Home diy lead slug presses

[ptdunk]

Got this comment on my YouTube pellet video, wondered if anyone knew about it:


Many years ago I worked with a bloke who had a pellet press. Nothing special just a lever style press that produced Cat slugs one at a time from lead sheet. I assume the press was produced and sold by Lanes. He could tell me nothing of the presses history other than he and his brother had been given the press as boys by an elderly uncle. They used the press as boys helping themselves to lead flashing from bomb sites and the odd roof???? I tried to buy the press from him on numerous occasions but he refused to part with it. I cant claim to be a pellet collector I just dont throw away old boxes and tins, but that press struck me as being a rare and important part of airgun history, probably typical of the sort of products produced by either Milbro or Lanes around the first world war.'


Anyone ever heard of presses being sold to the public by lanes etc?

Cheers,
Matt

[trajectory]

Saw one a long while ago which made single slugs that were cut & swagged in one motion & were ejected by depressing a captive 'nose former' which was spring loaded & adjustable with a screw thread & locking collar. Pushing down against the lightish spring ejected the slug & on releasing it the spring returned it to the starting position.
It had no markings on it that we could see to identify a maker or retailer & so we assumed it was a bit of tea break engineering by someone who had access to some workshop equipment. No patent no. or anything either. Worked pretty well, one feature was that it produced a slight flare to the trailing edge of the slug so sealing was pretty good & we wondered if it had been done deliberately for a rifled barrel.


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[BC312]

I was in contact a year ago or so speaking to Allan Jefferies of the Lincoln Jefferies family who make the Marksman pellets. I sent him a email if he would consider producing the old cat type slugs, but he thought i was referring to target hobby type slug pellets. I gave him a call to chat about the slugs in question talking about pellets and slugs. I think he still had a slug machine from the old days or he knew where they went, cant remember.
As for slugs not sure what they were like, did have a load years ago but cant remember how accurate they were. I am sure if someone could make a more refined type slug on the old style they may be quite good especially for vintage air guns. Would be interesting to see such a slug machine punching out slugs from lead sheet, wouldn't mind making one myself.
Has anyone done any ballistic tests on these slugs for accuracy and velocity in a vintage gun and modern, not sure if they are undersize made for smooth bore.

[BC312]

For those who want to make their own pellets https://www./itm/255995975204?var=0&...YaAv7YEALw_wcB

[Garvin]

For those who want to make their own pellets https://www./itm/255995975204?var=0&...YaAv7YEALw_wcB

Be careful with the seller though - he's seriously dodgy.

[DrGunn]

It probably wouldn’t be that difficult to make some dies to fit a standard reloading press to punch simple slugs out of lead sheet, although modern slugs and bullets swaged from lead alloys require presses capable of applying more pressure: http://www.corbins.com/presses.htm

The Quackenbush felted slugs appear to have been formed from lead ball (from the patent drawings) but punching them from sheet would probably have worked as well.

[Garvin]

It probably wouldn’t be that difficult to make some dies to fit a standard reloading press to punch simple slugs out of lead sheet, although modern slugs and bullets swaged from lead alloys require presses capable of applying more pressure: http://www.corbins.com/presses.htm

The Quackenbush felted slugs appear to have been formed from lead ball (from the patent drawings) but punching them from sheet would probably have worked as well.

Matt isn't it a cross-section of wire rather than a ball in that Quackenbush patent drawing?

[DrGunn]

Matt isn't it a cross-section of wire rather than a ball in that Quackenbush patent drawing?

Good point Danny, I had assumed a ball from the image but the patent text says “blank may be either in the form of a round shot or a cylindrical piece of lead”. Either way not stamped from sheet. Full patent here: https://patentimages.storage.googlea...5/US290230.pdf

[DCL_dave]

Few years back I made a very simple cup slug die that turned a .22 pellet into a 6.5mm cup slug for use in Gem patterns, worked well enough for the short ranges over which these guns were to be shot. I used a smaller .22 pellet for ease of use but it would probably have worked with lead wire or plugs from a sheet too. I gave it away to the chap who bought that Gem from me.

edit, it was a good few years ago now but I’m sure I posted a thread about it on here?

[ptdunk]

Thanks for your replies, all very helpful.
So if no one has heard of a lanes branded press it could have been an adapted reloading press as suggested.

Dave I remember you telling me about your home made 6mm slugs for your Gem cannon at Lea Valley.

It would be good to do a .25 hollow slug, dart and round ball comparison in one of my old gallery guns.

Cheers,
Matt

[keith66]

Plenty of gear suitable for applying adequate pressure for swaging slugs pellets or bullets, small fly presses are cheap & can apply a lot of force, A few years ago a scrap dealer mate had a small air powered press in the scrap that would have been ideal. A bearing press would also do the job. Critical bit is the dies that have to be accurate & hard wearing.
I was given a small fly press recently, just have to find somewhere to mount it!