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  #51  
Old 10-26-2011, 02:32 PM
Southampton Southampton is offline
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Default "T" block for press mounting

I personally like the Lee Bench Plate (Cat# 90251) concept.
Could be mounted on a stand, vice block, etc.
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  #52  
Old 10-27-2011, 07:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Southampton View Post
I personally like the Lee Bench Plate (Cat# 90251) concept.
Could be mounted on a stand, vice block, etc.
Patmarlins ROCKDock is superior in every way. Check it out:

Patmarlins- Specialty Products for Casting and Reloading

I'm going to be buying one with several plates.
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  #53  
Old 10-28-2011, 10:58 AM
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Default Drawer liner

I put a sheet of drawer liner on my reloading bench...the rubbery perforated kind you can get at Wallyworld or anywhere else. Keeps bullets and brass from rolling off, provides padding for guns, and powder when you spill a bit (which I usually do) trickles through to the bench where I can clean it up later.
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  #54  
Old 10-28-2011, 11:17 AM
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Not really a reloading tip or trick, but if anyone is thinking of buying an RCBS product, check out their webpage, and call for factory "seconds." I purchased my Automatic Bench primer from them, and had it shipped for cheaper than I could find anywhere else. Factory "seconds" are still covered by their warranty. The one I purchased looked brand new. Have heard they will sell items they used as demo's at shows as "seconds."
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  #55  
Old 10-28-2011, 02:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Dftplan View Post
I put a sheet of drawer liner on my reloading bench...the rubbery perforated kind you can get at Wallyworld or anywhere else. Keeps bullets and brass from rolling off, provides padding for guns, and powder when you spill a bit (which I usually do) trickles through to the bench where I can clean it up later.
I use it also.
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  #56  
Old 10-29-2011, 01:49 AM
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I like to keep a white back ground behind my reloading set-up, it will highlight split cases, and the shapes of object. If some thing is not right, it will stand out.

I use a single stage set up so I always have brass at different stages, so I always keep a pen, and note pad. I will just write my self a note on what I was doing, and place it in the container so when come back Ill know where I left off at.
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  #57  
Old 10-29-2011, 10:11 AM
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Originally Posted by lazy View Post
I like to keep a white back ground behind my reloading set-up, it will highlight split cases, and the shapes of object. If some thing is not right, it will stand out.

I use a single stage set up so I always have brass at different stages, so I always keep a pen, and note pad. I will just write my self a note on what I was doing, and place it in the container so when come back Ill know where I left off at.
And I thought I was the only person who did this. I use Post-It and stick it to the sides.
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  #58  
Old 10-29-2011, 12:07 PM
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Rem DriLube is great for a little lubrication inside dies with zero residue and no stickiness to pick up dirt.

Hopefully the following pics give somebody a good idea or two.

I used old kitchen cabinets as the base for my workbench. Not pretty, but pretty darn solid... and cheap.


Since I use the bench for other things, I've built two removable boxes - one for my single-stage press plus trimmer and/or bench priming tool.


I stand up while reloading BTW.

Those cat food bowls are weighted at the bottom to keep critters from tipping them over. Keep me from doing the same

The other box is for my turret press, used for expander/seater/crimp with handgun cartridges:


Here's a pic showing both presses right after I've sized & primed a batch of cases which are now waiting for powder:
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  #59  
Old 10-30-2011, 03:49 PM
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couple 650 Dillon tricks:

1) I used a variation of Vonfatman's spent primer tube-into-large container....no more errant primers everywhere *THANKS Bob!!!

2) I abandoned the 'printed label/masking tape' for powder ID...went to "NON permanent marker pen directly ON the powder measure with ~sometimes~ min&max charges, OAL, fps if I want it, etc. Comes off easily with many liquid cleaners on a paper towel with no trouble;

3) the hassle of changing PRIMER SIZES. After many years of dreading this (and losing the really GOOD little tool idea for removing the primer punch...what WAS that anyway?~~~I have changed my reloading schedule into only needing to do this once or twice a year!!!

How? You ask? Recognize there's only 2 primer sizes: I load everything I have in "large primer" before changing punch sizes. Then I load everything I have in the other punch size. This means that maybe once (or twice) a year I need to switch. No problem, as this is ideal time for press cleaning & maintenance anyway.
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  #60  
Old 11-14-2013, 04:05 PM
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I use a quart size freezer bag with a zip lock seal. This holds the Lee turret with 3 or 4 dies, the shell holder, and the case gauge.
I place an index card in the bag indicating the caliber and contents. Three of these bags will fit in a plastic coffee can for storage. I use packing foam between the bags for cushioning.
Place a piece of light colored tape on the coffee can lid indicting what is inside.
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  #61  
Old 11-15-2013, 03:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dickttx View Post
What does anyone use to store your Lee turrets with dies in?
I use the round die box the set came in. Some die sets that came in flat boxes I used a tuna can and the ring from a glass canning jar. The ring holds the turret up so the deprime pin does not contact the surface. and the tuna can just keeps thing from sliding around.
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  #62  
Old 11-30-2013, 03:44 PM
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Here's a "Salad Spinner" I found for $7 at the grocery store. Designed to spin lettuce et al to dry it before making a salad -







I think the reloading applications are obvious. I use it to wash brass in citric acid solution. Turning the crank on the top spins the colander inside the plastic housing. The clear plastic thing is microwave safe. So I heat up water, add citric acid, dump in about 200 rounds of .38 spec brass, let soak for 15 min. Then I lift out the colander portion and place it in a second spinner (I bought two). Turn the crank a few times and it spins a lot of the liquid out of the brass. Lift out the colander again and rinse in clean water. If I'm in a hurry I can leave them in the green colander and blow dry it with my compressor. If not in a hurry, I just set the colander on a towel and allow it to dry.

***

Next is not necessarily reloading related, but it is gun related. Those little plastic "flosser" things made to floss teeth. I never found them very useful for teeth but they're really handy for cleaning guns. Revolver forcing cone areas, auto loader slide grooves, any small gunk prone areas. The plastic "pick" end won't hurt any gun or blueing. The floss end gets up between the top of a forcing cone and top strap of a wheel gun. Apply tiny drops of oil or grease with the pick end. Cut and reshape the plastic if you like with dikes, razor blades, sand paper. They cost pennies per gizmo. Won't break or absorb oil/solvent like wooden toothpicks.






Sgt Lumpy
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  #63  
Old 11-30-2013, 05:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SgtLumpy View Post
Here's a "Salad Spinner" I found for $7 at the grocery store. Designed to spin lettuce et al to dry it before making a salad -







I think the reloading applications are obvious. I use it to wash brass in citric acid solution. Turning the crank on the top spins the colander inside the plastic housing. The clear plastic thing is microwave safe. So I heat up water, add citric acid, dump in about 200 rounds of .38 spec brass, let soak for 15 min. Then I lift out the colander portion and place it in a second spinner (I bought two). Turn the crank a few times and it spins a lot of the liquid out of the brass. Lift out the colander again and rinse in clean water. If I'm in a hurry I can leave them in the green colander and blow dry it with my compressor. If not in a hurry, I just set the colander on a towel and allow it to dry.

***

Next is not necessarily reloading related, but it is gun related. Those little plastic "flosser" things made to floss teeth. I never found them very useful for teeth but they're really handy for cleaning guns. Revolver forcing cone areas, auto loader slide grooves, any small gunk prone areas. The plastic "pick" end won't hurt any gun or blueing. The floss end gets up between the top of a forcing cone and top strap of a wheel gun. Apply tiny drops of oil or grease with the pick end. Cut and reshape the plastic if you like with dikes, razor blades, sand paper. They cost pennies per gizmo. Won't break or absorb oil/solvent like wooden toothpicks.






Sgt Lumpy
I saw one of these just recently at our grocery store and wondered if it might work in cleaning brass. I also use citric acid and have been looking for a more efficient way to clean and rinse. We're going shopping tomorrow and will pick one up. Thanks for the suggestion.
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  #64  
Old 12-02-2013, 02:52 AM
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I used a crock pot with citric acid until I bought an ultrasonic. [I did not cook in that pot.]
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  #65  
Old 01-24-2015, 08:36 PM
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I use about a 3" drinking straw fitted in my RCBS rockchucker ram slot to keep the primers from flying all over.
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  #66  
Old 03-04-2015, 06:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Engineer1911 View Post
For a brass reloading tub, I found that Walmart plastic meat trays work great. The hamburger or roast tubs will hold a couple hundred pistol cases, don't tip over, and are free.

Someone please send me a PM on how to post multiple attachments. I couldn't get 2 thumbnails to post together, and the 'post picture search' function didn't help.
Yep...and In N Out trays work really well too.
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  #67  
Old 04-10-2016, 11:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Ceapea View Post
I've been doing this ever since I started loading with my used, inherited equipment. It works great and you can get very accurate weights by doing so.

Another "tip"...for a media separator.
I picked up a $2 dish washing pan at the dollar store (huh?) and marked 1" square lines all across the bottom. I drilled a 1/4" hole at every intersection to "drain" the media. I put it into an 18 gal tub ($4 at hardware store) and dump the media and brass into the dish pan. After 35-40 seconds of shaking, all you have left is clean, shiny brass. Then I pour the media from the 18 gal tub back into the tumbler.
Works great! To speed thing up even more, I recently drilled 1/4" holes in the middle of each square and now it takes about 1/2 as long (20-25 seconds maybe) to separate everything.

Here are some pictures...

That's a lot of drilling. I like the idea but I'm gonna try a shotgun!
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  #68  
Old 04-11-2016, 10:04 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by geddylee10002000 View Post
I use about a 3" drinking straw fitted in my RCBS rockchucker ram slot to keep the primers from flying all over.
Correctly adjusting the height of the die in the loader or the decapping pin in the die will fix that problem too.

Ed
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  #69  
Old 04-11-2016, 12:16 PM
oldman10mm oldman10mm is offline
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Case length trimming

Bungee cord extraction,weak enough to just pull out by itself but still no effort to push in.

Trim length adjustment

I hate adjust,trim,measure,adjust,trim,measure. Made a set(for the many cases I trim) of 'Master case length gages'. They were made to SAAMI minimum spec. Insert the 'master' into the case holder,run the cutter head(less pilot) up to the 'master' and lock down. Works perfectly. If I want a different dimension(longer than SAAMI spec) I use a automotive feeler gage between 'master' and cutter head.
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File Type: jpg trim length master spacers wT S.jpg (118.3 KB, 41 views)

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Old 04-12-2016, 08:17 AM
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Adjusting Dies
I have a Lyman turret(4 position)press. I don't like adjusting dies,just like I don't like adjusting case length trimmer(above post).
For the mouth belling die and seating/crimping die,I use a spacer/washer under the shellholder. The dies are set for the longer of 38/357,40S&W/10mm,44sp/44M. When working with the shorter of the caliber,a spacer/washer of the appropriate/required thickness is put on/below the shellholder. For example with 38/357,with the dies set & locked for 357,a spacer/washer of .135" is used for the 38. The belling and crimping that 357 gets,the 38 also gets. Only adjustment required is the bullet seating stem of the seating/crimping die because of different bullet shapes.
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  #71  
Old 04-12-2016, 09:36 AM
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Either RCBS or Redding (or both?) die sets for the .38 Special/.357 Magnum come with a spacer to place under the expansion and bullet seating/crimping dies when loading the longer cartridge.

Ed
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  #72  
Old 04-12-2016, 01:09 PM
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My sets go back to the 70s',back then spacers didn't exist.
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Old 04-12-2016, 01:16 PM
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I started reloading in 1974 and one of my die sets has one. But that's irrelevant - the point is that it is an easy fix.

Ed
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  #74  
Old 04-12-2016, 05:40 PM
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Default Very useful thread

I also use a Black & Decker Workmate for my bench. I found a 24"x36"x1.5" piece of wood at a lumber yard for about $20 a long time ago and bolted it to the bench. It provides extra weight to the bench, but if the uplift when priming is too great, I put my right foot on the front right leg of the press to hold it down. I reload while sitting down and the bench height without the lower legs extended is just right.

I use golf ball boxes when putting the cases through the various stages of my single-stage press. I find the lower sides reduce shoulder fatigue. They hold 200+ cases of .45 or .38. When they get dirty, I just throw them away.

I use hotel writing pads to keep notes and to place the finished loading specs into my re-usable boxes of ammo. I can fit all of the pertinent info into 1/4 of each sheet.

I also use an extra piece of carpet from our house under the reloading bench. Mine is a solid buff color which is prone to staining with Hoppes #9, but finding dropped items is easy. It is also very soft on the feet.

I put a plastic straw over the center threaded post in my vibrating tumbler. It softens the contact between my brass and the metal post and also minimizes that metal to metal sound.

I recycled a pair of Harmon Kardon speakers from an old desktop computer for my reloading area. The sound is pretty good when attached to my phone playlist.

I'm still trying to find a good use for those nice plastic boxes from Berry's Bullets.
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Old 04-14-2016, 01:48 AM
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Quick correction. The Black and Decker Workmate is just the right height with the legs extended.
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  #76  
Old 04-14-2016, 08:43 AM
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A baby's sock on the ball of the lever arm work as well as a roller handle.
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  #77  
Old 05-12-2016, 09:47 AM
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Default Primer Flippers

I'm sure a lot of us are still using the traditional primer flipper. You dump some primers into the tray and shake it around until they're all the same direction. Put the lid on, flip it over and start picking up primers with the primer tube.

Not me! Drives me nuts to get all the primers oriented. Just as you get the last one in place, another one goes upside down.

I just shake the flipper until all the primers are laying flat, then pick up those that are cup down, put the lid on, turn it over and pick up the rest.

I probably went for 20 years doing the way I was taught. Then one day I got smart.
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  #78  
Old 05-12-2016, 12:44 PM
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Ill fitting bullet seating stems that leave a mark or deforms your bullet while seating or sizing a bullet can be custom fitted with a small ball of epoxy putty. The putty will not run into places it shouldn't go . Works for reloading die seating stem and lube - sizer seating nose punch.
Twenty years ago I had a RN seating stem and WC cast bullets, the epoxy made a perfect fit and I'm still using it. Good for cast bullets that seating stems are not made specifically for ( Lee moulds come to mind ).
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  #79  
Old 05-28-2016, 01:16 AM
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The bullet collator is louder than my wife yelling at the grandkids to quite down "Poppy is sleeping" this lid will quite it down, and you can still see the bullets dropping.
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Old 05-28-2016, 01:23 AM
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The weak point on the ammo plant is the pivot body for the case feeder. It will cant to the left and drop the shells on the v-block. I built a brace for all of mine.



All so note the shot gun case on the drop tube.
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Old 05-28-2016, 02:15 AM
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Timing for the Ammo-plant is everything.Close enough is no good.Good is not perfect. This is how to get perfect timing.

I bought a #16 shell plate and pushed the detent ball in until it just touches the sub plate. I then trimmed a .223 brass down to the shoulder and a 380 case and cut 1/4 of the case away and driller the primer pocket out 1 drill bit larger than a primer. Then all is needed is a old .45 bullet seating die, and play-do.

Mount the shell plate and put the 380 case in to adjust primer. You can see if the primer come up threw the over sized pocket. If it off, adjust the left pawl until it comes up threw the primer hole with out touching the case. Now that is perfect.
Now to adj. for the dies. Put he .223 case in and the shell plate. Fill the seating die with the play-do and smooth it off. Insert the die in the press and raise the case up to the play-do just touching it. Then remove the die and look at the impression. You can now use the right pawl to adj. it until it is perfectly centered. Your timing is now perfect.
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  #82  
Old 05-28-2016, 03:48 AM
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Default I really like......

Quote:
Originally Posted by Snapping Twig View Post
Since we're piling on, here's my contribution.

Not everyone has a dedicated reloading area. Many do not want their reloading set-up visable to outsiders, hoplophobes.

Here's my solution.

Mount your gear on a "T" block of wood and put it in the vise when you use it.



Please forgive the untidy bench. Here's my Lyman 450 in the vise, cranking out sized and lubed bullets.

Do the same thing for your reloading press, etc.

Solid as a rock, stows away when you want the bench for other uses.
Protects your privacy.
I really like the flags...and the tip.
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  #83  
Old 05-28-2016, 12:53 PM
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Originally Posted by dickttx View Post
What does anyone use to store your Lee turrets with dies in?
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Originally Posted by Paul5388 View Post
I just use the older round die containers ( shaped like the push through bullet sizer containers) turned upside down. With the change to rectangular Lee die boxes, I don't know what would work.
Those work great if you have them. Unfortunately not all of my die sets came in those (some came in the flat boxes). I have found that the plastic containers that cake frosting comes in with a 1/4" thick disk of dense foam rubber in the bottom (to protect the tip of the decapping pin) work very well as an alternative.

Last edited by BC38; 05-28-2016 at 01:23 PM.
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  #84  
Old 05-28-2016, 05:59 PM
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For washing brass in citric acid, I use a 5 gallon bucket to hold the liquid and a 2 or 2 1/2 gallon bucket from Hardee's that holds the cake frosting for the hulls. I drilled holes in the bottom of the smaller bucket to fill and drain the liquid. I just bring the contraption into the house when I wash hulls and store it outside when not in use.

To catch spent primers from my Lee classic turret, I use a piece of PVC pipe to extend the tube supplied into a catch bucket or jug.

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Old 05-29-2016, 04:46 PM
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Canned air can cost a fortune. If you are running low you might not use it to blow of your machine. I have a small tankless compressor that gives me twice the air pressure and never runs out. I have it plugged into a foot switch.
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  #86  
Old 05-29-2016, 07:24 PM
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The DataVac is a great 500 watt "canned air". Small hand held unit really works great for my reloading needs and elsewhere in the house.
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Old 10-13-2017, 12:09 AM
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On May 23, 2015, I timed all of my presses. My primer drop has not had a single misfeed in that time. Now I needed to fix the case feeder. I found that it would drop cases upside down, and jam, where it was supposed to, drop.

Now, pistol and rifle cases had two separate problems. The rifle cases will have a case sit on top of the plate pushing down on the one that is about to drop causing the case to hit the drop gate not allowing it to drop. Now the pistol will be pushed up in front of the plate causing cases to drop upside down.

I fixed both problems with one small fix. I took a bullet wiper from the Hornady bullet collator and a wire clamp and the tube from a broken spray bottle. The tube is used for pistol and actually pushes the cases into the plate or ejects it not allowing it to stack up and drop the cases upside down. For rifle, I just use the wiper to knock the case that rides on top of the feeder plate.

Now the only other fix for the case feeder that was needed was for .357, .40, and 10mm. Now Hornady came out with a new drop tube that is in between the small and large. But you are supposed to use the large feed tube. I found with the large feed tube .40 cases would cant left to right to left causing a case to catch the drop tube. I fixed this with a piece of poly tube that is .75" outside diameter (same size as the large feed tube) and .50" inside diameter (larger than the small feed tube). I used a taper drill for the top so the cases would not catch at the top.

My case feeder now loads faster than I can pull the handle, all right side up.

Here is a photo of the inside of the case collator.


Last edited by DRAINSMITH; 10-13-2017 at 12:12 AM.
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38spl, 45acp, 650, bullseye, commercial, crimp, hornady, lock, nra, primer, rcbs, rifleman, screwdriver, universal

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