Let's Get Back to Basics

[Green Frog]

Sorry guys, yes the space bar and I are old friends. I was just trying to leave a specific impression, (and laughing all the way while doing it)

Lee tools are IMO great tools for the money, and I would not willingly give up my Lee Loader in 7.62x54r. I just wish I had one in 7.62x25.

That reminds me of one of the things I like best about the 310 arrangement... since they only neck size, it is frequently possible to do a "work around" for calibers Lyman never intended. My current personal favorite is the Maynard 1873 cartridge in 40-40 that I am loading using the current-production 40-65 dies. Couldn't be better if they meant to do it that way!

Froggie

[bb07]

I like my 310's so much that even though I have several presses and a universal decapping die, I do all my decapping with the 310. It's just 'funner'

[35 shooter]

I've been doing all of my reloading with an older lee hand held press for years now. I love the freedom of load anywhere i go with it. My old rcbs rock chucker just sits idle.
I would love to try one of the huntingtons, but the the lee just keeps getting it done. I have loaded thousands of rifle rounds with the lee and now load my handgun rounds with it too.

[Green Frog]

I've been doing all of my reloading with an older lee hand held press for years now. I love the freedom of load anywhere i go with it. My old rcbs rock chucker just sits idle.
I would love to try one of the huntingtons, but the the lee just keeps getting it done. I have loaded thousands of rifle rounds with the lee and now load my handgun rounds with it too.

I had a Lee Hand Loader and was perfectly satisfied (or so I thought) but ran into an acquaintance who had a Huntington hand loader for sale at a local gun show. I got a "friends and family" price on a like new boxed unit, tried it once and never looked back. Would I have paid the retail freight on a new one? Probably not, but this deal came along and I really love the one I got. YMMV.

Froggie

[Wayne Smith]

Has anyone tried to use the Lyman bullet sizing dies on the TrueLine? There is absolutely no clearance to place a boolit and barely enough room for a round ball between the rod and the die. This is the .311 set. And what does the end of the rod fit? None of my shell holders, anyway! The rod I have for the .25 is so long it is impossible to use it with any press.

Oh, and when I screwed the die up in the press to make more room there was room for three round balls in the die before it spit one out. And I mean it spit it out, bounced off the ceiling and around the room before coming to rest!

[firefly1957]

Well earlier in the year i got a .303 Brit rifle to go with a set of .303 310 dies i got years ago it has some pitting in the bore but i have one cast bullet load shooting well now. I also have 310 dies in 30-06 and 44 special / mag with three handles i am set for loading in the field if i need to.

[Char-Gar]

In use cast bullets were lubed in a pan and cut out with the Lyman Kake Kutter. They were then put into the 310 sizing chamber base first and the tool closed. This "packed" the lube into the grooves and brought the bullet to correct diameter.

However the reality isn't as neat. The 310 tool lacks the leverage to reduce the bullet more than .001 with a soft bullet. Use a harder alloy and it is a no go situation. The sizing chamber can be used in a press with the adapter, but be prepared to cover the end of the chamber to catch the bullet or it will fly a good distance.

The 310 resizing chambers are not entirely useless, but darn close.

[s1120]

I gotta say that granted im a fairly new reloader, but those lee loaders scare me! I know its not based in fact... but tapping the primers in jst gives me fits. I really need to pick one p one day and get passed that.

Im a 310 user once removed. As a owner and user of a truLine Jr press, I have a foot in bolth rooms.

[BrassMagnet]

This section of the CB Forum is designed for discussion of 310 tools, Lee Loaders (the hand type) and other non-bench press type loading, in short Hand Tools. Has anyone done anything of note lately about or with these types of tools? I'm not seeing much about them here these days. I just finished gathering a set of 38/357 dies for the 310 and a set of iron handles so marked. I had one of the old boxes laying around, so I guess I can now assemble a complete, early type set. There are a few old Lee Loaders on my table waiting for me to find time to use them, and as soon as I get some of my newer stuff stashed and make room to work (I know, it shouldn't take much room) I'll be able to get busy with them. Does anyone know how I can get "a round tuit??"

Froggie

I have a round "TUIT" in my coin collection. It is a wooden, round coin, and it is stamped "TUIT."
One of my little sisters gave it to me. She got very tired of hearing "When I get around to it!"

[cajun shooter]

I gotta say that granted im a fairly new reloader, but those lee loaders scare me! I know its not based in fact... but tapping the primers in jst gives me fits. I really need to pick one p one day and get passed that.

Im a 310 user once removed. As a owner and user of a truLine Jr press, I have a foot in bolth rooms.

My first Lee loader in 38 spl. came home with me in 1969 along with a 8 oz can of Bullseye, one box of 100 primers, and a box of commercial cast 158 grain bullets. My wife and I had a new born baby boy and after the third primer going off while in that hammer in the primer stage, she stopped the feeding just long enough to tell me to stop this crazy thing before I killed her and the baby. I was told to take all that "STUFF" outside and never bring it back.
I soon purchased the Lyman C press that had a seat with pressure primer piece on the press and my wife became civil again. The Lee does work but I would resign it to a total collapse of the world and my wife and I needed to eat. I would advise that you skip this learning phase and go a little more modern for under $20. Later David

[gwpercle]

If the Lee Hand Press counts as a "hand tool", I've discovered I can put it and everything I need to reload handgun ammo in a gym bag, walk right into my office, sit there at my desk and appear to be "working" and spend the whole day loading a few hundred rounds. Of course your boolits need to be cast, lubed and sized already
With the plastic mallet powered Lee Loader (wack-a-mole) the pounding gave me away....the hand press = quite....nobody knows but me! Sweet little tool!

Gary

[Wayne Smith]

Wow, Gary, I think I want your job, if no one knows what you are doing and no one notices the lack of production and you still get paid!

[bedbugbilly]

I have to assume that Gary is "self-employed"??? If not . . . he obviously must work for the government . . . er . . I mean "us". LOL

[claude]

Looks like Gary just might work for the government.........

[gwpercle]

Naw...just a small business that I happen to own. The boss and I see eye to eye on everything.
The downside is every once in a while I don't get paid (unlike government workers) sometimes the bucks stop before they get all the way to the top, but the fringe "benefits" make up for it.
And I do consider reloading ammo very productive work.
Gary
You know, after thinking about it, it's a darn good thing I am the boss, or I would have to fire myself....I goof off the most around here.
Gary

[jmoore]

My favorite .32-20 mould.:

~

~

But as a reloading tool for .32WCF, it's not so good.

[Green Frog]

Well, the process continues... an e-friend of mine asked me to set him up with a tong tool and decapper (only) to prepare his black powder fired 44-40 cases for cleaning. I met him @ the North-south Skirmish Association Fall Nationals and took care of him easily. Good; one less odd set of handles and ready to go, right? No, I went up on Sutlers' Row to avoid cabin fever in my camper and found a nicely priced 38 Spl/357 Set in a really cool metal box (non-original of course) and just had to buy it. One step forward and two steps back!

Froggie

[carbine]

Gee Froggie, maybe I need to prime with the tong tool as well

Lou Lou Lou

[Green Frog]

Gee Froggie, maybe I need to prime with the tong tool as well

Lou Lou Lou

Lou,

IIRC, you won't even need another tool to prime... the (early) tool you got from me was designed to do the priming function without another die. You should be able to just move the deprimed case over to the next hole (in the handle) and set a primer into the primer hole and seat it by closing the handles again... there should be a little teat on the opposite handle that pushes the primer into its new home. If that doesn't work, drop me a PM and I'll check into a PC die. I personally find that if I prime my cases in batches, whether using the tong tool or one of several other dedicated capping tools, I get much more consistent seating, and of course more consistency=improved accuracy, so for most applications, I bulk prime.

Best regards,
Charle the Frog

[carbine]

Will do. Yes to batch priming. Thanks again