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

[mcpilot]

Primer catch

This is not some feat of engineering, but it solved a problem for me... I got tired of primers on the floor. The original primer catch supplied with the "RCBS Partner Press" was pathetic.

The powder funnel wasn't so great either especially for .223 I am a Lee aficionado. LE Wilson too...

Anyway here goes:

 

[RudyMontana]

Long time reloader...

I mark the powder container with a dot each time I load a box of ammo. I also mark my boxes of bullets with the number that is used. This way I know how many bullets I have left in box. I also can figure how much each box of reloads cost me!

Rudy

 

[Potatohead]

You any kin to Tony?

 

[spitballer]

Seems simple enough, but I recently discovered that a meticulous removal of all fouling in between groups during a ladder test gives a much truer picture of what each load is actually doing.

 

[gmackhurry]

My Redding beam scale is very light weight so I filled the bottom voids with lead and hot glued it in. This doesn't help accuracy obviously but it's less likely to get bumped around while loading.

 

[Okcafe86]

-sharpie tally marks on brass to track number of times loaded.
-maintain dummy rounds to set up dies again.
-sharpie match marks on die to aid in setting
-sticky flags on die boxes to track what it's set for

 

[shoebox56]

-sharpie tally marks on brass to track number of times loaded.
-maintain dummy rounds to set up dies again.
-sharpie match marks on die to aid in setting
-sticky flags on die boxes to track what it's set for

I love this. I've been doing the Sharpie thing as well. I'd like to add have different color Sharpie for dies that do multiple calibers like 38/357.

 

[spitballer]

Recently discovered that a Lee hand primer will do a very professional-looking job if it's rotated while seating the primer. Release handle just enough to allow the case to rotate in the shellholder without loading another primer. I turn 180 degrees twice, in a crosswise pattern. Very nice! Fully seated! Who knew?

 

[Centurian22]

I have no problem getting perfectly seated primers with the lee ergo prime without all that hassel. What problems were you having without rotating?

 

[spitballer]

I have no problem getting perfectly seated primers with the lee ergo prime without all that hassel. What problems were you having without rotating?

Right, they just didn't seat as fully, occasionally seating at a slant. Still fired though.

 

[jell-dog]

my little "trick" (my already have been shown)

I have a RCBS ROCK CHUCKER, but when sizing and depriming it spits out about every other primer through the slot used to prim through the ram. What a mess:banghead: I like to use a hand primer, for a better feel of primer seating (YMMV).
So here is what I "invented".
I made a hard-wood plug that fits tight into the "primer slot" in the ram.
Used a short dowel to press it in by raising the ram.
Can easily be removed and has worked for me for several months of brass prep.
HAPPY DEPRIMING, NO MESS.

 

[Conservidave]

thanks for the tip jell-dog, no more stuffing foil gum wrappers in there ;-)

 

[jell-dog]

Happy to help

 

[gimor]

few mods to my Lee progressive press

FWIW
I size st.1 and deprime at st.4 /wet SS pin tumble and walnut tumble dry /prime all st. 2 /
then change die plates, deactivate primer arm and use all 5 die stations to finish loading.
Station 1-flare/powder drop, 2-powder check, 3-drop bullet, 4-seat, 5-crimp.

Pic 1and 2
Added a 1/4" PEX plastic tube for spent primers to drop in collection can when depriming.
Heat formed one end to fit shell plate carrier slot in station 4 of press .
Later a bit of JB weld was added to help primers flow into PEX tubing.
Worked well enough that deflector was added to can to prevent any primer over shoot.
If ever redo it will have shallow S bend near the end to drop primers straight down into can.

Pic 3 and 4
Replaced nut on threaded primer adj. bolt and top nut of shell feeder bolt with lock nut
Primer arm bolt is moved to top side of press mounting ear to deactivate priming arm.

Other mods- pic 3 and 4
Music wire powder drop safety pull back on right side.
Lee bullet feed tube adapter to Hornady bullet feeder.
I use a tall stool an made the press stand so all is at an eye level I like.

gimor

 

[moonman16]

Redding Big Boss II, the spent primer kicks out of the slot in the ram on occasion, instead of falling through the hole in the center of the ram.

I tapped a Common PENCIL PIECE into the slot with a small mallet and broke it off flush.

No more missed primers on the floor and EASILY REMOVABLE.

 

[peels]

Improving the Lee Perfect Powder Measure

I know, how can you improve perfection, right? I had to try...so I added an improvised baffle.

Take an empty bottle of Ice Mountain water and cut off the top right above the label.


Note there are 3 "arches" that are right above the cut line. Mark it and measure about 0.36" from the top of the arches and mark it. Draw a circle connecting those 3 marked points. Now trim off bottle top below the marked line. Test fit it in the powder measure. It will fit a little tight. Now trim off small slivers until it fits just snug at the bottom of the hopper. Cut off the rest of "arches" to create opening for the powder to flow thru.

Cut off the loose plastic ring on the bottom of the cap so powder does not get trapped in there and replace the cap.


Wipe it down with some antistatic wipes and you got yourself an almost free powder baffle for the PPM.

 

[deepskyridge]

Lee Lead Tester

Here is a little contraption I built to hold the microscope with the hardness tester. I had a cheap old scope mount and one scope ring, the flashlight is from Harbor Freight, the large block is two pieces of 3/4 plywood glued together.

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Gary

 

[deepskyridge]

Lee Mold buckshot cutter

I use the Lee 00 Buckshot mold to cast buckshot. My old fingers don't like to use a utility knife to cut them apart. I built a device to cut them.

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The base is 3/4 plywood, the rest is hardwood. The blades are utility knife blades.

I use a plastic mallet to cut the buckshot by tapping on top of the long handle that the blades are attached to.

Gary

 

[StingRayRay]

So the cap on my Lee auto disc powder measure went missing and I found that a cap from a spray paint can seals up quite nicely. I got lucky and had a red metalcast one that doesn't look too bad. None of my local stores has one so I'll have to order a replacement but until then this will work.

 

[brickeyee]

I use a little piece of sheet metal in the primer catcher of a Rock Chucker to capture just about 100% of the primers.

 

[MarshallDodge]

I use a little piece of sheet metal in the primer catcher of a Rock Chucker to capture just about 100% of the primers.

Do you have any pictures?

 

[Skinnedknuckles]

Custom Seating Plugs

I like the seating plug to match the bullet nose as closely as possible. I know Lee provides this service for a reasonable price, but I haven't tried it. Instead, I've developed a method to use epoxy to create a custom seating plug using a sample bullet as the pattern. Sorry for the poor resolution as it is difficult to take good pictures with the lack of contrast, but the plug on the left is for a 185 gr FP and the right is a 230 gr RN. If interested, I posted instructions and more pictures at http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/reloads/126434-bullet-seating-plugs.html. I've used the process for .45, .38/.357, and for 9mm.

 

[Lost Sheep]

I use the Lee 00 Buckshot mold to cast buckshot. My old fingers don't like to use a utility knife to cut them apart. I built a device to cut them.

The base is 3/4 plywood, the rest is hardwood. The blades are utility knife blades.

I use a plastic mallet to cut the buckshot by tapping on top of the long handle that the blades are attached to.

Gary

So, a pill cutter? Nicely done.

Lost Sheep

 

[HardwarePro]

I got tired of my fingers cramping up when using my Hornady Primer Pocket Reamer on crimped military brass. I made a wood dowel chambered in 223 to hold the brass. Light side pressure keeps it from spinning while lifting into the reamer on my drill press. Much easier to hold.

 

[kcofohio]

I once saw a video of a guy showing how he uses a 308 neck-sizer for the 7.62x54R. He sat a washer on top of the shell holder to actuate the collet sizer. Once I got the 308 neck sizer, I made this custom shell holder for it. It was just adding .045" material to the top of the shell holder.

It works.

Now I don't need to do a full resize of my casings. I have a Lee set, but they don't offer a neck sizer in this caliber. And I'm cheep.