For reloaders and casters I wish they still made...

[azrednek]

For discussion sake, after all this is a discussion group and I can't spend all my awake hours at my loading bench or the range. What do you miss besides some of the shooting irons you let get away??

Things I wish they still made:

The Lee kits with a cookie cutter, tray, 50/50 lube and the hand operated push-tru sizers. Can't believe I gave away my cookie cutters years ago.

The Lee kits were slow and tedious but it is how I learned to cast before there was an internet. The kits would be great and really convenient today if one wanted to lube and size just a handful of castings into boolits real quick. Seeing the price that just the Lee cookie cutters alone fetch really snaps my 20/20 hindsight into focus.

Lee HP and full wad cutter molds. I'm not a big fan of Lee molds but in the past Lee had a great selection of various styles.

Alcan powders. My favorite was AL-7. I used it for both shotgun and handgun. I also used some AL-8 to make some nuke powered 1 1/2 oz 12 ga shotshell loads.

Original early to mid 70's Norma powders like MRP and their loading manual. The original Norma powders used to be very consistent from one lot to another. There have been a few Johnny-Come-Latelys since, put into cans with Norma's name but it is not the same, especially giving the same lot to lot consistency.

[Jack Stanley]

Something I might be able to use would be AL-5 powder and I'd like to try some HS-7 .

If I was going to buy any more presses , I'd like to see the Pacific 007 press available . I'm not thrilled with the lock and load idea .

Though I don't use a Lyman four cavity mold a lot . I'd like to see a return of the trough type sprue plate and a better cutting edge than what I've seen lately .

Jack

[Reload3006]

I love my smith pistols .. but I will never forgive them for buying ALCAN and then shutting it down... I surely miss AL7

[Rokkit Syinss]

The Rockchucker II with the old style primer catcher. The new style just sucks, it's in the way of putting cases into or taking them off the shell holder, the chutes jam up with large rifle primers and the damned thing is so hard to get off when full half the primers end up on the floor.

[Larry Gibson]

The Lee Target loaders.........with the inside theneck reamers.

Larry Gibson

[Ole]

I still have about a lb and a half of Norma MRP. I never got the chance to experiment with it enough to become a fan.

Seemed like an expensive version of H4831 to me.

[mpmarty]

Hi-Vel #2 Powder and I wish Hodgden still made and sold H-870

[Ole]

I wish Hodgdon still sold H870 as a container powder.

If we're talking rifles, I should have bought a Marlin camp carbine back when I was considering it.

[Ole]

Hi-Vel #2 Powder and I wish Hodgden still made and sold H-870

Great minds think alike! :mrgreen:

160+ grain bullets in 7mm Remington mag, NOTHING could compete with H870.

I still have about a lb of it, but if memory serves, I paid around $6/lb for that stuff. Should have bought 20lbs at that price.

[Bret4207]

I miss the days when Lyman gave two kraps about cast shooters and would still sell you any mould on their list that went all the way back to John Barlow and when you could get a 2 cav with 2 different designs in it and when you could depnd on it simply being a Lyman meaning it was built pretty much right and to spec- and all for under $20.00!!!

I wish they still made guys like Elmer and Skeeter and Ken Waters, Townsend Whelen, Nash Buckingham and Gene Hill, Parker Ackley, Charles Landis, Maurice Decker and Francis Sell.

[btroj]

Original Lee hand primer.

[3006guns]

Lead wheel weights................

[high standard 40]

Original Lee hand primer.

I'm with you on this one.

[Janoosh]

A Pacific Pak-It tool in 308 and 762x54. I have one in 243 and it's way cool. Also, I have a Herters 30/30 die set with a second factory supplied expander for cast boolits. That's how to do it!

[midnight]

I used to wish for someone to make Vickerman seating dies again until I found out they do. you can get them at http://www.gmwvickerman.com/ . They don't work so well for cast bullets because a bullet 1 or 2 thousanths over size won't fit in the sleeve but they are great for J-bullets. I even got one for the 50BMG although I don't think he likes to make them that big because you don't sell many of those and costs for set up time are prohibitive. I found a couple at gun shows cheap because no one new what they were.

Bob

[10x]

Lead wheel weights................

That is understatement. Without lead wheel weights casting bullets is quickly becoming a rich man's hobby. The shipping on lead is very high in Canada.

[Bad Water Bill]

I miss the days when Lyman gave two kraps about cast shooters and would still sell you any mould on their list that went all the way back to John Barlow and when you could get a 2 cav with 2 different designs in it and when you could depnd on it simply being a Lyman meaning it was built pretty much right and to spec- and all for under $20.00!!!

I wish they still made guys like Elmer and Skeeter and Ken Waters, Townsend Whelen, Nash Buckingham and Gene Hill, Parker Ackley, Charles Landis, Maurice Decker and Francis Sell.

Don't forget Harvey Donaldson and a few of his friends.

I do regret selling my Herters 44 mag. Sold it to a friend and it was stolen with a lot of others on a break in.

[Bwana]

The Rockchucker II with the old style primer catcher. The new style just sucks, it's in the way of putting cases into or taking them off the shell holder, the chutes jam up with large rifle primers and the damned thing is so hard to get off when full half the primers end up on the floor.

Let me say "DITTO" to that. About a year ago I had decided that my RC II was worn out enough to send back for replacement (the second one that I've worn out in 35 years). So I wouldn't be without a press I bought one of the new RCs. I used it for a day or two before sending the other one back and decided that the primer catcher system sucked and I didn't need the "larger" opening. I stated in my letter to RCBS that I had purchased the newer version RC and didn't care for it and explained why. I told them I wished they still sold the RCII press because I would buy one. When I received the replacement press back, to my very pleasent surprise, they had sent me a brand new RCII press. I called them and thanked them for the preferred press.
I was showing my eldest my new presses and he said that he liked the newer version RC and that he would trade me his RCII for it. I jumped on that as his press is just like new due to his only using it to load for his 308 ( he has a Dillon 650 for handgun). So then I had two RCII presses. That might last me for the rest of my life.

[x101airborne]

I miss.......
cheap 98's and 03-A3's
Buck capers
origional redhawks
the days before cell phones
three screw blackhawks
H870 powder
customer service
pride in craftsmanship
business ethics
THE RCII PRESSES
55 mph roads
a democratic and reasonable government
Darwin's theory of smart animals surviving and dumb ones dying actually being valid
I know I am ranting, but one reminiscence leads to another.

[mtnman31]

What?!? Insanity...


55 mph roads

I miss when Montana had no speed limit - "safe and prudent".
I personally like driving fast, not wreckless, just fast. I routinely take lead from the casting pot and add it to my right shoe.

Reloading and casting wise, there isn't much I "miss" or need to have. I think the market is pretty well taken care of by the manufacturers. Sure they could improve quality at times but as far as tools and products, I think they do a pretty decent job overall. I wouldn't mind seeing the Lyman 310 loaders and Lee Loaders made in a larger variety of calibers but that's more of a want than a need. Same goes for the the Lee pan lubing kits. They are nice to have but not a requirement.

Maybe my perspective is skewed since I have only been reloading for about 15-20 years, most of that being in the last ten.

Where I am unhappy reloading wise is the astronomical price of specialty brass. The price on small runs of specialty brass is ridiculous. I have a bunch of older, obsolete cartridges and their brass is insanely high priced. Yes - I understand supply and demand, but if it was more reasonably priced I'd buy 50 - 100 cases instead of twenty.

I miss when eBay had brass, bullets, and all manner of shooting items available. The market was great in that as a seller you could reach a much bigger market and as a buyer you had a huge variety of choices and product to choose from. Nowadays, eBay isn't worth the lint in my pocket.

[1Shirt]

I'm with Bret on Lyman. Wish we could still order a 4 cav mold wit 2-3-4 different blts. I just think about one that would cast individual 311291, 31141, 311332, and 311284. Now would'nt that be great part of a cats posterier.
1Shirt!:-):coffee:

[looseprojectile]

And one more.
I would love to be able to acquire sixteen pounds of Dupont Bulk Shotgun powder. SR 4759 is close but not the same or as good for BPCR loads.
I guess I have outlived a lot of things that were good or better than what we have to choose from today.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy and use the newest technology when I can.


Life is good

[Grandpas50AE]

I miss AL-120 powder, it was the best powder I have ever used in .380 ACP and .25 ACP. It also was a really great powder for 12 Ga. 1 1/2 oz. loads.

[Reload3006]

I miss 12 lb cans from IMR. Did I already mention I miss ALCAN? I miss 6$ bags of shot I let my ex wife talk me into giving her dad my browning 92 44 I miss that gun.

[rintinglen]

I wish printers still used linotype. I got 250 pounds of it back around 1979 for 25 cents a pound, mixed 1 to 2 with wheel weights, that was great casting metal.

[Bret4207]

Don't forget Harvey Donaldson and a few of his friends.

I do regret selling my Herters 44 mag. Sold it to a friend and it was stolen with a lot of others on a break in.

Yup Harvey, Ned Roberts, Allyn Tedmond, Ed Crossman, Ashley Haines, Horace Kephart, George Nonte, Bob Milek, Larry Mueller...there are a ton of older writers that I can't even recall anymore that were a cut above what we seem to get today. I don;t know if it's the editors or what, but something is missing. Give me Al Miller and Ken Howell and Jim Carmichael in the old Handloader and you've got something.

Hey, for that matter I'd like to see the American Rifleman return to being a magazine about SHOOTING!

[Grandpas50AE]

...and Peter Capstick.

[Dale53]

Well, while I thoroughly enjoyed Elmer, Skeeter and the bunch, we have a good bunch of writers today. Brian Pearce, John Taffin, and Mike Venturino have done excellent work for years.They are as good as we could hope for.

The problem, as I see it, who comes after them? I don't seem to see any up and comers...

Dale53

[mtnman31]

The problem, as I see it, who comes after them? I don't seem to see any up and comers...

Dale53

I guess I'll have to pick up a pen and start writing - the mindless ramblings of a fool :-P

[Bad Water Bill]

Never fear. Just as Mike John and others were overshadowed by the past writers A new crop is even now sharpening their pencils.

They must pay their dues just as this fine group had to do.

[Hang Fire]

I miss DuPont black powder, some say their old shiny black is no different than other brands today, but I beg to differ.

[Rokkit Syinss]

Let me say "DITTO" to that. About a year ago I had decided that my RC II was worn out enough to send back for replacement (the second one that I've worn out in 35 years). So I wouldn't be without a press I bought one of the new RCs. I used it for a day or two before sending the other one back and decided that the primer catcher system sucked and I didn't need the "larger" opening. I stated in my letter to RCBS that I had purchased the newer version RC and didn't care for it and explained why. I told them I wished they still sold the RCII press because I would buy one. When I received the replacement press back, to my very pleasent surprise, they had sent me a brand new RCII press. I called them and thanked them for the preferred press.
I was showing my eldest my new presses and he said that he liked the newer version RC and that he would trade me his RCII for it. I jumped on that as his press is just like new due to his only using it to load for his 308 ( he has a Dillon 650 for handgun). So then I had two RCII presses. That might last me for the rest of my life.

I called them and was told tough luck it's the design THEY like.

[MT Gianni]

I miss Lyman not offering to HP any mold they sold. As far as writers not mentioned, I miss Bob Hagel, Finn Aagaard and Ross Seyfreid.

[10x]

Jack O'Connor? Part of the reason I am a shooter but not a 270 fan