Reloading in a wheelchair

[357Scott]

I am looking to purchase a Dillon RL 550B reloader. I am concerned about reloading from a wheelchair...pulling the handle down and being in the way. Anyone out there that reloads from a wheelchair? I would like to hear from you about your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks!!

[w5pv]

I cannot speak about reloading,my mother was in a wheelchair for over sixty years.She did her own house work,cooking cleaning,etc,the only two peroids she didn't was from accidents when she broke her arm and when she broke a leg when she was accidenly dumped from her chair.She had 3 of boys that were taught to help from a very early age.She didn't let her handicap hold her back from anything she wanted to do she found a way.Good luck and remember that where there is a will there is a way.

[bangerjim]

Where there is a will....there is a way!

You will probably have to have some buddies build you a special loading bench at the right height to fit your range of motion.

But you should be able to "pull the handle". Heck..........they do in Vegas!!!!!!!!

Best of luck to you in your venture!

banger

[Artful]

You should be able to do so - I prefer seated when reloading.
Support positions could be a problem so you might look at something like this.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t58/waynedavid/appliances021.jpg?t=1292515359
you will probably have to experiment but I'd think about 28 to 30 inches for bench top height.

If you need a change in the handle design look into roller handle
Inline Fabrication, Dillon
we have some customer handle makers here
kyle623 for example

[Firebricker]

Scott, Welcome glad you found the site. I am not in a wheelchair but familiar with them a little. Your bench height is what you will have to check into. If you get the 550 (which I have and recommend) I think I would avoid the strong mount reason being I sit in a fairly low chair with casters with my bench height that is comfortable for doing everything else the 550 mounted right to the bench feels right the strong mount looks like it would throw it higher. Another option is to have more than one bench height say one for reloading another height for case prep on a bench beside it. I just went and measured my bench it is 34.5" from floor the chair I use is 21" from floor with all presses mounted directly to the bench and I find it comfortable. I use a T-7 and the 550b both have me sitting to the left of the press so I think you will be fine with lever clearance. If not there is a solution and I am sure it can be figured out here. Let us know if you need any specific measurements there are enough members here to cover all bench heights and press brands should be no problem getting you started. FB

[texassako]

My wife is in a wheelchair; so I have some idea of the limitations you might have. I think you will have varying issues depending on your mobility/injury level. I agree that you are going to need to figure out a good bench height and chair position. Have you reloaded before? What calibers will you be loading? Are you stuck on getting a progressive? Not knowing that and using my wife(T5 para) as an example, I would do it this way. Hand primer tool since it can be done anywhere, RCBS Summit press mounted just in front of the right wheel, powder measure and scales on the bench in front of me with loading blocks or one at a time by charging case in front and seating bullet just to my right in the press. The Summit would give her great access to the dies on top as well, and the greatest lever effort where it is mounted will be the exact same movement as if she were lifting herself out of her chair.

[LUBEDUDE]

I believe one of our members *****, is in a wheelchair. Maybe he will throw in.

[Bayou52]

My Mom's in a wheelchair, and she lives with me. I'm the primary care-giver.

I don't think there's much you won't be able to do given a few adjustments and compensations here and there. Once you get started, you can adjust as you go along.

It's more than gratifying to learn of your commitment and dedication.....

All the Best!

[220]

I reload sitting and don't have a problem, use a LNL AP handle is on the right press gets feed on the left. A wheel chair would be a little wider but positioned to the left it should still give you access.
Don't think it would be to difficult to modify any press to move the handle further away from the press to give more clearance for a chair if needed.
Bench height may be an issue, you may have to set it up a little lower so you can fill primer feed etc.

[wallenba]

I do my reloading from a chair, but not with a Dillon. Obviously it is possible, just need to figure out the height problem and a way to get in close and under it. You might have to lock your wheelchair down to keep it from moving when you are pulling the handle too. Maybe a notch into the bench to allow the Dillon to be mounted lower.

I'd drop a line to the engineers at Dillon. They must have been queried on this issue before, might have an easy solution.

[OBIII]

How about moving from a wheelchair to an adjustable seat/stool. If it was on casters, positioning would not be a problem. I would think that with a wheelchair, the side rails would cause problems, unless they can be temporarily dropped or moved out of the way. An electric height adjustable chair/stool would seem to fit the bill, as you could raise yourself up to do adjustments on the tops of the dies/presses. Hang in there.

OB

[MaryB]

I reload from a rolling stool because my back won't let me stand for extended periods of time. I just sit off a bit to the side and the bench top is a little lower than waist height.

[wrench man]

I also load from a seated position on my 550, my bench is quite tall, and I made a foot rest that's about a foot off of the floor, the same level as the foot rest on the kitchen stool I sit on, I agree with the other guys, seated isn't your issue, finding the correct bench height to go with it is what you'll need to figure out.

[warf73]

I set my reloading bench up for seated reloading. The 550 is mounted directly to the bench so the reloader isnt to high and the framing of the bench isnt in the way of my legs. I set at an angle to the press so the handle don't hit the chair (armed computer chair). I'm able to grab brass from the right side and set a boolit on the left without much back and forth movement(upper body wise). If you like I can take a pic of my set up so you can see how it is maybe it will help you set yours up.

[dudel]

I would think you would want the press mounted lower than usual so you could add primers and powder (they are fairly high up on the press. One thought would be to use a bent arm so you wouldn't have to extend down so far (you would have to reach further out though). Seems like with a little ingenuity and out of the box thinking, you could be reloading with the Dillon.

When I first saw the subject, my first thought was using a Lee thighmaster!

[Wayne Smith]

I agree to think seriously about the RCBS Summit. I believe it is the only current press that does not hang over the edge of the bench, but I may be wrong. This press takes the dies to the shell rather than the opposite. The thing you are going to have to think about is leverage when you need to get a stuck die out of the top of the press. A wrench and small hammer may be necessary. I load from a sitting position, I size from a sitting position, but I pour my lube into the sizer standing and I deal with things needing leverage standing. Those issues will have to be thought through before you commit to bench height.

As I have thought through what I and others have posted I realized that the Summit solves many of the potential problems. Unless you are a high volume shooter a single stage press is adequate. If you are casting your own boolits, unless you are slinging around a six cavity mold, you won't cast fast enough to keep up with a progressive anyway. The Summit drops the die to the level of the bench, or just above it. No other press does this. For a person in a wheelchair this is a significant advantage in setting and adjusting dies. Buying lube sticks from Lars solves the lubesizer probem.

[Shiloh]

You will adapt.
Knew a wheelchair guy with polio who was incredibly independent in everything he did. Reloading was one of them.
He also had one of the finest outlooks on life of anyone I ever met. He passed away years ago, and the world is missing a great man.

Shiloh

[MtGun44]

I sit in a rolling office chair and load with my Dillons. I have to be careful to sit slightly to the side
or I can pinch the Pi$$ out of my hand on the steel chair edge rail. . . . . Pretty much the same with
a wheelchair, I would think. Doable with a bit of consideration.

Bill

[bedbugbilly]

Welcome to the forum! I'm not familiar with the press you're referring to but just remember, anything is possible! My mother was in a wheelchair (paraplegic) the last 10 years of her life and I remodeled her 1949 house to be as barrier free as possible. During that time, I learned a LOT! Things that I had never considered before as being a barrier, etc.

I load from an office chair - I'm 61 and can't be on my feet for hours at a time anymore. I use two different presses and for me, it's just a case of positioning yourself so you can pull without a problem. As far as a bench - you'd have to determine the height that would work best for you but one could easily be designed to allow you to roll under as you need to - Artful's picture shows a good design with the angled braces - this is pretty much what my bench looks like that I have my presses mounted on.

For reloading supplies that would be accessible - possibly some type of rolling cabinet with drawers that would allow storage of dies, primers, tools, bullets, etc.? Probably the most important thing is to think of how you reload - the steps you take and the process so you can design your supplies, etc. so they are handy to get to - sort of like the layout of a kitchen to follow the "flow" of how you prepare food and cook - i.e. you don't want the waste basket all the way across the room when you need it.

I was able to keep my mother in her home the last 10 years of her life (she was in her mid 80s when she passed) and it taught me that a person can adapt to anything if need be. Needing the use of a wheel chair should not keep you from reloading anymore than it does from shooting. We all have a "handicap" of some sort - the trick is to adapt and overcome it and do the things that give us pleasure and enjoyment. I'm would classify myself as a "so-so" shooter - I have shot for 50+ years. At the Nationals at Friendship, I used to sit and watch a fellow who only had one arm load and shoot a muzzleloading rifle - and he was good at it!

There are lots of good folks on this forum - if you run in to a "sticky wicket" - don't be afraid to ask for help - someone will come up with an idea that may work to make it easier - and that's what it's all about. Good luck to you and let us know how your reloading goes!