Simple compact swaging dies

[MrP]

I believe at one point in time some guns came with a small swaging die set that you fill with a piece of lead, and tap with a hammer or mallet to force the lead into the correct shape

Does anything like this exist for someone who wants a portable way to form slugs without having to invest thousands? It seems like it could be a very simple device, I wonder why we don't see more of them advertised?

 

[Squack]

GMI offers dies which could be used with a mallet the same way some reloaders use hand dies with a mallet.
You will probably not find a manufacturer recommending this method due to abuse by some users.

 

[ba49]

I have a set of GMI dies from a couple of years ago and I used a small 6ton Harbor freight press on and also a heavy brass hammer. They both worked pretty well. I use lead wire with mine.

 

[MrP]

Is there any particular type / category of die that I should be looking for, or will any of the GMI dies work this way?

Never mind... I checked their website (which I don't think it's currently taking orders but you can still take a look at what they've got).

On one level I'm not surprised that a highly specialized durable tool like this is expensive, but on the other I can't help but wonder at the $350 plus price. Are these costly / difficult to machine?