Free shot maker

[WM5L]

Just had a guy give me a Littleton shot maker. How does it work? Anybody have a manual they can email me! the one on Magma's website will not load. He said it was the 220 version. How do you tell the difference?

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Plugs are usually different for 220.

Sam :D

[southpaw]

Sam is right. You can not plug a 220 plug into a 110 outlet and vice versa. Using it is pretty simple and is kinda like using a mold. You have to experiment to find out what works for you and the machine. Use some sand paper (440 I think) on the ramp to rough it up a little. Rub some soap stone on the ramp. get a good coat on it. This keeps the shot from sticking to the ramp.

For the coolant I use pure antifreeze. Some use all liquid soap, but I have not tried it... yet. There are other coolants aswell and I am sure others will chime in. My best luck has been to keep the ramp no more than 3/4" from the coolant (again something to experiment with). If the shot has a dimple or a pin sized hole in it the coolant is too thin. If the shot is flat on one side or they look like disks the coolant is too thick or your ramp is too far from the coolant.

You will have to play with the lead level in the ladle. Too much and the lead will run out instead of drip. Too little and the shot will be a little bigger ( I think ). I have the 110 version and it does not melt the lead fast enough. The 220 SHOULD not have this problem.

If one of the drippers stops dripping or starts dropping big globs a couple taps with a wooden stick should make it cooperate. If the lead starts to stick to the ramp you will need to lift the shot maker up (so the lead stops running out) and run the soap stone over it again. When I start mine I leave it like this untill the lead and ladle are up to temp, then I set it down and let it do its thing.

You can always try their website http://littletonshotmaker.com/ and give him a call. I cann't for the life of me right now remember the guys name but he was very free with information about how to run them. WARNING: Don't call him unless you can dedicate some time to talk to him (read- he really likes to talk).

So pretty much in review you sand and soap stone the ramp, set the shotmaker up so that the ramp is no more than 3/4" from the coolant, prop the shotmaker up, get the lead melted and up to temp, and then lower it back down and let it do its thing. Add ingots as needed (not in the lead but up above it so they do not cool the already melted lead.

After it is running you can catch some of the shot with a ladle close to the bottom to inspect it. Like casting with a mold change one thing at a time.


Jerry Jr.

ps you had me going. I thought you were giving one away :-P

[WM5L]

Sorry about that. Thanks for the info. I guess I will try it out today if I have some time to kill...




"ps you had me going. I thought you were giving one away"

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Yea I read that title and near busted my fingers trying to get the mouse to move and click.
Well good deal on the good deal.
Does Littleton make drippers for large shot.. about #5 ? That is my favorite size to pop the fat crows that live around the Danville, Ill. area.

[WM5L]

Good morning
Yea I read that title and near busted my fingers trying to get the mouse to move and click.
Well good deal on the good deal.
Does Littleton make drippers for large shot.. about #5 ? That is my favorite size to pop the fat crows that live around the Danville, Ill. area.


I don't know but I hope mine has makes big stuff. We will see if I get it up and running today....Jim

[45nut]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/45nut/ShotMaker001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/45nut/ShotMaker002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/45nut/ShotMaker003.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/45nut/ShotMaker004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/45nut/ShotMaker005.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/45nut/ShotMaker006.jpg

[southpaw]

Does Littleton make drippers for large shot.. about #5 ?

Yes they do. http://www.magmaengineering.com/products/littleton-shotmaker-model-65 I have a set of #5, #6 and 8 drippers. I have not messed with the #5 drippers much yet so not sure what they drop out at but the 6's fall out about 7.5 average. The 8's drop out about right. The larger shot seems to be harder to get round. Oh yeah the smaller the shot the longer it takes to make it.

Not hard to operate at all. I got pretty decent shot the first time I used it. Then I played with things and got some not so nice shot then went back to the way I had it. Now I just need to mess with the larger shot.

Ken, that is a pretty good article, thanks for posting it. Wish I could have gotten one of those instead.

Good luck and be safe.

Jerry Jr.

[OLPDon]

Just had a guy give me a Littleton shot maker. How does it work? Anybody have a manual they can email me! the one on Magma's website will not load. He said it was the 220 version. How do you tell the difference?

WM5
Below is a link with 38 pages of info. Its a lot of reading but the info there is the best I have found thus far. I have a Littleton 110 works quite well. I am using Sierra Antifreeze and it work well. However going to give liquid fabric softner (the Cheap stuff) a go.
Don
Link:
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=15776&sid=06c897f8dd1093efd32f9039aad09f71

[WM5L]

Well it works. It will melt lead and shot came out of the drippers when I shot air into them from the air compressor. So now all I need to do is make me a 30 foot (220v) extention cord to reach outside or near the garage door and setup some type of bucket to catch the shot and I am ready. Now if I just liked to shoot shotguns I would be set. Guess I could make some shot and sell it or just sell the machine. No I want to play with it first. Then I will sell it....Jim

[OLPDon]

Ammo cans work well, put the ammo can in a catch tub to catch the overflow of what ever type of coolent is of your choice. The coolent is the break point of round shot. Forget water NG, Seirra antifreeze or the cheapest liquid fabric softner the kind you can pick up at a $1.00 store work. I use Seirra but I get a little dimple on some of the shot hardly noticable and after the graphite is tumbled on it gone.
Keep us informed how things work out. One more note I use range scrap and 7 1/2 drippers. If I vary the lead temp I can change the size of shot somewhat.
Don

[WM5L]

Ok I really tried to make some this afternoon and it is not for me. Besides I don't even shoot shotguns nor do I have a loader for them. It is FOR SALE or Trade. It looks like it is throwing about a 7 or 8 shot but I only got a few good ones. Too messy for me. it is a 220volt model that looks to be in fair shape. The box is black and the pan is aluminuim with 7 dripers and not pitted or scratched. What you got for trade?

[jmsj]

PM sent

[Trapaddict]

Nuther PM sent

Jeff

[b money]

guess im third in line on the shotmaker. PM sent

[pls1911]

How 'bout real late to the party... PM sent.

[WM5L]

Shot maker has a new home. sorry guys. I traded it for reloading stuff I needed. More importantly stuff I could figure out unlike the shot maker ha ha!