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

[MCK45ACP]

De capping gizzy

DE-CAPPING GIZZY
________________________________________
I don’t always de-cap my brass prior to tumbling but when I get a batch of mil or once fired I like to know what I’m starting out with. Here is a Gizzy I came up with to speed things up a little. I modified an old RCBS RSII press that I had kicking around.



I found a solenoid online from a salvage site. Bought a Bimba 011 air cylinder, a limit switch, a on and off switch and box, RCBS Power Punch de-capping punch and the rest of the stuff I had. (Yeah I’m a packrat)
It works the same if you set a press up to just de-cap brass, the difference is it auto ejects the brass, saving me time and tired shoulders.
1. Load the case and pull the handle. The spring loaded de-capper punch spits the primer into the PVC tube and down to the scrap bin.



2. Raise the handle until it reaches the soft stop. I used a spring plunger for this. Then push slightly forward to activate the limit switch and air solenoid. Just like priming a case on a Dillon.
3. Then pffft the cylinder ejects the de-capped case into the storage bin.







I also use the Gizzy to swage primer pockets using the RCBS swaging set.

 

[oldreloader]

very nice Gizzy. You put lots of thought and work into that!!

 

[CHALK22]

If anyone here has newborn or toddler babies, that are still on formula, keep the formula cans! I have been collecting them for about a year, and they are pretty sturdy, and come with sealable lids. They are fairly air tight also. The are a good size to hold a few hundred pistol rounds, and make great sorting bins if you have a bunch of assorted brass coming out of your tumbler.

I also use old cookie sheets from the kitchen for sorting trays, they keep the smaller guys from rolling off the table.

 

[raisedin99]

Eliminate Static Permanently

I have an electronics background; so when 'static' became a problem with my plastic powder hopper, I installed a simple static eliminator.

Parts List: 1. A 1Meg 1/4-watt resistor (less than 50 cents)
2. Enough light stranded wire (18-20 gage/thin speaker wire is ok) to reach
from your press to a grounded outlet. (scrounge or $2)
3. A round terminal end big enough to fit your press mounting bolt
4. A short length of shrink tubing or some electrical tape to insulate a
solder joint. (Scrounge or $2)

Instructions: Solder the 1 Meg resistor to one end of the wire and insulate from the
solder joint to the resistor.

Put the terminal end on the other end of the wire.

Remove one of your press mounting bolts and reinstall it with the terminal
end under the bolt head like a washer.

Route the wire to the grounded outlet using staples or tape.

TURN OFF THE POWER (cicuit breaker) to the outlet.
Remove the outlet cover
Attach the free end of the resistor to ground. (Either under the green
screw inside the outlet box or inside the wire nut over the "Ground" wire
which goes to the "round" ground hole in the outlet).

This list makes it sound like a job, but we're talking less than 30 mins.

I have never had ANY static build up since installing this simple circuit. Powder does not stick the plastic hopper-ever.

thanks for the tip on static elimination, i no longer have to swab out the tube

 

[ClayinAR]

static kling

Not as effective, I'm sure, but I just use a anti static sheet on my powder measures. Swob around the outside.

 

[TH3180]

I use empty factory ammo trays as drying racks after I wash used brass. It also makes it really easy for brand sorting. Not real clever but it works for me.

 

[TH3180]

If anyone here has newborn or toddler babies, that are still on formula, keep the formula cans! I have been collecting them for about a year, and they are pretty sturdy, and come with sealable lids. They are fairly air tight also. The are a good size to hold a few hundred pistol rounds, and make great sorting bins if you have a bunch of assorted brass coming out of your tumbler.

Yup I use formula cans for everything around the workbench/loading bench.

 

[Sawblade]

I wish I could find an easy way to dry my range pickup hulls after running them through the washing machine. I've just been standing them up in old cookie sheets and letting them sit for a couple of days.



One good tip though. I found out brake caliper grease works wonders on gun slides and all the moving parts on the used 9000g I just got.

 

[LiveLife]

This is adding to post #651 by 1SOW - Eliminate Static Permanently

I do not have static problems, but do reload on a portable castered reloading bench. If someone uses a portable bench and has static problems, they can use 1SOW's solution but add male/female jacks to the grounding wire to easily attach/detach the grounding wire.

 

[sniper1259]

to Sawblade, try this for drying the wet cases, get a really big terry cloth towel (beach type) pour wet brass in the middle. at the ends of the towel, grab the corners at one end in one hand and the other end - corners on the other hand. get just the corners not the material in between because you want it to droop between the corners. lift right hand and drop the left a little to make the brass tumble in the towel, then raise left and drop right hand, repeat, repeat repeat / you get the idea. the reason for the droop at the end of the towel is that it causes the towel to form a pouch that the brass rides in, in the middle of the towel. do this back and forth about 6-10-20 times to get most of the water out of the brass and dry most of the outsides also makes a great exercise for the arms. spread the brass out on cookie sheets and use a fan to dry the rest of the way. suggest you decap the brass BEFORE cleaning with water as the open hole makes drying MUCH faster, but still takes hours. drying in air conditioning helps but you really want to allow 3-4 days to let all water get out of the brass

just a suggestion, but the right tool takes this job from days to minutes. i use corn cob and a Dillon CV2001 case cleaner, this will turn it into a 1 hour run for 1300 9MM cases, ready to load after you sift out the corn cob in a CM2000 media separator,and it takes literally seconds to separate the corncob from the brass!!! its a cant miss combo that works. well enough that i got rid of other methods. give it a try
( i pushed mine of the last run of 3000 9MM i had to do and got 1500 9MM into the cleaner and it didn't even break a sweat did all 3000 in 2 loads!! besides, the real reason for all of this is to shoot MORE!!!! disclaimer for all of my posts!---> you might have to take the wife to the range WITH you to prove that the smile on your face came from being able to put 500 rounds of .30-06 down range and NOT worry about how much each round is costing!!! this is why we reload, to make it cheep!!! you might have to show her, but set her heart at ease and you get to shoot for the rest of you life with out complaints!! this is also why i use all Dillon hardware, less time reloading more time with the better half, not a bad deal at all!!)

 

[Airjunki]

I wish I could find an easy way to dry my range pickup hulls after running them through the washing machine. I've just been standing them up in old cookie sheets and letting them sit for a couple of days.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I just throw em in a net bag and toss em in the clothes dryer. Works great and done fast!

 

[Jesse Heywood]

I just throw em in a net bag and toss em in the clothes dryer. Works great and done fast!

A couple of towels tossed in the dryer will quiet things down some and should speed the drying.

Also, be sure the unmentionables are out of the bag, or you will be in deep doo-doo for a long time!

 

[jcwit]

I wish I could find an easy way to dry my range pickup hulls after running them through the washing machine. I've just been standing them up in old cookie sheets and letting them sit for a couple of days.



One good tip though. I found out brake caliper grease works wonders on gun slides and all the moving parts on the used 9000g I just got.

I just throw em in a net bag and toss em in the clothes dryer. Works great and done fast!

A couple of towels tossed in the dryer will quiet things down some and should speed the drying.

Also, be sure the unmentionables are out of the bag, or you will be in deep doo-doo for a long time!

Do you guys realize you're subjecting yourselves and your other family members to the hazards of lead from the primers. Or do you just not care.

Go on a spending spree and spend 40-50 bucks for a tumbler ment for the job.

 

[Sawblade]

I always decap the hulls before I wash them to ensure the primer pockets are clean, and I run a load of car washing rags afterwards to clean the drum out.

 

[Airjunki]

I never said I washed mine in the clothes washer and they are always decapped before they hit the dryer. Thanx 4 your concern

 

[TH3180]

Do you guys realize you're subjecting yourselves and your other family members to the hazards of lead from the primers. Or do you just not care.

Go on a spending spree and spend 40-50 bucks for a tumbler ment for the job.

Yes tumblers are ment for cleaning brass. What about before tumblers were around. There are other great ways to clean brass besides using a tumbler.

 

[jcwit]

I always decap the hulls before I wash them to ensure the primer pockets are clean, and I run a load of car washing rags afterwards to clean the drum out.

Reconsider: Remember there is lead residue left in the case. Lead from the primer seems to be much more hazardous than handling the lead metal as in the bullet.

If nothing else get one of the cheap lead test kits and check your washer after washing cases. I think you might be surprised.

In the end its up to you, but I would think the your health and your family's health would be of more importance than a few clean ammo cases. Especially when the cost of a tumbler is only in the $50.00 range.

But then again, I still see folks smoking.

 

[fort_maceo]

El Cheapo electric case trimmer

This has probably been done before, especially considering how simple it was. I needed/wanted a powered case trimmer, but wasn't thrilled that they ranged from $100 to $300, and probably more. These aren't anything more elaborate than an electric motor on a base.

Lee makes a case trimmer (about $5) made to be chucked in a drill. You have to buy a length gauge/shell holder set (also about $5 each) for each caliber you want to reload.

So I headed to Sears and bought a corded drill on sale ($40). It had variable speed and locking trigger - both necessary for this project. I stopped at Lowe's and picked up a combination push on/off rotary dimmer switch, a conduit box, an outlet, an outlet cover and some conduit fittings ($15).

Using some scrap lumber, I mounted the conduit box on the corner of my reloading bench. I hooked into another conduit box in my basement fun room, ran conduit and wire (both leftover from previous projects) to the new box on my bench, and wired up the switch/dimmer to control the outlet in the same box. So now I've got an outlet on the corner of my bench that I can push a button to turn on/off and turn from 0V to 120V with a simple turn of the same button.

Using more scrap lumber, I made up a stand for my new drill. I can strap it into the stand, chuck up the Lee case trimmer, plug it into the outlet, lock the trigger down, and turn it on/off and up/down with the easy-to-reach switch.







It works great, and cost less than $60 (plus some scrap lumber and about 6 hours of my time). And, if I need my drill, I just unstrap it.

 

[Border Hopper]

When reloading small groups of trial loads it is too easy to slip into your powder measure mode. Since cleaning powder measures takes time away from reloading and shooting, I put a coffee filter in an old plastic cereal bowl, pour some powder into it, and use a small ladle (silver baby spoon!) to dispense the powder to the scale pan.
When I'm ready to change powders there is no cross contamination and cleanup is really easy. I still keep ONLY one powder out at a time, but pouring the extra powder back into the right container is quite easy. That can returns to the storage locker and I bring out another flavor, complete with a clean coffee filter. The filter often is reusable, if you wish to do so. Watch which size (8-12 cup size for my bowl) you buy, then get them on sale at any department store. The last batch I bought cost me 99 cents for 200 filters at Walgreens.
These pages of tips are the distilled wisdom of the ages.
Stagger on, rejoicing.

 

[Border Hopper]

It's already been mentioned several times that used drier sheets are good in the brass tumbler for removing the gunk that would otherwise stay in the bowl and in the media. The easy way for me is to cut the sheets in fourths and store the pieces in an old give-away plastic "to go" cup, complete with lid, which is kept close to the tumbler. They stay handy and clean, ready to go with the next tumbling session. I know, lousy inventory method, "last in, first out", but these don't have a shelf life.
Loose stuff around the loading area tends to multiply and is hard to find when you need it most.

 

[sniper1259]

to fort maceo and all, first i dont work for Dillon Precision (but i wish i did) the dillon trimmer might be $225 BUT, being able to decap, trim and resize the case ALL in ONE pass AND do over 500 an hour DOES have its advantages!.

the process i use is as follows if anyone wants to try it

1 tumble as normal ALL cases that need to be trimmed, lube with Lee water based resizing grease thined 4 parts water to one and used in spray bottle. allow to dry after spraying, lube ALL cases before start of run
2 on my 550B press position 1 has a universal decapper, position 2 and 4 are empty
3 position 3 has the Dillon trimmer with a shopvac attached and running
4 cycle ALL cases thru the press as normal, this resilts in ALL cases being decaped trimmed and resized to SB (small base ) spec, meaning they will fit any gun of the same caliber and will work jam free in full auto mode!
5 tumble to remove resizing lube and burs from outside of case neck these are now ready to load (yes, some cases WILL get corncob in the primer holes, the next step fixes this problem automaticaly)
6 next pass thu press to actualy load, on same 550B press, use universal decapper in position 1, powder measure in pos 2 , seater in pos 3, crimper (if you want) in pos 4 reload as usual as the universal decapper in pos 1 on the loading pass will clear EVERY primer hole in the batch AS YOU LOAD

i have used this method to load rifle brass (17 calibers) for over 20 years and it works every time and is the fastest i have seen yet

if you use military brass, use the dillon primer pocker swage tool on all cases in the batch to bring them to standard, this is another tool that is worth its cost as it is fast and accurate without any guesswork (no"did i ream that one too much or not enough???")

i'm all for invention and trying to make it easier, faster, safer, and with less steps and thusly less time used in the reloading process. this gives me more time on the range!

i am not telling anyone to not use the tricks they have found, if it works and is safe, go for it! im just saying that some times the tools ment for the job and MAKING the equipment earn its keep has its advantages. both in speed and safety!

not including the time in the tumbler and drying the lube, this method reloaded 1280 .30-06 cases completly including mil crimp on the bullets, in less than 3.5 hours or 3000 in 1 day easily. i value my personal time highly, and the Dillon trimmer helps me keep more of it

also the dillon press has removable tool heads that , once adjusted and locked down, need to be mearly swapped between trimmer set and load set with just 2 pull pins, less than 5 seconds. the drill trick is a very good one and i even used to use a drill press and a vertical version of it. but demand on my time got the better of me. the trimmer for me was a nessary evil/expense. but man! has it ever paid for its self!!

enjoy

 

[SuperNaut]

RCBS RockChucker and RCBS Brushes

I've been using this for a while now and I just got around to taking a photo.

The RCBS brush inserts are the same size and thread as the primer attachment for the RockChucker. I screw the brush into the hole and clean the brass mouth right at the press before I decap/resize.

 

[tding]

Anyone have a clever solution for RCBS IV Primer Catcher?

I sure would like to see a clever solution to the problems I have with the primer catcher on my RCBS IV. As many primers land on the floor as go into the catcher. :banghead:

 

[SuperNaut]

Anyone have a clever solution for RCBS IV Primer Catcher?
I sure would like to see a clever solution to the problems I have with the primer catcher on my RCBS IV. As many primers land on the floor as go into the catcher.

I solved the related problem of when you try to remove a full tray, and you can't get it off and the primers scatter all over hell and back. If you grind down one of the tabs it comes off the press way easier.

 

[TH3180]

I solved the related problem of when you try to remove a full tray, and you can't get it off and the primers scatter all over hell and back. If you grind down one of the tabs it comes off the press way easier.

That just went on the list of things to do.