Unique Tools

[BJung]

What kind of unique tools do you guys have?

I have this bullet remover that acts like a Chinese finger trap. It attaches to my press and I could probably remove 40 bullets in a minute.

Another is the Sinclair COL tool. It's like a nut with various caliber holes drilled in it's side. Simple but useful.

I like those gas check tool too but don't have one yet. Can anyone comment on the GC that cover a flat based bullet vs the GC that fits cast bullets made for a GC?

Also, is there a Brennel (sp) tool that's easy to use? I'm thinking of a pin that screws into my press with a spring in the unit that limits the amount of force. Then have a plate that looks like a drill bit size gauge and compare the hold to the dent. Oh, and there's a mold to cast a flat plate.

 

[Unclenick]

On the last point, that's how the Lee hardness tester works.

Are you talking about the Pat Marlins tool? I think it just produces a very thin gas check so you can seat them by forcing the bullet and the check through a sizing die together. Since that distorts the bullet base a bit, I would want to be sure there was no adverse effect on accuracy, but I've never heard of a complaint in that regard. Another approach is P-wads which are a sheet plastic like polyethylene that is cut or punch to be placed in the case mouth ahead of the bullet base. These also prevent gas cutting.

The Sinclair nuts work well. A lot of people own the Hornady (formerly made and sold by Stoney Point) tool that adapts a caliper to make the same measurements. Sinclair makes stainless steel inserts that fit the Hornady adapter or Sinclair's own adapter and these have the throat reamer profile the nut does and measure down closer to the actual ogive contact point. I prefer them to the aluminum ones sold by Hornady.

I use the Hornady Cam Lock bullet puller. Is that what you are describing? Very fast.

 

[BJung]

Names

Yes, it's a Pat Marlin tool.

I was directed to NoeBullet molds too. Their tool shaves tapers the base to take a gas check.

The bullet puller I have was purchased from Royal Arms in MT. It is like a shallow 1-1/4" nut with a groove around the inside circumference for a spring. This spring retains teeth that, with the spring, allows the bullet to travel one direct. It screws into my press. As I raise the cartridge into the teeth and pull the casing down, the teeth grab onto the bullet while the shell holder pulls out the casing. It's great for test loads that exceed the published maximum, have signs of excessive pressure like flattened primers, sticking bolts, or just plain discomfort, and need to be pulled.

 

[Grey_Lion]

I use a large size pencil sharpener to put a very slight bevel on the butt of my .40 S&W cast lead wad cutters to make them easier to load without putting too much of a flare on my brass. Allows the round to easily sit on the brass in the press - almost self centers. Prevents the brass from shaving off some of the lead as the round feeds down into the case. That's about the most unique simple tool I use in reloading.....

 

[BJung]

I have that tool

My daughter has one of those pencil sharpeners. Maybe I'll give a few bullets a try to make test loads with.

 

[tangolima]

Unclenick. The P-wads is interesting. Have you used it? I have some plain base rifle cast bullets from Penn State that may benefit from having it. Thanks.

-TL

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[Unclenick]

Yes, I have a bunch of them. When they were first invented the write-up was in Precision Shooting Magazine, and the author just used a case mouth sharpened with a chamfering tool to cut them out of a sheet of 0.060" low-density polyethylene. I got a sheet of the stuff and made a die for a hand metal punch tool I have that worked for .30 cal. I also bought some from NECO at one point. Theirs are a little fancier, having a bi-color surface to orient them for best gripping the case and flattening against the bullet. They stop leading as completely as any method I've seen.

 

[tangolima]

Thanks. 6 mil LDPE sheet. That was it? I was thinking about the same idea of home made punch; sharpened brass mouth.

-TL

PS The 6 mil sheet is not cheap. They don't sell just a little. I'm going to just order some from neco.

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[BJung]

P-wads clarification

Unclenick,

So, can a bullet be shot at as high a velocity with the p-wads as a gas check?

In other words, the p-wads can be an alternative to gas checks.

I remember pulling old .303 military cartridges when I first began shooting at there was a round piece of cardboard between the bullet and case. Was that a p-wad?

 

[Unclenick]

TL,

60 mil, not 6 mil. 1/16" works, too. This, for example.


BJ,

Yes, they work in rifle cartridges, too. The limitation in a bottleneck case is that if you are going to insert the bullet base below where the shoulder meets the neck, the P-was can fall off, so you'd have to adhere them. For example, you can insert the P-wad and put a drop of hotmelt glue (most often short chain, low melting point LDPE) in the center of the wad immediately before seating the bullet on top of it.

 

[tangolima]

TL,

60 mil, not 6 mil. 1/16" works, too. This, for example.


BJ,

Yes, they work in rifle cartridges, too. The limitation in a bottleneck case is that if you are going to insert the bullet base below where the shoulder meets the neck, the P-was can fall off, so you'd have to adhere them. For example, you can insert the P-wad and put a drop of hotmelt glue (most often short chain, low melting point LDPE) in the center of the wad immediately before seating the bullet on top of it.

Doh. Good that I asked. I missed read the zeros again. Getting old really sucks. Thanks for straightening me out again. 60 mil makes more sense. 6 mil is just a bit thicker than normal garbage bag.

The rifle I am shooting cast bullets with are much older than me. They tend to have long leades. Base stays inside the necks is never a problem.

Ok I just got myself something new to tinker with.

-TL

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