Bullet Feeding Die 38/357 3D Printer Model

Author: @
License: CC BY
File formats: stl
Download type: zip
Size:1.1MB

The file 'Bullet Feeding Die 38/357 3D Printer Model' is (stl) file type, size is 1.1MB.

Summary

WARNING: This is NOT perfected. Errors may occur. Use this at your own risk. Use common sense and always watch what you're doing when reloading.

https://youtu.be/LTVHUOkVu1A

I started with the idea of making a bullet feeding die for my Lee Classic Turret Press. With pistol brass, especially 38/357 for revolvers, you don't really need the fourth crimping die as the seating die can perform a slight roll crimp. Sure I could just buy a feeding die and retrofit it for the Lee press, but that's not me.

Simple - Print everything, no pins, no screws, no springs required. May need sand paper/file/razor for fitting, depending on your printer's first layer quality.
Low Stress - The prongs bend minimally when dropping a bullet. Should handle at least a few hundred bullets depending on the material.
Cheap - Even when they do break, it's fraction of a penny to replace. Such a small part is the only moving part of the whole system.

The difficulty lies in the prongs.Too loose and they don't hold the stack especially if there's a long column of bullets. You can get double drops or the grand failure, everything comes out the bottom, like diarrhea. Too stiff and they cause friction, resulting in stuck bullets. So the last few bullets may not feed properly. Cast bullets with sharp bases are more prone to this. Plated/heavy/filleted base bullets do better. Between the two, its probably best to have stiffer prongs as you can just refill the tube and never load the last few bullets.

Known issues:

  • Threads need to be preworked - Due to elephant foot or brims, the base threads need to be sanded to allow thread movement. Some filaments will have tiny speckles or blobs among the threads which should be cleaned first. Of course, make sure the Nut and Cap can be freely run through BOTH ends of the Thread before it's installed on your press.
  • Last bullet - Without some weight to provide downward force, the last bullet can get stuck.
  • Transitions - The space between the the tube and the cap can catch some bullets. A twist usually frees them. The tube system may need to be reworked, minimal effort there.
  • Double drops - The prongs may need to calibrated. Heavier/plated bullets may need stiffer prongs.
  • Off center cases - Anyone who has worked with Lee Shell Holders knows how loose they are. Cases can wobble out of alignment on a turret or even a single stage. I've tried to mitigate that with a wider and filleted entrance. Just be careful and watch.

If you do print this, let me know how it works out for you. If you are having issues with your particular bullet, you can try to customize your prongs. If you would like to try making a version for your own caliber, shoot me a message for the files. I hope this can drive some interest in collaboration to create the perfect feeding die. Meanwhile, I may look into creating a autopriming die.

If anyone's looking for a light challenge, try designing a better cap + tube system. What I made is pretty rudimentary. Or a way to easily load the tube.

Life has happened and I've been much busier.

Here is the F3D archive.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SVHdDSa2UVXpyxCPYXl1POjBN7NNyBFc/view

Cap.stl 428.0KB
Insert.stl 388.6KB
Nut.stl 243.0KB
Prong_v5.stl 30.9KB
Thread.stl 1.7MB
Tube.stl 155.7KB