lachmiller shotgun decaper/sizer.

[handyman25]

Mec has a super sizer that says it resizes the head back to factory specs. Lachmiller made something like that except it looked like decaped and sized the head, is this correct? If so is the lachmiller a better way to go?

[seagiant]

Hi,
I've never owned a MEC resizer. I do have a Lachmiller and it turned my way of reloading shotshells around. At one time I would not have even considered depriming and sizing off the press,but the Lachmiller is so much fun to use and so fast that I will always use it now!

I guess I'm the poster child for 50's reloading gear and the Lachmiller reconditioner is another fine product. If you decide to get one make SURE that everything is included. Some are missing the collet that holds the rim of the shell as it is being resized. A good complete resizer can usually be found on E-bay!

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yes I need to get one of those as I am doing it on my 266 now. I like that that machine grabs onto the hulls and you don't have to push up to eject the hulls from the sizing die like you do on the 266.

Here's the deal guys,,, If you are going to load shotshells, it doesn't matter what kind of press you use to actually load the hulls, but it makes a big difference if the hulls are already sized and deprimed and then cleaned in a washing machine.

If you are using Winchester AA or Remington hulls the loaded rounds look virtually new when done. If you are using a Hornaday 366 the resizing/depriming station is awkward to use and takes way more time than doing the operation off the machine and starting the loading operation with clean sized and deprimed hulls in the second station.

That's where a machine like the Lachmiller comes in handy as you can break down hulls much faster which makes loading on the other end much faster and the end product is much nicer.

I loaded dirty hulls one time and was pretty hot about the fact that my hands were filthy after shooting only one round of trap. This meant that I would be handling my nice $2500 shotgun with filthy hands which in turn transferred said filth to the gun. I quit using those after that round and bought a flat of Walmart Winchesters from a buddy to finish the day. It took me 2 hours to wipe down about 400 rounds of packaged reloads with a rag soaked in 409!

Haven't repeated that mistake.

Randy

[LUBEDUDE]

Man I'm sorry. It just really goes against my grain to put water where the powder goes! Even though you dry it. Plus the effect water has on the internal wad as well does not set right with me.

I'm not arguing, that is just me. I can be anal AND weird when comes to certain things about reloading. ( Yet I Don't use a hand primer seater when I have perfectly good presses, unlike others)

I prefer to use Armor All wipes and hand clean each hull. That way I inspect each one at the same time, so no real time loss as far as I am concerned. And then I have a little lube on the hulls for the dies which does not hurt anything.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Lube: the reason why you deprime and size before you hit the washing machine is prrecisely so water doesn't collect in the hull and get into the powder. Water will stay in a spent primer for days.

AA hulls are a one piece outer hull and base wad so there is no place for water to accumulate if the primer is gone.

I wash 1500 hulls at a time in the washer, and wiping eadh one by hand would get old pretty fast.

The beauty of the reloading hobby is there is many different ways to do just about everything so nobody is restricted to any one way as the only "right" way.

It's all good, and the fact that we are all doing it,,, is what brings us together in the first place.

Randy

[LUBEDUDE]

Randy, LIke I said, I am not arguing.

I understand your reasoning and your procedure perfectly.

Like you said, there are many ways to do it.

It's great that we are all sharing.

Keep em coming

[seagiant]

Hi,
Ha! Ha! you guys crack me up! Well,I never wash my shotshells (even though I know people that do!)
and I've never noticed the dirt,but I'm from Georgia!!!

[376Steyr]

Did RCBS briefly made a version of the Lachmiller decapper? I only saw one in a sporting goods store years many ago and remembered it looked like it was the standard RCBS green. I didn't know what it was at the time and didn't see any maker's markings on it. Perhaps it was just a Lachmiller without a sticker on it.

[seagiant]

Hi Steyr,
I'm going to say yes,but here is the reason I'm a little shakey! I called Huntington looking for the collet for a Lachmiller shellsaver like mine in the foto as there was a shellsaver on E-bay I was looking at that was missing the collet that grips the shellhead. Ok the man at Huntington said he had them,the collet for $25 but I would have to get them from RCBS! Ok,I call RCBS and the lady told me no we never made those!

I'm sure I have seen them green by RCBS but they won't admit to it??? Sometimes it just depends on who you talk to!

[LUBEDUDE]

I have an RCBS shellsaver that looks almost identical to the Lachmiller.

While I have never seen a Lachmiller in person, and know how pictures can be deceiving; my RCBS
just seems to be smaller. Maybe I am wrong.

I always wondered if RCBS bought the rights from Lachmiller.

[seagiant]

Hi Lube,
Do you have a pic of that! The nice lady at RCBS said all they bought from Lachmiller was the Mold line,which I think is false! I mean we are all human and mistakes are part of the mix! I thought they bought Ohaus for their mold line? Maybe both?

[LUBEDUDE]

Hey SG, since no one has shown me how to post pics, I can't do it. However if you PM me your email I will be happy to send you a pic and you are welcome to share with the group as well if you wish.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Guys: believe me, there are lots of people working at RCBS that don't know their arses from a hot rock.

If the guy at Huntington said they made it, they made it.

Randy

[9.3X62AL]

What Randy said.

[seagiant]

Hey Lube,
Did you get my E-mail?

[hornetman]

i have a Lachmiller-in 12 gauge. When I ordered the 20 gauge conversion at a later date it came in an RCBS package. I think this was sometime in the late 70's -perhaps early 80's. I ordered both through a local dealer.

[LUBEDUDE]

SG - just now got on forum, and picked up your email and sent the pics.

Thanks

[seagiant]

Hi,
Well,they say a picture is worth a thousand words! I'm going to stick my neck out and say this is a DIRECT clone of the Lachmiller shellsaver and I want one! Ha!

Or I could paint mine green!

[LUBEDUDE]

Well, it looks like my suspicions have been confirmed. Thanks for posting those Seagiant.

When one of the kids come home to visit from college, I will see if they can teach me how to post pics so I can contribute more often.

[seagiant]

Hi Lube,
You are taking pics so you are half way there! All you have to do is resize and then with the add attachment option when you write a post you can then add the photo's from your desk top. I use this free resizer as it is good and easy to use http://www.irfanview.com/

All you have to do once you down load it is open it up and drag and drop your pic in the window. Go up to image tab and a menu will scroll down hit "resize" and I use 40% reduction,you want to get below 100KB for the forum. Then hit the file tab and hit "save as" and name it what you want, hit" save",and it will be on your desktop waiting to go on the forum.

When you want to use the resized photo in a post hit the attachment button hit "browse" this will bring everything up on your desktop. Click the resized pic you want it to upload then hit" upload" and it will down load it for your post! That's it! If you feel froggy and have time try it and play with it some it's not that bad once you see whats going on! I put this here in hopes others can get over this hurdle. We actually need some one to write up a good "How To" on this!