Lyman Gun Sight Accra-Wax Loader

[daboone]

Anyone know anything about this? Specifically looking for this kits directions. It comes with a primer seater but it doesn't use any shell holders I have. So what shellholders did it use?

[BrassMagnet]

I have directions.
I'll have some time to look at them this weekend.
Please PM your address to me.

[daboone]

Thank You Sir!

[Green Frog]

Daboone, the primer seating tool uses the old standard Lyman J-type shell holder, and there was either a large or small primer plunger installed according to the cartridge being loaded. Each set came complete for one caliber with the assembled priming tool and sheets of the red, paraffin-based wax. IIRC, the system worked best if you used Adevoted cases that had their flash holes drilled out oversize. While I’ve never had a complete set, I did get most of a set once with the sheets fo wax used so they looked like lace... more holes than wax! OTOH the priming tool worked great... I put a #17 J she’ll holder on it and used it to prime 45-70 brass for BPCS.

There are instructions online for making sheets of wax for wax bullets, so if you can get your priming tool set up for the caliber you want, you should be good to go. BTW, what caliber are you trying to load?

Froggie

[daboone]

Found it at a garage sale in a styrofoam box with no lid, no directions, and part of a flat bar of red wax. It did have a deprimer rod and a multi internally beveled cone, maybe 1in in diameter that fits inside of cylinder that's a little longer than in length. The primer seater has a fixed slot that's stamped #1 and a 38spl case fits. I assume it excepted some kind of shellholder(?) but I'd be happy if it will work with 38spl.

[daboone]

These are a part of the kit. The black part fits inside the silver cylinder What are these parts or rather what do the do?

[daboone]

Play with with a toy long enough the Male Genes kick in and directions aren't necessary.

The photo above is a decapping base.The bevels are steps to hold various calibers bases / heads steady for decapping.

The block of wax was actually sheets of wax separated by wax paper. That wasn't obvious at first because of some melting that occurred during it life here in Phoenix Arizona. These sheets are about 3/16in thus (I think/hope) the thickness of a wax bullet. When a case is pushed thru a sheet the bullet is seated.

[TNsailorman]

I have made my own wax bullets in the past. I had Lee Loaders already so I used the chamber and decap stem from that, also the re-prime tool. Then all I had to do was melt some wax in a flat bottomed metal pan to the appropriate thickness (using the approximate depth of the wax according to the length of lead bullet of the correct caliber). Let the wax harden. Then I just pushed a primed case into the wax , mouth first, until it bottomed out on the bottom of the metal pan. I tried magnum primers but found no real gain in accuracy or perceived velocity, which I never measured as I was only going to shoot at 10 to 20 feet. Surprisingly accurate that way. I used this method for the first time in about 1966 when I didn't have a place to shoot except in the basement. A cardboard box with a towel drapped over several wooden dowels cut into the side of the box and a large hole in the front of the box for the target to be taped over and the bullet to enter to be slopped by the towel folds. Worked very well for me. I haven't used wax loads since I moved into my new house in 1972. Wroked for me, james

[Green Frog]

daboone, you seem to have everything except the instructions and the flimsy clear plastic top that made your set complete when new. I’ve seen them advertised, but almost never with the complete set of wax sheets... good find! As for the shell holders, any of Lyman’s old style “J-type” shellholders may be installed by simply loosening the retaining screw on the side of the tool’s body and swapping them out. Unfortunately, if you want to load a different (in your case large) primer, you’ll need a different primer punch as well. That will be hard to come by. FWIW, mine came with a #2 shellholder and large primer punch for 45 ACP. I just swapped out the SH for a #17 and was good to go for 45-70.

[Green Frog]

Well, I made the mistake this afternoon of trying to clean up and organize some of my reloading gear and what should turn up on my bench but the complete priming tool and parts to set it up as a large primer unit, notably the 45-70 mentioned in a previous post. The rest of the story is that there was also a second body for the same tool, but no internal parts. Of course I have lots of J-type shell holders, but not a clue about getting the guts for the tool itself. Does anyone have a small primer set up for one of these I can get measurements for so I can have a way to load wax 32 and 38 bullets? Any and all help and information appreciated.

Froggie

[dsh1106]

Frog man

I just purchased one of these off the auction site that was setup for the small primer. I beleive this is complete with the instructions.

PM me and I'll get you the information this weekend.

Scott

[Pressman]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-bullets/page2

See this for more information.

[Green Frog]

With all the Lyman-made flotsam and jetsam in my shop downstairs, I’m hoping there will be enough bits and pieces to cobble something together to use without breaking out the lathe and making parts from scratch. I’m about out of scratch and the local Grainger’s was backordered before they closed.

In all seriosity though, if I can set the second, now incomplete tool for small primers, I’ve got enough J-type shell holders to prime about any case I want.

Froggie

[country gent]

I load a lot of wax bullets on and off. Here's a few tricks to help out. 1) seat bullet before priming, other wise the wax bullet creates a seal and air locks pushing back out. 2) drill out flash holes to .100-.105. I took my 38 spl to large pistol primers and use small primer 45 acp. 3) chamfer cases inside a little heavier than normal, makes them easier to push thru the wax sheet. 4) my bullets are thicker than 3/16", 38s are 1/2- 5/8" long and 45s are 3/8"-1/2". Make trays to the thickness desired and pour molten wax in them. 50/50 paraffin beeswax with a little Vaseline added works well for the bullets. catch them as it can be remelted and used over and over.

I use these for practice inside and teaching new shooters with revolvers. no recoil and no muzzle blast report to speak of.

[dsh1106]

I just posted the instructions for this over at ARTCA

http://www.antiquereloadingtools.com...php?f=4&t=7751

Scott

[Green Frog]

Public Recognition: There are folks in this field like Scott/dsh1106 who selflessly contribute to our overall store of knowledge with posts like the one mentioned here. Not just once, but often! I for one would like to publicly acknowledge this and say thanks.

Right here in this one thread we've heard from Ken/pressman and Ron/BrassMagnet and others who regularly make contributions with little or no notice or thanks, so I would like to take this opportunity to let everyone know that taking the time and effort to make this type of contributions is a big part of what makes this Forum useful, indeed valuable to so many of us here.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas to all!
Charlie Shaeff
Green Frog

[W.R.Buchanan]

You guys actually cast Wax Boolits?

I thought you just push the cases into a block of Paraffin and the cases cut the boolits out as they are pushed in? You start by slightly heating the cases, then pushing them part way into a Block of Canning Paraffin, then when you get the whole block covered with cases, kind of like a reversed loading block, you put it in between two pieces of plywood and push them together with a vice. This pushes the cases thru the Paraffin Block and when you remove them the boolits are already seated, then you prime them.

Definitely open the Flash holes to @.093/3/32" and paint the case heads Red so they don't get loaded with regular lead boolit loads.

Last time I did this was for my M29 in 1978. Shot them in my living room! (I lived alone!) Probably can't do this now as my wife would take the gun away from me, and use it on me!

That's the way I was taught to make them like 40 years ago.

Randy

[Green Frog]

Randy,

The Accra-Wax kit under discussion used a paraffin-based wax (dyed bright red) the same way you describe. Lately I've been fooling around with Cowboy Fast Draw and they require competitors to use their specially prepared cast (?) wax bullets... the batch I bought are purple in color. The fast draw guys also modify their 45 Colt brass by drilling them out to accept #209 Shotshell Primers... they just push in and drop out, so the priming tool under discussion here isn't even needed.

The point of it all is, if spouses, parents, etc don't object too much, there are a variety of ways to have fun around the house with wax bullets at minimum cost and effort.

Froggie