Home made BP compression tool

[stubbicatt]

If you load black powder cartridges you may be familiar with compression tools? I crafted this one yesterday. You simply pour your powder into the case, insert the wad, and then press the wad home with this tool. Place the case in your shell holder, and put this tool in the case mouth, raise the ram against the bottom of your seating die. Once the tool bottoms out against the case mouth, voila!



I find it handy and thought I would share it with you. This particular one is for 45-70 and is 7/16ths bolt with two nuts on it. Once you arrive at your bullet seating depth, you simply adjust the nuts to reach that same depth, lock them together, and all is well. The amount of compression is determined not by length of tool, but by quantity of powder in the case.

Seat bullet to have firm contact with wad as per normal.

Total cost: $1.60

HTH.

 

[Don McDowell]

You aren't concerned with the steel in that bolt scratching up the inside of the die?
I use and extra Lyman M die for some cartridges and the compression stems sold by Buffalo Arms for others.

 

[stubbicatt]

Don McDowell, the big, fat, hex head does not enter the die. The threaded part of the bolt enters the case. The hex head simply rests against the bottom of the seating die. No scratches. If you are concerned about scratches, cut you off a piece of silicone oven mitt material and place between the bolt head and the die. Or a piece of shoe leather... really any buffer would work.

You simply apply gentle pressure with the press until the bottom lock nut just touches the case mouth. The forces involved are really not all that great.

Though I suppose if one were trying to get like a half inch compression that would be another story.