What clever little things have you "invented or discovered" that you can share?

I only reload 22 centerfire for rifles anymore and weigh every charge. The plastic funnels have to be held carefully with ball powders to keep from leaking powder and static can be a problem.. I finally got tired of this and turned a dedicated 22 powder funnel from aluminum yesterday. It fits on 223 and 22-250 cases without having to be held and solves the static problem. Yes, I could have bought a very nice one for about 30 bucks or a combination set for 25 but where is the fun in that. I enjoy making things, all kinds of things, and I enjoyed over three hours of lathe time turning out this little jewel and also have the satisfaction of making something that does exactly what I intended it to do. Part of that time was spent cleaning up the rollers on a knurling tool that was aluminum contaminated so it wasn't all fun but necessary.
 
I may have posted this before but.........I keep a dental pic, gun cleaning tooth brush, brass bristle tooth brush, a small center punch and a short pistol cleaning rod with a few bore brushes near the loading bench. These are very useful if you mess with very much range brass. Dented case mouths, dirt in the extractor groove or pea gravel or cob webs in the case are easier to deal with.
 
Great thread. I went through all 62 pages, I'm convinced that there is still hope for humans.

Here is a little contribution. I also do woodworking and have a shop building dedicated to that endeavor. While Mrs. Boss tolerates my hunting and fishing pretty well she wasn't thrilled with reloading in the house.

I have a woodworking bench in my shop with a "bench dog" system similar to this. I wanted to use the same bench for both woodworking and reloading and drilling holes in the bench for the presses was NOT going to happen. I used two 3/4" 2'x2' lumber core plywood sheets and laminated them together with gorilla glue. After cutting them to size, I marked where the bench dog holes were located and drilled out 5/8" holes. Four 5/8" carriage bolts hold the wooden plate to the table via the "dog" holes. Drilled holes for the press with a countersink on the bottom side of the wooden plate to hide the bolt and washer. Since the "dog" holes are standard spacing I can move the wooden plate around on the bench by using a different set of holes. The setup is rock solid and has zero movement.

MzSvVfi+Q02OqD3csLIZZw

MzSvVfi+Q02OqD3csLIZZw


.40
 
Last edited:
forty_caliber said:
I have a woodworking bench in my shop with a "bench dog" system similar to this. I wanted to use the same bench for both woodworking and reloading and drilling holes in the bench for the presses was NOT going to happen. I used two 3/4" 2'x2' lumber core plywood sheets and laminated them together with gorilla glue. After cutting them to size, I marked where the bench dog holes were located and drilled out 5/8" holes. Four 5/8" carriage bolts hold the wooden plate to the table via the "dog" holes. Drilled holes for the press with a countersink on the bottom side of the wooden plate to hide the bolt and washer. Since the "dog" holes are standard spacing I can move the wooden plate around on the bench by using a different set of holes. The setup is rock solid and has zero movement.
Click to expand...
I did the same thing as you. I've got the exact same bench, from Harbor Freight.
 
Rich 10mm said:
I have a Hornady auto progressive press. I didn’t like the powder drop station due to the fact that an accurate drop is determined by the smooth consistent pull. When I’m in auto progressive press one pull; resizes the brass, deprimes, reprimes, bells, charges, and seats the bullet. This causes inaccuratsies with the powder drop with everything going on at once. I use it to resize and bell. Then the cases are hand batched reprimed, charged with the hornady auto charge, verified on a separate scale before being loaded. Anyone else in this situation?
Click to expand...
It might be that your setup would benefit from a more rigid bench or mounting scheme. If you've already covered that angle, it might be the Hornady is just "loose" and lets the measure move too much. I do agree, though, that a consistent smooth activation of the measure is important.
 
Here's one that I can't take credit for: At a recent match, a buddy said he uses an electric toothbrush to clean his guns. He says it gets into all the "nooks and crannies." We all snickered and poked fun at him. Sharing a toothbrush with a gun is even worse than sharing one with your wife. He protested greatly, saying he has separate toothbrushes for his guns and his teeth. Yep. I'd be concerned that an electric toothbrush would be a little too vigorous for blued guns, but for stainless it might just work. After all, we do use manual toothbrushes for cleaning guns.
 
Just discovered this Locator Button tab on another site.
fetch
 
To Forster Co-Ax owners.

If you want a ball handle or a short handle on your press, you can use the RCBS Summit press short handle. The diameter is basically the same (0.75" vs 0.74"), the RCBS handle is solid, the Summit press handle is only about 1/4" shorter and the Summit press short handle is a bit cheaper than the Forster Co-Ax short handle. The only con is you have to cut the RCBS handle yourself if you want it shorter.

40201896533_763744362f_c.jpg

47166739641_1a35e0e08f_z.jpg
 
Skgreen said:
Quite sure this tool/usage is nothing new to many folks,,,

Anywho,,,

I reload sitting down,,, I use an office 'task' chair with wheels

I tend to drop pieces of brass,,, (and just about everything else,,,)

Ok, get out of the chair, get what ya dropped, get back in the chair,,,

Been doing that since day one,,,

Had one of these hanging in the garage for months:

https://www.newamstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=197889

Figured I'd give it a shot,,,

Works like a charm on brass!!!!! Has a small magnet in the end as well,,,

It now has a permanent place on my reload bench!

(Feeling rather stupid that I didn't think of it earlier! )
Click to expand...
 
daboone said:
Ball handles efficiency, ease of use and comfort can be seriously improved by simply a covering the ball with a baby's sox.
Click to expand...
I've gotten to where I prefer a ball handle over the fancy shovel types. Also as I've gotten older I now where a leather palmed work glove the short exposed fingers.
 
I have the inline fabrication primer disposal unit for my Rockchucker press. The primers are ejected through a tube and are collected in whatever is connected to it. I fixed a bicycle drink mount to my bench leg and drilled a hole through the top of a 2L soda bottle to allow me to feed the tube through. The bottle is easily removed for emptying the primers when full.

The tube measured at around 0.610" so I made a hole around 0.600" wide. I smoothed out the hole in the top using an RCBS deburring tool which just happened to be about ten thou oversize. The tube fits well, but isn't so tight that it's difficult to remove :)

Now I just need to get out there and feed it some primers!

20190223_125144.jpg 20190223_125152.jpg 20190223_125158.jpg
 
I've used the same loading bench for years. It's also a work bench, so I made a steel plate that can be screwed to it for easy removal/installation of the press.
Still, there was noticeable movement at the top and bottom of the stroke..so.. I rummaged through my "good junk" pile, cut up a piece of 2 inch angle iron, welded it to the plate, and lagged it to the floor.
There is *no* movement, now..:)
46465856635_db740c5034_k.jpg 2019-03-14_05-42-09 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr
 
Maybe someone covered this, but I came up with a work-around for the old-style Lee hand priming tool. You can't get the old-style arm for them anymore, but with a little work and ingenuity, the new style ones can be made to work.

Primer tool arm.jpg
Old style on the left (my last one, with a new handle), and new style one on the right. The new style ones are too wide, so to make them work, I filed and dremeled the thickness down to .264 at the top. You'll notice they are too short, also. You need something in between the arm and the cup on the bottom of the ram in the tray assembly. In the pic above the new style arm are two solutions I use; a broken barrel link for a 1911, (Waste not, want not) and an old nut I had, looks like about a 6 machine screw size. Either one work, the plastic 'arms' on the primer tray hold them in well, though they will hang up, and I sometimes have to work it around a bit to get it to drop down.

The new handles are nice, they don't break like the old ones. I used to buy about 6 a year.

The tray covers will be the attrition item for these, but I have an idea for that, too.
 
Disclaimer: Please, do not use this tip for illegal purposes!

Recently I took a coworker shooting and he brought along his pistol in a hard CA compliant locked case which had two cylinder locks. When I dropped the tailgate of the truck to set up for shooting, he says, "Oh *crap*, I left the pistol case key at the house!"

I have basic working knowledge of locks and successfully picked pad locks and door locks before (My locks only) and came up with the following improvised emergency key by crimping a spent .223 case with pliers that's part of Gerber multi-tool. I pushed the pins one by one to clear and used the crimp to turn the lock. It worked to save a shooting day and friend wanted to keep it for "emergencies".

index.php
 

Attachments

  • E Key.jpeg
    E Key.jpeg
    15.4 KB · Views: 553
I advise folks who are in that situation (transporting in locked containers) to use the cheapest option possible. That way WHEN they forget the key they can use a grinder/etc. and open it up without too much loss. Transport home in borrowed case, stick two guns in one case, pick a solution for that; but save the range day!
 
I'm in the process of getting my new lnl ap up and running. I was loading a few 45acp rounds to get a feel for the press. I had a hornady .45 bullet feeder die but was waiting on tubes to arrive in the mail. Going the cheap tube route rather than buying the expensive mechanical loader. I got to thinking of what tube material I had that might work. I got a short piece of 1/2" plastic pex pipe and tried it to see if it would fit into top of hornady feeder die. It was ever so slightly bigger but you could work it down in. I dropped in a dozen. 45 bullets and it worked perfect for feeding them. You could chamfer the outside a little, drill a hole for a cotter key and use a dremel to grind a slit down low so you can see when bullets are about out. You could cut tubes to whatever length works for you. Would be a perfect rigid plastic version of the metal hornady feeder tubes.
 
Last edited:
HDMontana said:
… and use a dremmel to grind a slit down low so you can see when bullets are about out.
Click to expand...
Great MacGyver diy hack that could become a standard, thanks for posting.
You could stack 3 or 4 cut-off wheels on that dremmel arbor for a wider slot. :thumbup:
:D
 
Greetings, apologize if this has been mentioned before, but I use a skateboard type tape which is adheasive on one side and has a sandpaperish feel on the other, which prevents my beam scale from moving. Also, thanks to the individual who posted the idea for the magnifying glass on their scale. I found a self supporting one as seen in the pic, which also displays the skateboard tape. The magnifying glass is from Harbor Freight.

Amazon has a similar tape:

https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Bla...ocphy=9017361&hvtargid=pla-566581301256&psc=1

Harbor Freight:
https://www.harborfreight.com/helping-hands-60501.html
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0032.JPG
    IMG_0032.JPG
    125.7 KB · Views: 64
0323191851-340x453.jpg
HDMontana said:
I'm in the process of getting my new lnl ap up and running. I was loading a few 45acp rounds to get a feel for the press. I had a hornady .45 bullet feeder die but was waiting on tubes to arrive in the mail. Going the cheap tube route rather than buying the expensive mechanical loader. I got to thinking of what tube material I had that might work. I got a short piece of 1/2" plastic pex pipe and tried it to see if it would fit into top of hornady feeder die. It was ever so slightly bigger but you could work it down in. I dropped in a dozen. 45 bullets and it worked perfect for feeding them. You could chamfer the outside a little, drill a hole for a cotter key and use a dremel to grind a slit down low so you can see when bullets are about out. You could cut tubes to whatever length works for you. Would be a perfect rigid plastic version of the metal hornady feeder tubes.
Click to expand...
Here is the finished product. Hole for cotter key to keep bullets in while filling tube and slit cut to see when bullets are running low. 1/2" pex only works with .45 feeder die.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
  • Locked
What clever little things have you come up with
2
Replies
47
Views
3K
.44walkersabot
4
rbernie
  • Locked
  • Sticky
Reloading Library of Wisdom
Replies
0
Views
76K
rbernie
rbernie
Project355
  • Locked
$8 Lyman Tumbler (silenced) lid
Replies
1
Views
246
Project355
Project355
C
  • Locked
What is the single stupidest thing you have done with a gun
2 3
Replies
60
Views
3K
grislyatoms
G
G
  • Locked
Cleaned up the G-98 evil lab! (Well, sort of...)
Replies
16
Views
8K
boltgunnerguy
B
Back
Top