What is this thing?

[thekidd76]

This was part of a purchase I made for some other things recently. What is it? Looks like a portable reloading setup of some kind but I really don't have a clue. Any ideas?

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[dragonrider]

The red thing on top is a clamp use in woodworking, no idea on the rest.

[I'll Make Mine]

The red thing on top is a clamp use in woodworking, no idea on the rest.

And it has the left end piece on backward.

As for the plain metal part underneath, which is what I expect the post is really about, I have no idea -- too flimsy to be anything directly for reloading, even a cutter for wads. Might be a rack to hold dies?

[thekidd76]

The entire top is hinged, so using the clamp like a handle, you can remove the two screws from the front and raise the top up. Each of those sections underneath has a different caliber brass mounted to it like in the bottom pic. There's also a long cylinder that looks like he kept powder, and a depriming rod that looks like it came out of a Lee loader kit.

[David2011]

Pure WAG- maybe the screw of the pipe clamp is a replacement for using a hammer with a Lee Loader?

David

[mdi]

Home made progressive press???

[o6Patient]

Pure WAG- maybe the screw of the pipe clamp is a replacement for using a hammer with a Lee Loader?

David
It is the right color.

[Chicken Thief]

Way more pics are in order here.
From the two first it is hard to guestimate the intire function of the contraption (as it clearly is homebuilt).

[wv109323]

It may be some type of carry case for the tools required for bench reloading. I think some of the bench rest people do that.

[dragonrider]

I did not recognize the two brass cases as being such. What is the piece of tubing? that is lying askew to the right of the larger brass. Also above said peice of brass is a projection that appears to have a hole in it, is that hole threaded 7/8"-14. And is there a similar projection above the other case. More, better pics are needed.

[thekidd76]

I'll take some more pics tomorrow and put up in the evening. Thanks.

[thekidd76]

Here are a few more pics. It definitely looks like some kind of homemade portable loading setup or something.

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[I'll Make Mine]

I think it's a tool carrier for someone who does load development at the shooting bench and shoots a bunch of handguns. Each cartridge case will snugly hold a sizing die or Lee Loader body; there's a decapping pin, powder drop tube, bullet seating punch, storage for shell holders, and a crank handle that I'd guess went to a powder measure. I see .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .44-40 and possibly .30 Carbine (rimless) in the top photo; the other photo that shows cases has only the necks, so harder to guess.

[P.K.]

The way they are mounted leads me rule rule out reloading the cases as pictured. Notice the screw mounting each case is through the flash hole and unless I miss my guess flush with the inside bottom of the case. Strike that, just noticed the threads at the top of the .45 ACP. I was leaning to a "Load Lab." Where a balistician would use a jig to hold cases to measure sectional density, volume useful case capacity etc. But maybe it's just that one station. Wish I could get my hands on it, really interesting stuff!

BTW, that capped tube look like a Lyman 55 BP powder reseviour to anyone else?

[andremajic]

I think it's a tool carrier for someone who does load development at the shooting bench and shoots a bunch of handguns. Each cartridge case will snugly hold a sizing die or Lee Loader body; there's a decapping pin, powder drop tube, bullet seating punch, storage for shell holders, and a crank handle that I'd guess went to a powder measure. I see .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .44-40 and possibly .30 Carbine (rimless) in the top photo; the other photo that shows cases has only the necks, so harder to guess.

I was thinking the exact same thing. It's for holding reloading dies/pieces between sessions.

[BCall]

I dunno what the person who made it was thinking, but it does appear to be some kind of storage for Lee Loaders most likely. I would assume the pipe clamp was used to press cases in and out of the dies with the one end turned around correctly.

That little crank handle is the neck reamer crank handles from a Lee target model loader and the 2 reamers on each side of it attatch to it to ream case necks while in the sizing die. The "depriming rod" looks more like a Lee case trimmer stud. I would bet it has a caliber marking on the small band. The one piece with the 4 brass screws in it clearly has a shell holder for a Lee trimmer on it.

Probably never know how the maker intended for it to go together.

[thekidd76]

Thanks for all the feedback. BCall, you're probably right, we'll never know exactly what he was thinking with it. But the fact that he would take the time to hobble it together tells me that it was useful to him in some way, and shows the ingenuity he had to build something to fill a need. Thanks again for all the feedback.