Inherited a New Hobby

[JRobyn]

To me, the concentration that reloading requires is what makes it enjoyable and relaxing. It forces one to clear the mind of everything except the task at hand. Very similar to motorcycle riding. It is just a bonus to be able to create something that is a good value and useful.

- Jay

 

[Hoochy]

+1 4570Man on the Rockchucker, is what i have and is one **** of a tough press. I only reload for bolt action rifles so my reloading sessions only involve 100 loads or less, but I would not trade my RCBS for anything else.

 

[4570Man]

I have a redding ultra mag that is even tougher than the rock chucker. I like the rock chucker way better though. I do my pistol shells on the progressive press and rifle shells on the single stage press. I do the resizing on the ultra mag and all the other steps on the rock chucker.

 

[vacman]

Here is a casting tool that came with the tools from Grandpa. The mold part is easy to understand but there are a lot of other holes too. Anyone ever seen something like this and know what all the openings and tools do?

The casting tool is pretty self explanatory. The molten lead goes into the mold cavity and you swing the door closed to get rid of the excess. When it's cooled off you open it and the bullet drops out. You will need to check all the equipment you have for casting because the molding part is the smallest part of it. You need a furnace to melt the lead and a luber/sizer to complete the process for a finished bullet. These items can be expensive even used.

Some Bullseye powder
View attachment 454591
That is a pretty old canister of BE powder. I've loaded that powder for over 25 years and haven't seen a container like it so it's old. I would caution you not to use that because moisture may have gotten to it and degraded it. New bullseye can be had for $20-25lbs so I wouldnt chance that. Bullseye is also a fast burning powder which works great for light target loads but it isn't for everybody. If you want a powder to load both shot shells and .45acp, use Hogden Clays. 3.8-3.9 of Clays works well with a 200 gr lead SWC bullet in .45. There are several differnt versions of clays so use some caution there. You want plain Clays for the .45 and not Universal or International.

If possible, you might find it comforting to find an experienced reloader who lives near you to help get you set up. I've done that with a few acquaintances near me and have then been able to answer questions later as they come up. I have even taken them to some matches with me to show them what completion shooting is all about.

It's great that you want to use grandpas shotguns and equipment. That is a great honer to him. Enjoy those old doubles and shoot some rounds of trap for him.

John

 

[jlgurr]

The casting tool is pretty self explanatory. The molten lead goes into the mold cavity and you swing the door closed to get rid of the excess. When it's cooled off you open it and the bullet drops out. You will need to check all the equipment you have for casting because the molding part is the smallest part of it. You need a furnace to melt the lead and a luber/sizer to complete the process for a finished bullet. These items can be expensive even used.

Some Bullseye powder
View attachment 454591
That is a pretty old canister of BE powder. I've loaded that powder for over 25 years and haven't seen a container like it so it's old. I would caution you not to use that because moisture may have gotten to it and degraded it. New bullseye can be had for $20-25lbs so I wouldnt chance that. Bullseye is also a fast burning powder which works great for light target loads but it isn't for everybody. If you want a powder to load both shot shells and .45acp, use Hogden Clays. 3.8-3.9 of Clays works well with a 200 gr lead SWC bullet in .45. There are several differnt versions of clays so use some caution there. You want plain Clays for the .45 and not Universal or International.

If possible, you might find it comforting to find an experienced reloader who lives near you to help get you set up. I've done that with a few acquaintances near me and have then been able to answer questions later as they come up. I have even taken them to some matches with me to show them what completion shooting is all about.

It's great that you want to use grandpas shotguns and equipment. That is a great honer to him. Enjoy those old doubles and shoot some rounds of trap for him.

John

Do you know what the other parts of the tool are for? I can take closer photos of the other parts if that would help ID them. From what I've read so far here and other places, probably won't take up casting but still curious about the functions of this old tool. Almost like a swiss army knife of casting I guess. Like you said, it's a lot of work and there really is no other equipment for me here so it would be a big investment.

Thank you for the tips on powder, John. Yep, this red can looks old and even though it hasn't been opened I'd be leery of using it. I'll have to look for a date on it or something. Maybe worth more as an unopened antique if it is that old. There were about three hundred primers in his stuff too but they are cheap enough that I'd rather not use them after putting all the effort into the top of the shells. Would hate for a little primer to miss and waste all the rest of the load. 'Course I could build one or two then test them before using the rest. From what I've read though, removing a bullet or wad from a barrel is not a whole lot of fun either.

Ironic how many people around have similar hobbies and you don't know until you mention it in the canteen at work. I've already found a handful of guys ready to help that live nearby. Also found some ready to shoot some clay too. LOL!

Have a great day!

 

[k0ua]

The powder might be OK if it was unopened. Your nose can often tell. If it smells "sweet" it is usually OK. If it smells "sour" or like vinegar, it is no good. Like you said it might be best to see if a collector might want it. As noted bullseye is a "touchy" powder, a little goes a long way, and it is easier to make mistakes with bullseye than almost any other powder. Bullseye is one of our oldest smokeless powders.

 

[jlgurr]

The powder might be OK if it was unopened. Your nose can often tell. If it smells "sweet" it is usually OK. If it smells "sour" or like vinegar, it is no good. Like you said it might be best to see if a collector might want it. As noted bullseye is a "touchy" powder, a little goes a long way, and it is easier to make mistakes with bullseye than almost any other powder. Bullseye is one of our oldest smokeless powders.

That's interesting you say it's easy to make mistakes with Bullseye. Grandpa would always mention "there might be a hot one or two in that batch." If there were I never noticed but I suppose he was being sure we were careful.

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[vacman]

Hey Jeff,

If you take a couple more pics of that bullet mold I can run it past a friend of mine who casts. He can probably id what some of the parts are. One thought I have if those two holes I see are bored all the way through. The one that has a small ram looking piece on the opposite handle might be a sizer. You would put the molded bullet in the hole and then drive it though the hole. That would give it a final sizing to .357-.358. A similar operation could be used to install a gas check on the base of the bullet. A gas check is of the bullet diameter and looks like a disk. You would use that if the load you are creating is on the hotter side. The gas check acts as seal so the base of the bullet doesn't get deformed. Both of these operations are usually done on other equipment but I suppose it's possible this manufacturer made a multiple tool out of the mold as a sales driver.
To reference James' post on Bullseye it is the oldest smokeless pistol powder still being manufactured. I read recently that it started production around 1898 and has changed only a little since then. Hercules sold to Alliant in 1994 and the canisters I've used/seen from that era do not look anything like yours so my bet would be that it's from the 60-70s at the latest. It is a fast burning powder which translates into a given load only needing a small amount of it to reach peak pressures. That is where one needs to be careful because it is easy to over charge a case. 3.7 gr of BE doesn't fill up much of a case and I haven't used more than 4.5 gr in any of my 45 ACP loads. A novice might try and "fill" the case which would be catastrophic with Bullseye. (It will blow the gun up). The bigger the case volume, the easier it is for a double charge (or more) to get put into that case. It's a great powder if used properly so just take your time when reloading and you should be fine.

Good luck.
John

 

[jlgurr]

John,

Check out these. The first one is the most difficult. Basically there is a tube like hole along one handle of the tool and as you open it the tab connected to the other handle could be pressing something into the hole. But whatever goes in the hole has to fall out because the tube is closed at the opposite end.



In this one there are two holes. The hole left of center looks like it might be a capper. The thingy that presses a new primer into the case. The hole on the right may simply be a way to hold the cartridge or used as a means to press the primer in until it's flush with the base?



In this one there is a better view of the capper, if I guessed it correctly.



The last photo depicts some sort of scribing or scraping type of tool opposing a radius at 45 degrees. Maybe a tool of sorts that might deburr or bevel the bullet that was cast? The cutting tool can be twisted into or away from the angled radius as if you might be adjusting the depth of cut.



Overall, I may never use this Marlin tool but planning on cleaning it up and maybe having a rust proof coating on it. Like Black Oxide or something like that.

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[k0ua]

You may want to find out more about your antique reloading tool Look down this page to see more of the same.

Antique Reloading Tools - International Ammunition Association


Antique Reloading Tool Collector's Association


I don't think I would be putting any finishes on that tool just yet, until a value can be determined. Who know what someone might pay for a collectible like that.