I've got a 12ga and 20ga hand roll crimpers. They were made in Turkey and are very crudely made from brass casting.
However, they work very well and were given to me by the brother-in law of a long time hunting/shooting friend who was stationed in Airforce at Incerlic AFB, in the early '80's.
He was an avid hunter and like many couldn't afford expensive, hard to find shells. However, powder, primers, shot and wads were easily available, and cheap, but low quality. Only paper hulls domestically available. Plastic hulls, especially RXP or AA were luxury's.
As I frequented many dove shoots as an uninvited "visitor" on official business, I was able to acquire large quantities of free shotgun hulls. These were washed, and sent by friend to bil in Turkey.
They used these crude but beautiful tools to load "working" shot shells. He described the powder as being about like "dirty Unique". Considering Unique is considered, DIRTY, that's pretty bad!
But, it killed ducks!
Folded crimps were cut off, and card wads and shot/powder quantity adjusted to attain tight crimp! After 2-3 loadings, trim, "load em a little shorter'. Kinda like the Rio "shorties. But, they WORKED! In the Turkish o/u and SXS they were shooting.
Now, I know a lot of you are cringing now, but that's how it used to be in the "bad old days". Look up some old loading tool instructions!
Loading your own was part art, part alchemy in the '60's even here in the 'good old USA'.
The first time I saw GREX, I thought "INSTANT GRITS". = poor mans GREX!
If those Russian tools ever come in 28ga or .410, I'll have to have one!
