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

[flutedchamber]

This is a modification of 'setup cartridges' that you use to do a quick setup on your seating die. I made some up in 9mm and 45ACP that served me for quite a while. When setting the seating die one day I noticed that the rounds I produced looked a little 'short' compared to a batch that I ran off a week or so prior. They were, almost .025 shorter than what I wanted. I pulled the bullets and reseated them, then turned my attention to my setup rounds.

I removed the bullets in my setup rounds, cleaned the inside of the case neck and bullet with a bit of Scotchbrite and straight rubbing alcohol. I then drilled a 3/32 hole about 1/8 inch down from the mouth of the case and deburred the hole inside and out. The bullet was seated and checked for length, then I used my 100 watt hand soldering iron and some rosin core electronic solder to melt a tiny drop in the drilled hole, permanently bonding the bullet to the case. The drop was small enough that it did not alter the OD of the case, so it caused no die interference.

I first thought of using Loctite, but it COULD fail, and with my luck, if something COULD fail, it WILL fail if I do it. Not enough heat is applied to bother the lead core of the bullet.

I have also done rifle rounds the same way. Oh, I use an acid etch marker to write the cartridge overall length on each cartridge, and in the case of the 45ACP, which pistol it is intended for, as each likes a different cartridge overall length. You can buy the pen from various online sources. Here's a link to the manufacturer. http://www.fowlerprecision.com/Products/Screwdrivers-Tweezers/527300050.html

Just wash the case with a bit of soap and water when the etching is as dark as you like. Dry and apply a tiny bit of oil to the etched area. My etched cases are over 3 years old and the etching is still as crisp as the first day.

 

[Holderofthehorns]

Well, it seems that running the tumbler on the same bench while reloading will cause enough vibrations to make the Dillon pistol powder bar VERY accurate.

I've been reloading 9mm with HP-38 at 4.5 grains. Every load that I checked is exactly 4.5. Not +/- .1, exact.
It occurred to me while seating a bullet that I could feel the press vibrating from the tumbler.
Some folks tap their powder dispensers on every operation.
The vibrator tumbler does a similar thing. <-- Frankford Arsenal Tumbler

 

[Skinnedknuckles]

I have several calibers of dies mounted in Lee turrets and I load more than one bullet/powder combination in each caliber. I store the turrets in a homemade rack and I keep my loading "recipes" written on 3x5 note cards. When I put away a turret, I leave the recipe card with the turret so I know how the dies were set when I put them away. Saves me a bit of time the next time, if I happen to be loading the same combination -- and reminds me I have to re-set the dies if I'm not. I keep the rest of the recipe cards clipped in a large "clothes pin" screwed to the peg board over my work bench.

 

[Toprudder]

Well, it seems that running the tumbler on the same bench while reloading will cause enough vibrations to make the Dillon pistol powder bar VERY accurate.

I have an old aquarium air pump that I will sometimes strap to the side of the Dillon powder measure. It DOES help, especially with powders like 700x or 800x.

 

[MoreIsLess]

I recently bought a strong mount for my Dillon 550. I also bought the bullet tray but I didn't get the empty case tray. After implementing this, I discovered that it was too far of a reach from the bench to the de-priming station of my 550 (about 8 inch reach) so I wished I had gotten the empty case tray along with the strong mount. So, I made my own:


It just sits on the loading bench, so I can take it off when not in use, since the space on my bench is limited (I also have a 650, that is not shown, on the bench)

 

[HEAVY METAL 1]

I came up with this to make sure I don't skip a step especially if I am interrupted in reloading. At the very end of the checklist I enter all the load info into both my log book and in the box of the completed ammunition,

 

[sparkyv]

Coupling nut risers under a Pro 1000
I used coupling nuts as risers to get room to put a container under the press.
The mounting bolts are 1/4x20 so I used 5/16 coupling nuts.
I have to loosen all bolts, and remove one to get the container out.
View attachment 229815

Tilos, this was exactly what I was looking for, as I did not want to cut up my table top with even more holes. Brilliant! Thanks so much.

 

[EnglishTom]

Spacers for each Cal I trim no need to reset trimmer just pop on the spacer for that cal

 

[dgod]

Yup, I maintain a Dummy that is precisely for that. One for Case Trimming, Another for Bullet Seating. Sure saves time and is easier than setting from scratch.

Good Luck
dg

 

[quest4perfection]

Corn Cob "sand" bags.

I've been looking for sand bags to aide sighting in some rifles for some time. I made these bags out of some old bluejeans and filled them with corncob tumbling media. Cost me about 5 bucks for the cob and was gonna throw the jeans out anyway.
I guess I either have tooo much time on my hand or I'm just cheap (Yeah, I'm cheap ).

View attachment 350148

BTW: I sewed them myself!!! Just don't tell the WIFE!!!

Closet

Don't know your wife but I did mention it to a few longshoremen I know.

 

[fotheringill]

Templaq-

It gets kind of goopy after about eight months. I wrapped the bottle in a plastic baggy and sealed it around with duct tape and put it into my dry tumbler when I had a load of brass to clean. Surprisingly, it was successful and it was less goopy after the tumbling session. No leakage, either.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

Bump

 

[Hoppo7]

Probably been on here before but I have found that mounting the powder measure that comes with the Lee Precision Breech Lock Challenger kit directly onto the press using a spacer works well, and you can still change dies without removing it.

 

[Toprudder]

Probably been on here before but I have found that mounting the powder measure that comes with the Lee Precision Breech Lock Challenger kit directly onto the press using a spacer works well, and you can still change dies without removing it.
View attachment 775906

There is an adapter that lets the measure go directly into the expander die.

https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Hand...00506&sr=8-13&keywords=lee+powder+measure+die

 

[WestKentucky]

This is a modification of 'setup cartridges' that you use to do a quick setup on your seating die. I made some up in 9mm and 45ACP that served me for quite a while. When setting the seating die one day I noticed that the rounds I produced looked a little 'short' compared to a batch that I ran off a week or so prior. They were, almost .025 shorter than what I wanted. I pulled the bullets and reseated them, then turned my attention to my setup rounds.

I removed the bullets in my setup rounds, cleaned the inside of the case neck and bullet with a bit of Scotchbrite and straight rubbing alcohol. I then drilled a 3/32 hole about 1/8 inch down from the mouth of the case and deburred the hole inside and out. The bullet was seated and checked for length, then I used my 100 watt hand soldering iron and some rosin core electronic solder to melt a tiny drop in the drilled hole, permanently bonding the bullet to the case. The drop was small enough that it did not alter the OD of the case, so it caused no die interference.

I first thought of using Loctite, but it COULD fail, and with my luck, if something COULD fail, it WILL fail if I do it. Not enough heat is applied to bother the lead core of the bullet.

I have also done rifle rounds the same way. Oh, I use an acid etch marker to write the cartridge overall length on each cartridge, and in the case of the 45ACP, which pistol it is intended for, as each likes a different cartridge overall length. You can buy the pen from various online sources. Here's a link to the manufacturer. http://www.fowlerprecision.com/Products/Screwdrivers-Tweezers/527300050.html

Just wash the case with a bit of soap and water when the etching is as dark as you like. Dry and apply a tiny bit of oil to the etched area. My etched cases are over 3 years old and the etching is still as crisp as the first day.

I did something similar but in a very different way. I have a good supply of small allthread rod. I got setup how I wanted, drilled and tapped a case, drilled a bullet, seated it, then tapped the rest of the way into the bullet. Squirt in some loctite, screw in the allthread, use grinder to carefully get the allthread level with the base of the case. Setup rounds are nice tools to have handy.

 

[ess45]

There is an adapter that lets the measure go directly into the expander die.

https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Handgun-Adapter®-Powder-Measure/dp/B003WGMCFU/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1516800506&sr=8-13&keywords=lee+powder+measure+die

Not needed. Just push directly to the die.

 

[Toprudder]

Not needed. Just push directly to the die.

Thanks! Never thought to try that.

 

[Peterpan]

I always put a washclot over the ball on the lever, so it slides through your hand instead off rubbing up and down.

Second I've replaced the spring keeping the shellholder in place on a Lee turret with an O ring since the groove is already there. It seems to let the cases center itself under the dies a bit better .

Just my 2 Dutch cents

 

[doubleh]

I only reload two rifle calibers now, 223 and 22-250. I keep a case for each that has been trimmed to the correct length in a drawer in my small parts cabinet and use them to adjust my RCBS case trimmer when I change calibers. If I loaded more calibers I would have a case for each. I also keep a dummy rounds for pistol calibers that I load with different bullets to set my seating die for each load. I'll admit a seating die for each would be quicker and easier and I may eventually go that route.

 

[Doublehelix]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but I keep small bins for each caliber of sized (and decapped) brass, and then other bins for sized/decapped and primed brass.

These cases can be fed into various stages of my progressive press if something messes up and a case get skipped. (Say a case does not feed correctly from the case feeder.)

Hard to explain, but I use them all the time, especially with .40 and .45. 9mm cases seem not to misfeed as often on my press.

 

[Tilos]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but I keep small bins for each caliber of sized (and decapped) brass, and then other bins for sized/decapped and primed brass.

These cases can be fed into various stages of my progressive press if something messes up and a case get skipped. (Say a case does not feed correctly from the case feeder.)

Hard to explain, but I use them all the time, especially with .40 and .45. 9mm cases seem not to misfeed as often on my press.

I kind of do something similar :
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...inally-im-tempted.834679/page-2#post-10799905

 

[Doublehelix]

I kind of do something similar :
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...inally-im-tempted.834679/page-2#post-10799905

Yup! Great minds think alike!

The difference is that I just make a whole bunch at once, and keep them handy in small Acro bins for when I need them.



This has proven to be a great help at times.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

I want to talk about the "Hornady primer dimple". I have bought and sold 24 Hornady AP's and all have had a dimple and I have helped to get others up and running and they too have had a dimple. Now when someone sees a dimple they want to fix it by gluing a dime, washer or feeler gage over it. Now I am sure that there are dimples that are deep enough to cause a problem. But normally it will not affect the setting of the primer. So the first thing you need to do is check and find out if it will affect the seating of the primer. What I do is take a bit of play-doe and roll it into a small ball about the size of a pea and put it next to the punch. Then set a primer into a piece of brass. Then look at the ball of play-doe it should have flattened out a little. Take a caliper and measure the play-doe. Now without a piece of brass in the shell plate push the handle forward as if you are setting a primer. Then re-measure the play-doe. If it is larger you know that the punch will set the primer no problem.

Now, I have a son in law that had a small dimple that he had to have fixed because he insisted that it was causing a problem even though I explained to him the problem was the loose nut pulling the handle. So I fixed it for him.

The first thing I did was take a 3/8 right angle drill, a stubby drill bit, an alien wrench, and a tap. The first thing I did was put the drill bit into the drill leaving 3/16 of an inch sticking out of the chuck. Then I drilled straight down into the dimple. Then using the tap I tapped the hole out. A small drop of lock-tight in the hole then I screwed in a set screw flush with the press. Took about a half an hour and cost less than a quarter. This is a permanent fix.

 

[daboone]

I own several different types of PMs of which 5 are dialed in and used regularly. I have very little room for storage of easily dammaged tools. Also I don't like mounting/dismounting any of them to make room for another. Pictured are 2 solutions I've come up with to solve both of those problems plus adding ease of access.

Flat bar off of a shelf which doesn't need much explanation. The Pedestal Carousel below was made of 2 - 1 1/4in pipe flanges and one 10in (or 6"or 4") pipe (each fitting either NPT or NPS threads but do not mismatch) and a 6 or 7in x 1/4in aluminum (or wood or steel) disk. 7/8in holes drilled to accept desired number of PMs This stand picture was made of brass fittings because it's heaver but black pipe could be used. If the stand isn't going to be bolted down the pipe could be filled with lead if more weight is required. I haven't found either method necessary for my stand is quite stable.

The top flange's threads allow carousel motion thus any of the PMs can be swiveled to the forward position. An advantage of pipe threads adjustment ,to locate the PM's position, is rock solid stability. This stand could be bolted to the bench but I've found that unnecessary thus making it easy to moved to some more remote part of the bench when not in use.




l.

 

[BigGame]

I have a West German SIG P220 with a match barrel. When I have reloaded the .45 brass I sometimes get misfeeds if the brass is not sized just perfectly (my SIG is temperamental). I bought the Lee Bulge Buster and this solved the problem perfectly. When I was at the range on Monday NO misfeeds.