   The curved 
     side of the rocker bushing matches a curve machined in the inside  edge 
     of the hex bushing.   When you screw it all into the punch holder,  the 
     punch  is held so that the exact center of its head is in the center of 
     a  1-1/4 inch ball,  most of which is not physically present,  but  the 
     working  parts  of  which are formed by the  curves  and  their  mating 
     surfaces.
          You don't need to take any special precautions with this assembly.  
     It doesn't need oiling or maintenance.   Just make sure you assemble it 
     correctly.   Look at the pictures in this manual before you try it.  If 
     any  of  the three parts are missing,  your punch will not be  properly 
     supported  and could be damaged under swaging  pressure.   Many  people 
     purchase  spare  punch holders so that they can assemble the punch  and 
     leave  it,  locking the lock ring on the punch holder to  repeat  their 
     favorite adjustment quickly.   This is nearly as fast as having several 
     presses, since it is the only adjustment that ever needs to be made.
          With the die assembled into the ram, and the external punch in the 
     punch  holder,  back  off the punch holder several turns away from  the 
     ram.   Pick up a core,  moisten it with a little Corbin Swage Lube  (or 
     Corbin Dip Lube,  if you want to make a lead bullet with a wax film for 
     up to 1200 fps velocity), and place it into the die mouth.  
          The core must fit into the die easily.  If it won't fit, it is too 
     large and you should not attempt to swage it.  Never swage anything too 
     large  to fit into the die by hand.   If it is far too small,  you will 
     tend to get folds and wrinkles in the shank, and it will be hard to get 
     enough  weight without having the core stick out the  die  mouth.   The 
     maximum  length of core still must fit into the die before any pressure 
     is  noticed on the handle.   Never try to swage something that is  just 
     barely inside the die, or sticks out of the die mouth. 
          Carefully move the ram forward so that you can align the  external 
     punch and die.   Don't pinch your fingers!  Just help the punch go into 
     the die this first time, and then, when you have it inside, gently snug 
     up the hex bushing so that the punch doesn't move freely (it will still 
     move under swaging forces).  
          The  Mity  Mite press is so powerful it can pinch your finger  off 
     just by dropping the handle with your finger between the die and punch.  
     Always  keep  your hand firmly on the handle when you are  adjusting  a 
     punch,  and  don't  trust gravity or friction to keep the  handle  from 
     falling!   I never place my finger between the die and punch.  Any time 
     I make a manual adjustment or help the punch line up the first time,  I 
     always  keep my fingers on the sides of the punch,  away from the  tip.  
     If  I should drop the handle on the press,  the die would move my  hand 
     out  of  the way.   I might pinch myself against the end of  the  punch 
     holder, but that wouldn't be too bad. 
          If  the  punch won't reach into the die at this  point,  move  the 
     punch  holder  forward.   The  ram  should be  moved  to  its  foremost 
     position,  so it reaches as close to the press head as it can go.  This 
     happens at the point of maximum leverage, with the pivots in the handle 
     lined  up in a straight line with the ram centerline.   This  press  is 
     unique  in having all its linkage and ram concentric and in a  straight 
     line  with  maximum forward travel.   Most presses have  a  side-torque 
     caused by offsetting the handle,  and several can't reach full leverage 
     because they physically run out of travel before then.
          If  the die can't be moved forward because the lead core comes  up 
     against the external punch,  back off the external punch by turning the 
     punch holder.  When you have the ram all the way forward, hold it there 
     and  screw the punch holder toward the die until you can't turn it  any 
     more.  The punch will have come up against the lead core.  
          Back off the ram slightly, and move the floating punch holder half 
     a turn forward.   Stroke the press forward again.  Then pull the handle 
     back  and almost,  but not quite,  eject the bullet.   You can see  the 
     bullet  at the die mouth,  ready to be ejected.   Notice whether or not 
     the  nose is completely filled out.   If not,  adjust the punch  holder 
     forward  another half turn and swage the bullet again.   Within  a  few 
     strokes  you  will  have the press set up so that the nose  is  forming 
     completely.
          A small quantity of lead should begin to move out the bleed holes.  
     I  like  to make my cores so that about one eighth of an inch  of  lead 
     extrusion comes out the bleed holes on every stroke.   Also,  I like to 
     swage the cores so that they are double-swaged:  every stroke goes over 
     and past the "top dead center" position, and then passes "over the top" 
     again on the back stroke.   You will notice that the Mity Mite retracts 
     the ram slightly as you continue through the end of the  stroke.   This 
     slight retraction gives you a double-swaging action on each stroke,  if 
     you use it.
          If  you eject the bullet and weigh it,  you can see whether or not 
     to adjust the punch holder and in what direction.  If the bullet is too 
     light,  then you may need to adjust the punch holder away from the  ram 
     (to  make  more room in the die at the end of the stroke,  and  extrude 
     less  lead).   If it is too heavy,  then you need to adjust  the  punch 
     holder  toward  the ram (to reduce the volume in the die at the end  of 
     the stroke, and force more lead out the bleed holes).
          Obviously, if your lead cores start out too light, there is no way 
     to  make  them all weigh the same by swaging and still come up  with  a 
     heavier  bullet.   The only way to get consistent core weight  by  this 
     method is to start out with plenty of lead,  and remove all the surplus 
     along with the variation.   The hardness of the lead has a good deal to 
     do with consistency of weight.  Harder lead will flow more slowly.  You 
     may get variations in weight with harder lead,  because you don't allow 
     enough time for the lead to quit flowing.   I recommend only pure, soft 
     lead  for  the  Mity  Mite.   You can get by with alloys of  up  to  3% 
     antimony, in the smaller calibers.  
          If  you  don't notice any lead coming out the  bleed  holes,  stop 
     swaging  and figure out whether the core is so short that it  lets  the 
     external  punch move past the bleed hole location.   If this happens to 
     be  the  case,  then  you need an internal punch with  a  shorter  tail 
     section.   Most  people assume the external punch is  too  short.   But 
     making it any other size tends to cause other problems.   The right way 
     to  adjust for extreme weight ranges is with the design of the internal 
     punch tail.  
          After you have swaged some bullets, the internal punch may be more 
     difficult  to move.   This is because the three extrusion holes in  the 
     die become filled with the last lead wire extrusion made.   The ends of 
     the  lead wire press against the punch sides.   This  is  normal.   You 
     should still be able to remove and re-insert the external punch, though 
     there  is no reason to do so unless you want to change to another style 
     (such as going from flat base to cup base).
          Read  this  part  over  again and make  sure  you  understand  the 
     principle  involved.   This is the same operation you use with all  the 
     various  core swages and lead semi-wadcutter dies.   It works the  same 
     way  whether  you use the automatic proximity  detectors  and  pressure 
     transducers of the Hydro-press or whether you do it by hand on the Mega 
     Mite  or  Mity Mite press.   It doesn't matter whether you  are  making 
     benchrest  .224 rifle cores,  handgun .44 Magnum cores,  or .40  Sharps 
     rifle  bullets  for paper-patching.   Airgun pellets or precision  lead 
     weights for phonograph cartridges all are made exactly this way.
          Two notes about high precision:  (1) Make sure the ram does indeed 
     go past the "top of stroke" position each time,  and (2) try to use the 
     same timing for each stroke.  Timing is important because lead flows on 
     an  exponential  curve  with time.   Lead has a  creep  rate  that  can 
     continue  for  years under a constant low stress.   If you  maintain  a 
     steady rate,  your cores will come out much closer than if you whip the 
     handle back and forth one time, and lean on it to drink a cup of coffee 
     the next.
          You  should  be able to get less than 1% variation in  total  core 
     weight on your first attempt.  If you are really good, you can get less 
     than 0.5% variation.   Some people actually achieve such high precision 
     that  there  is no discernable weight variation on a  normal  reloading 
     scale.  It is all the same equipment.  Your skill in operating it makes 
     the difference. 
          But  think about what this means:   If you start with a 100  grain 
     core,  one percent is one grain.  Half a percent is half a grain.  With 
     a 50 grain core,  one percent is half a grain.   With a 500 grain core, 
     one percent is five grains.   In other words,  don't just expect half a 
     grain  or  less  on everything,  because it is very  sloppy  for  light 
     bullets  and  beyond  any  reasonable  expectation  for  heavier  ones.  
     Besides  which,  weight  variation  alone has very little  to  do  with 
     accuracy.   
          Weight variation that is caused by differences in jacket thickness 
     or alloy composition is a bad thing for accuracy.  It means the trouble 
     is elsewhere,  and it means differences in bore friction, bullet upset, 
     and  other  factors.   Weight  variation that is merely the  result  of 
     having another grain or two of lead is quite insignificant.  I have won 
     matches  with  bullets  that varied more than five  grains  in  weight.  
     Fortunately,  there was nothing else wrong with them. A great number of 
     factory bullets have horrible weight variation from lot to lot.   If it 
     came from having more or less core material, I wouldn't worry about it.  
     But  usually it comes from having differences in jacket  material,  and 
     that affects groups.
          You've made some nice lead semi-wadcutter bullets now,  using  the 
     LSWC-1-M,  and  they  are ready to shoot if you used Dip Lube on  them.  
     Using Corbin Swage Lube, you would have made lead cores that could then 
     be  further processed into bullets.   In that case,  you would want  to 
     clean  off  the  cores  to remove any lube  before  putting  them  into 
     jackets.   The reason is that any lube inside the jacket contributes to 
     a possible unbalance of the bullet.
          Put  the cores in a strainer or wire basket and slosh them  around 
     in a strong solvent.   Corbin Cleaning Solvent comes in pint cans,  and 
     is able to remove any lubricant traces,  fingerprints,  and grease from 
     either  cores,  jackets,  or  from  your guns.   It  will  remove  some 
     finishes,  too,  so  be careful around stocks and  table  tops!   After 
     cleaning the cores,  spread them out to dry.  Change the core swage die 
     for the core seating die.  
          We've  already talked about the reloading press core seating  die.  
     It  is exactly like the one for the Mity Mite and Hydro-press  systems.  
     Only differences in size and how it is held in the press apply.  A core 
     seating  die looks like a core swage without any bleed holes.   That is 
     your first clue.  The second is that the bore is larger, and it accepts 
     the  right caliber of jacket for the bullet you want to  make.   Try  a 
     jacket in the die -- if it fits, probably it is the same caliber as the 
     die.   A  positive test for caliber is to swage a lead core in the core 
     seating  die,  and  then  use  your trusty micrometer  to  measure  the 
     diameter of the lead after swaging.  
          Core seating dieore swage without any bleed holes.   That is 
     your first clue.  The second is that the bore is larger, and it accepts 
     the  right caliber of jacket for the bullet you want to  make.   Try  a 
     jacket in the die -- if it fits, probably it is the same caliber as the 
     die.   A  positive test for caliber is to swage a lead core in the core 
     seating  die,  and  then  use  your trusty micrometer  to  measure  the 
     diameter of the lead after swaging.  
          Core seating dies  or  rifle 
     bullets,  and there is no need to purchase another special die for lead 
     bullets,  and (2) you can sometimes get a more precisely formed  bullet 
     for  critical  applications  by  doing  it  in  more  steps.   This  is 
     especially true for harder lead alloys.
          The internal punch of the core seating die fits into the die bore, 
     and either has a flat face,  a probe (for hollow base bullets),  a dome 
     (for  a  dish or cup base bullet),  or it can have a cavity  (for  some 
     kinds special bases, not usually on jacketed bullets as the jacket edge 
     has  a  hard time jumping over the edge of the  punch).   The  external 
     punch can be almost anything!
          If you want to make a handgun bullet, the external punch will have 
     a nose cavity shaped like a mirror image of the nose.  This is only for 
     lead  nose  bullets,  not for those with the jacket curved  around  the 
     ogive.   If you want to make an open tip bullet,  as most rifle bullets 
     tend to be,  then the external punch should fit into the jacket  rather 
     than  the sides of the die.   This means that the external punch can be 
     quite a bit smaller than the die bore.
          A  hollow  point  bullet uses a core seating punch  with  a  probe 
     machined  on  the tip.  This probe pushes down into the lead  core  and 
     displaces  lead  around itself.  The punch is made so that  it  centers 
     itself either in the jacket (for an internal hollow point,  having  the 
     jacket  wrapped  around it),  or on the die walls (a typical  lead  tip 
     hollow point).   This keeps the cavity concentric with the sides of the 
     bullet.
          You can use another external punch in the same die.  First press a 
     cavity  into the lead core,  as deep as you wish (you don't have to use 
     the  full extension of the punch into the core,  you  know...).   Then, 
     change  punches  and push a Keith nose or a round nose punch  into  the 
     die,  setting  the adjustment so that you don't completely  reform  and 
     close the cavity you just made.  Again, you will soon see that there is 
     a  lot of control possible between not forming the bullet sufficiently, 
     and completely forming it to the punch shape.  
          Your first punch should be used with reasonable force, compressing 
     the  lead core and filling out the jacket to meet the  die  walls.   It 
     should  leave the jacket and core in the die,  not pull it out with the 
     punch.   But any subsequent punch that you want to use does not have to 
     be pushed so far or hard into the core.   The shank is already  formed.  
     Everything  else is just a matter of styling the bullet.   Go ahead and 
     experiment.  Two punches can make twenty different bullet shapes if you 
     use them with various degrees of insertion and in different orders.
          But  the  point  forming  die  really  brings  out  the  power  to 
     experiment!   You read about this die already under the reloading press 
     section. It has a cavity shaped just like the bullet, except there is a 
     little hole in the tip for a strong,  spring-wire ejection pin to  push 
     the  bullet back out again.   In the Mity Mite system,  this die has  a 
     major  difference  from the reloading press types.    It has a  captive 
     internal punch instead of a retraction spring.
          You'll recall that the point forming die has a very small ejection 
     pin instead of a conventional internal punch, and it is held out of the 
     die  cavity by a spring.   In the Mity Mite press,  there is no spring.  
     That  stop  pin we discussed earlier is pulled out of the  top  of  the 
     press,  and  slipped into a slot in the head of the ejection pin  after 
     you  screw  the die into place.   Don't forget to do this,  or you  can 
     damage the ejection pin.
          The first thing I do is pull out the stop pin.   Then I place  the 
     ejection  pin  in the end of my point forming die (it goes in from  the 
     threaded end, just like all internal punches in all dies), and screw it 
     into the ram as one assembly.   With the ram in the right position,  it 
     is  easy to grasp the tip of the ejection pin while it sticks  out  the 
     die mouth.   I do this, and slide and turn the ejection pin until I can 
     see  the slot underneath the stop pin hole.   Then I push the stop  pin 
     back  into  place,  and give the ejection pin a tug to make sure it  is 
     actually locked in place.
          Now, the ejection pin will be retracted automatically from the die 
     without any spring pressure,  and it will be held in place to eject the 
     bullet.   The  Mity  Mite  system has less of a problem  with  a  stuck 
     bullet,  since you can use the press to retract the pin again and  make 
     another attempt to swage it.  If you feel resistance to ejection, it is 
     usually  better  to unscrew the die and use a short piece of  the  same 
     diameter of spring wire as the ejection pin, along with a small mallet, 
     to  tap  the  bullet  out.    This  happens  when  you  use  over-sized 
     components,  try  to  reswage  a finished factory bullet  in  the  same 
     diameter  of die (many people do this,  not realizing that you  usually 
     need a slightly larger die for it to work),  or forget to use the right 
     lubricant.
          The  most common problem people have when first starting to  swage 
     is bending the ejection pin.   After a while, you get a better feel for 
     the  kind of resistance that is normal,  and bent pins become less  and 
     less  frequent.   It is a good idea to purchase spares if you would  be 
     under  any pressure because of having your set out of commission for  a 
     little  while due to a damaged ejection pin or a stuck bullet  (usually 
     the cause).  One or two spare ejection pins can save your day.
          Now  let's  talk about a set of dies that we usually consider  one 
     package:   the RBT-2 set,  or rebated boattail forming dies.   This  is 
     actually a matched pair of dies,  not just one.  They replace the usual 
     straight-walled  core  seater  whenever  you want  to  make  a  rebated 
     boattail bullet.  
          A  rebated boattail bullet has a step,  or shoulder,  like a Keith 
     nose on a pistol bullet.  That step acts like a spoiler to break up the 
     blast  of hot muzzle gas just as the bullet exists your barrel.   On  a 
     conventional smooth boattail design, the gas flows with the streamlined 
     shape and zips past the bullet,  flows along the ogive, and then breaks 
     up  right in front of the bullet as it tries to get away.   A  boattail 
     means  that  you are probably shooting through your  own  muzzle  blast 
     turbulence!   That  can  add  perhaps another 10% error factor  to  the 
     bullet dispersion. 
          The  small  rebate has a minor  drag  effect,  but  over-all,  the 
     improvement  in  total performance is greater.   Not only do  you  gain 
     ballistic  coefficient by reducing base drag,  but you also retain  the 
     natural  good disperson characteristics of the flat base bullet  during 
     that critical exit time from the muzzle.  Add to that the fact that the 
     dies  and punches last longer,  there is less gas cutting and a  better 
     seal  in your barrel.   Those are compelling reasons to forget about  a 
     conventional boattail design if you have the option of making your  own 
     bullets.
          The process is just like seating a regular core.  You use the same 
     external core seating punch that you would use with your flat-base core 
     seater.  But instead of using the flat base core seating die, place the 
     core and jacket into the BT-1 or BOATTAIL PREFORMING die.  This die has 
     a  standard boattail shape inside.   You push the flat-base jacket into 
     this die, seat the core, and the jacket is converted into a boattail.
          Having  this  taper on the bottom of the jacket makes it  easy  to 
     form  the rebated step or edge.   The next die,  BT-2 or RBT  FINISHING 
     DIE,  has  a  shoulder that transposes itself into the jacket when  you 
     once  again seat the core.   If you tried to use this  die  alone,  the 
     shoulder would catch the jacket bottom and tear it.  But the taper gets 
     the  bottom of the jacket past the shoulder before any real pressure is 
     applied.  The jacket moves outward to take on the die shape, instead of 
     trying to draw over this shoulder.
          Included with the RBT-2-M set (which can be purchased as an add-on 
     to  a  conventional three-die or four-die set) is  a  special  external 
     punch  for the point forming die.   This punch has a cavity in the tip, 
     to  match the shape of the boattail.   The punch supports  the  rebated 
     boattail shape,  and keeps it from being mashed out of form.  The punch 
     is  a  little fragile,  so don't use it for other  experiments  without 
     considering the forces you plan to apply to those edges. 
          In a short, fat pistol caliber, you can use a Keith nose punch for 
     a  rebated boattail bullet.   First form a conventional jacketed bullet 
     with a nice truncated conical nose.   This is done in the point forming 
     die.   In fact,  you can make the whole bullet in the point forming die 
     if you put the jacket into this die backward (base first) and then  use 
     a  core  seating punch to seat the core.   Eject this bullet,  turn  it 
     over,  and now you have a tapered section facing out of the die and  an 
     open  tip flat end facing in.   Use the Keith punch to push the  bullet 
     into the die.  
          The tapered nose will fit into the Keith punch nicely, and will be 
     made  into a rebated boattail base.   The flat open end will be  formed 
     into a new nose in the point forming die.  It is simple, effective, and 
     the  bullets seem to gain between 20% and 40% in ballistic  coefficient 
     at  subsonic  speeds.   This doesn't work if the bullet is much  longer 
     than its caliber, so don't try it with conventional rifle bullets.
          Lead  tip  dies  for  the Mity Mite system  are  just  like  those 
     described for reloading presses,  except,  of course,  they are made to 
     fit the press ram.   They look very much like a core seating die.  Some 
     people wonder why we can't use a core seating die.   The reason is that 
     the bullet won't slip back into the core seater after it is finished at 
     full  diameter.   It will go in,  but only under some force.   And  the 
     force is greater than that required to form the lead tip.  
          Making a lead tip bullet requires a little experience.   At first, 
     you  will probably have some experimenting to do,  because you need  to 
     have  just  enough lead protruding so that the cavity in  the  internal 
     punch of the lead tip die can reshape it fully.   Too much lead showing 
     doesn't hurt,  but too little is a problem.   It can't fill the cavity, 
     and won't shape up properly.  With the lead tip die, it is necessary to 
     use very light pressure.   Pressing too hard makes a ring in the  ogive 
     of  the bullet.   In some small tips,  it helps to grind a sharp  wedge 
     shape on the ejection pin of the point forming die.  Then, the ejection 
     pin  will split the protruding,  deformed lead and come to rest against 
     the jacket edge.  
          The jacket edge won't split easily,  so the bullet can be ejected.  
     Then,  when you put the bullet into the lead tip die to finish the end, 
     the  neatly  split  blob of lead will reform nicely  and  become  whole 
     again.  This technique is useful for problem cases, where one must have 
     a  small  tip size and bring the jacket nearly  closed.   Generally  it 
     isn't required.   Large handgun-style lead tips,  which are probably  a 
     quarter  of the caliber or more,  don't generally require the lead  tip 
     die  in order to form properly.   A conventional three-die package  for 
     open tip bullets works well for making large lead tips of this type.
          The  lead tip die (LT-1-M) can be purchased separately as an  add-
     on,  or it can be included with your set of dies in the LTFB-4-M, RBTL-
     5-M,  or  the  FRBL-6-M sets.   These all have an "L" in their  catalog 
     number.   The "L" stands for "Lead Tip".   All it means is that a  lead 
     tip die has been included:   you can still make open tip bullets.   All 
     the  various sets of dies are assembled from the same basic  individual 
     dies.   Everything  but the LSWC-1-M set starts with a core swage and a 
     core  seating  die,   and  adds  a  point  forming  die,   and  various 
     combinations of lead tip and rebated boattail dies.  
          A "FB" in the catalog number means "Flat Base".  It indicates that 
     you  have a standard core seating die in the package,  not  necessarily 
     that  you are limited to flat base rather than  cup,  dish,  or  hollow 
     bases.  In fact, if you order a pistol set with the cup base specified, 
     you  could very well receive a set that doesn't have a flat base  punch 
     at  all,  but it still has the basic ability to make one if you get the 
     right punch.   We'd still call it a "FJFB-3-M" if it has a core  swage, 
     core seat, and point forming die.  
          The  "FJ" only stands for "Full Jacket",  and is primarily to fill 
     in space in the catalog number,  since any set with a point forming die 
     can be used to make a full jacket bullet.  The letters "RB" or "RBT" in 
     the catalog number stand for "Rebated Boattail", and they mean that the 
     two  RBT  dies are included,  along with the proper RBT punch  for  the 
     point forming die.   If the "F" for "Flat base" is also in the  catalog 
     number,  then  it  means that you can make both flat and  RBT  bullets.  
     Both  the  standard  core  seater  and the two  RBT  core  seaters  are 
     included, in that case. 
          The  number in the catalog number tells how many dies are  in  the 
     set.   For instance,  in a "FRBL-6-M" set,  you have flat base (F) core 
     seater,  two RBT core seaters (RB), a lead tip die (L), and of course a 
     core  swage  and point former,  which are assumed present  in  anything 
     above  a two-die set.   That makes six dies,  ae both flat and  RBT  bullets.  
     Both  the  standard  core  seater  and the two  RBT  core  seaters  are 
     included, in that case. 
          The  number in the catalog number tells how many dies are  in  the 
     set.   For instance,  in a "FRBL-6-M" set,  you have flat base (F) core 
     seater,  two RBT core seaters (RB), a lead tip die (L), and of course a 
     core  swage  and point former,  which are assumed present  in  anything 
     above  a two-die set.   That makes six dies,  a     one  die with matching punches,  and it makes the same kind  of  bullet 
     with  the exception that you cannot use jackets so long that they cover 
     the bleed holes.   That means half-jacket and straight lead bullets are 
     the proper kind for a LSWC-1-M.
          The  techniques of swaging are covered in much greater  detail  in 
     the other books.   I recommend that you invest a little time in reading 
     about the process,  if you have not done it before.   Bullet swaging is 
     quite  simple,  but  also quite powerful.   Because there are  so  many 
     possible  variations,  it is far more important to learn the principles 
     than  it is to try and follow a block of pictures and repeat each  step 
     exactly.   With six different kinds of dies,  and hundreds of different 
     techniques  and styles in thousands of calibers,  can you  imagine  the 
     number of pages you'd need to keep on hand, in order to have a "1-2-3-" 
     cookbook to follow for each possible bullet you wanted to make?
          On the other hand,  if you understand how a core swage works,  how 
     to use a core seater,  and what kind of bullets you could expect from a 
     point  forming  die  and  a lead tip die,  you can  work  out  all  the 
     variations for yourself,  and probably come up with others that none of 
     us  have yet discovered!   In the Mity Mite system,  pressures run from 
     20,000 to 50,000 psi or more.   That is some kind of power!   And, it's 
     all under your control. 

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