faster decap machine

[gunoil]

A friend told me about this, l took few ideas from a couple people and its great.
http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k511/putt2012/697D4620-75AB-45AE-A79B-FF3E886A1FBC-1239-000002582F6B6795_zpsc910d6e2.mp4

Decap super fast, my dillon counter is out, need some longer threaded rod. Universal decapper, ya can have universal expander an very lightly expand just for form and comfort like station 3 in 1050 dillon.
http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k511/putt2012/null_zpsae413656.jpg

I can switch back and load 45acp too!


82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

[VHoward]

I do that with my XL650 with the case collator.

[Maximumbob54]

I do the same (sometimes) on my LNL AP with the case feeder. Nice pic though. I know that's a Lee Loadmaster but what is the plate on top that looks like it has set screws?

[mdi]

Ok, thanks for the info. Looks like a good idea.

But I gotta say this; Don't you fellers like to reload? Trying to get it over with as quickly as possible? What's the obsession with reloading faster? Nearly every forum I drop in to had some new idea/method of making reloading faster, more rounds, faster, faster, faster! "Single stage press? No way! Too slow? Turret press? Better, but still not fast enough. Progressive press? Getting there but still need faster. Motorized, larger, reloading plant, well mebbe". This seems to be the prevailing way of thinking. Same with casting; 2 cavity mold casting is primitive, you need to use at least 2, six cavity at the same time to get the 10,000 bullets needed per hour.

Man, slow down and enjoy life (and reloading). I worked for the last 25 years of my career 9 hours per day, and was gone 12 hours per day with commuting to/from work. I went to Church on Sunday, and meetings once or twice a week. I took my wife out to dinner at least once per week, but I still managed to reload my 150-250 rounds per week, on my single stage and/or turret (non-indexing) for my twice per month range sessions (I know all this is nuttin' to you fellers, but it's just an example). I know what "not enough time" means, but budget your time and there's no need for faster, more, faster, more, faster, faster...

[Swede44mag]

I use my Dillon 550 it is plenty fast for me.

[sparky45]

MDI; you're missing the point: The point is, is that you CAN!! Where would Henry Ford have been without the assembly line? Besides, loading 800+ rounds per hour is euphoric, not to mention therapeutic.

[M-Tecs]

Ok, thanks for the info. Looks like a good idea.

But I gotta say this; Don't you fellers like to reload? Trying to get it over with as quickly as possible? What's the obsession with reloading faster? Nearly every forum I drop in to had some new idea/method of making reloading faster, more rounds, faster, faster, faster! "Single stage press? No way! Too slow? Turret press? Better, but still not fast enough. Progressive press? Getting there but still need faster. Motorized, larger, reloading plant, well mebbe". This seems to be the prevailing way of thinking. Same with casting; 2 cavity mold casting is primitive, you need to use at least 2, six cavity at the same time to get the 10,000 bullets needed per hour.

Man, slow down and enjoy life (and reloading). I worked for the last 25 years of my career 9 hours per day, and was gone 12 hours per day with commuting to/from work. I went to Church on Sunday, and meetings once or twice a week. I took my wife out to dinner at least once per week, but I still managed to reload my 150-250 rounds per week, on my single stage and/or turret (non-indexing) for my twice per month range sessions (I know all this is nuttin' to you fellers, but it's just an example). I know what "not enough time" means, but budget your time and there's no need for faster, more, faster, more, faster, faster...

mdi

I like to shoot. A couple of points to keep things in prospective. By trade I am a toolmaker. By comparison reloading is low precision and no challenge. In particular I find single stations and turrets really really really boring. Did I mention I find reloading on single stations really boring?

By the time I was 15 I had loaded 50K plus on a single station press. By the time I loaded 250K all the novelty of reloading had worn off.

For me reloading is an ends to a means. I reload so I can shoot. Reloading is work nothing more. That being said I do enjoy seeing how fine-tuned and efficient I can get the progressives running. For the over 600 yard loads I weigh all charges. I use the Dillon powder funnel die for this on both the 650's and the 1050's. I have a 24" drop tube for the 650 when I load BP on the 650. I also shoot Cowboy Action but that has almost zero accuracy requirements. I shoot NRA High Power, Long Range and BPCR competively.

Using my progressives I don't give up anything in accuracy compared to the single stations so why would I not want to use a progressive???????

Below is a list of presses I have. I enjoy using the 1050's the most and I am currently rebuilding the RL-1000.

2 Dillon Super 1050’s one for large primer and one for small primer
1 Dillon RL 1000
3 Dillon 650’s one for large primer, one for small primer and one dedicated to 45/70
2 RCBS Big Max A4’s
2 RCBS A2’s
1 RCBS Rock Chucker
1 CH4D Champion O press
1 Herter’s Super Model 3
1 Herter U-3 Super
1 Wells C
2 Mec 9000g’s
2 PW 375's - one for 10 gauge and one for 3 1/2" 12 gauge
1 Mec Jr.

[JeffG]

I know that's a Lee Loadmaster but what is the plate on top that looks like it has set screws?

It's turret stabilizer plate from Mikes Reloading Bench. He has a website and an assortment of things that improve the Loadmaster. I have one on mine to. Basically helps draw the turret plate up tight in the press.

[VHoward]

It's turret stabilizer plate from Mikes Reloading Bench. He has a website and an assortment of things that improve the Loadmaster. I have one on mine to. Basically helps draw the turret plate up tight in the press.
He's got some nice solutions to the ill's that plague the loadmaster. One would think that Lee would implement these improvements to make their product more attractive to potential customers.

[jmorris]

Here is a video of the fastest case processer I have rigged up so far.

Just shy of 4700 per hour, it can run faster than that but the case feed stops being 100%.

Click photo to play.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/reloading/auto%201050/th_VID_20130629_165943_746_zps1fffb858.jpg (http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/reloading/auto%201050/VID_20130629_165943_746_zps1fffb858.mp4)

[mdi]

Wow! 4700 cases per hour. Now, what are you gonna do with the next 23.0 hours a day? I really don't care how many rounds you guys reload, and what equipment you use, totally irrelevant. And gee whiz, thanks for the bios...

As I stated before, I like reloading and spending time in my reloading room, and I do have experience loading 1,000 rounds per hour on a progressive for two shooters in competition (45 ACP). All that I got was a bunch of ammo and a sore arm. No pleasure or satisfaction in that.

BTW; Henry Ford was a businessman/industrialist, not a hobby car builder.

Now this is my opinion, and I'm kinda sure I can still do that, so if yer gonna flame, go for it, don't make no nevermind to me...

[M-Tecs]

mdi the original OP posted about a faster decap machine. YOU in inserted you honest opinion about going slower.


Ok, thanks for the info. Looks like a good idea.

But I gotta say this; Don't you fellers like to reload? Trying to get it over with as quickly as possible? What's the obsession with reloading faster? Nearly every forum I drop in to had some new idea/method of making reloading faster, more rounds, faster, faster, faster! "Single stage press? No way! Too slow? Turret press? Better, but still not fast enough. Progressive press? Getting there but still need faster. Motorized, larger, reloading plant, well mebbe". This seems to be the prevailing way of thinking. Same with casting; 2 cavity mold casting is primitive, you need to use at least 2, six cavity at the same time to get the 10,000 bullets needed per hour.

Man, slow down and enjoy life (and reloading). I worked for the last 25 years of my career 9 hours per day, and was gone 12 hours per day with commuting to/from work. I went to Church on Sunday, and meetings once or twice a week. I took my wife out to dinner at least once per week, but I still managed to reload my 150-250 rounds per week, on my single stage and/or turret (non-indexing) for my twice per month range sessions (I know all this is nuttin' to you fellers, but it's just an example). I know what "not enough time" means, but budget your time and there's no need for faster, more, faster, more, faster, faster...

Some gave honest answers as to why we feel differently. When you read a differing view you posted this.


Wow! 4700 cases per hour. Now, what are you gonna do with the next 23.0 hours a day? I really don't care how many rounds you guys reload, and what equipment you use, totally irrelevant. And gee whiz, thanks for the bios...
As I stated before, I like reloading and spending time in my reloading room, and I do have experience loading 1,000 rounds per hour on a progressive for two shooters in competition (45 ACP). All that I got was a bunch of ammo and a sore arm. No pleasure or satisfaction in that.

BTW; Henry Ford was a businessman/industrialist, not a hobby car builder.

Now this is my opinion, and I'm kinda sure I can still do that, so if yer gonna flame, go for it, don't make no nevermind to me...

No flame necessary. Your words stand on their own. It seems the way YOU enjoy reloading is the only way others should.

[jmorris]

I don't have any reason to flame, to each their own.

I enjoy making/creating things. Not so much doing the same thing over and over.

I have fun "crafting" ammo at times and do it the slow way but I would have quit most of the gun games I play if all I had was a single stage.

I am with my little girl many times that I have my machines loading and at 2 that takes more hours than a full time job.

She likes watching the machines run but when she is big enough to shoot centerfires, I'll teach her on one of the manual machines.

Be a few years though.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/IMG_20140329_145554_298_zps60605f82.jpg

[Beesdad]

Great idea.. I also have one LLM setup to de-cap and resize prior to running them through the tumbler w/ SS pins. My normal lot size is 5K-6K. Then I enough for the next several months.

[gunoil]

Ditto jmorris; l like making/creating stuff/mods. I shoot to much to decap on single stage. I was glad to make this change for decapping and its fun. PLUS ALL THE DIRT IS IN ONE PRESS I CAN CLEAN EVER SO OFTEN. Anything experimental i love it. I did sun-n-fun and oshkosh since 92' (largest experimental airplane shows). It is so cool to see all the inventions on this forum and others. Mdi: l still cart gage every rnd.

[jmorris]

l still cart gage every rnd.

I look at case gauging as mandatory and I haven't automated that yet but I have a qualified helper to box them as they pass.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/IMG_20130719_163215_134_zpsb41f36d0.jpg

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

jmorris,

The mechanical and electrical part of the case gauging should be fairly easy. The electronic reading of the gauge measurement might be a bit of a challenge, depending. Should be fun.

[6bg6ga]

I added a microswitch to the Dillon 650 to count completed rounds. It simply plugs into the Star counter that I posted a few years back. It gives an accurate count.101523

101524

[jmorris]

jmorris,

The mechanical and electrical part of the case gauging should be fairly easy. The electronic reading of the gauge measurement might be a bit of a challenge, depending. Should be fun.

At the risk of drifting gunoil's thread I had thought about machining a two piece casegauge, that catches the bullet out of the shoot on the machine. I have some proximity switches that came off of some old machine that are accurate enough for the job. If the bullet tip doesn't make it down far enough just have a solenoid move a divider before the gauge opens up so it drops into a different box than the ones that pass.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

At the risk of drifting gunoil's thread I had thought about machining a two piece casegauge, that catches the bullet out of the shoot on the machine. I have some proximity switches that came off of some old machine that are accurate enough for the job. If the bullet tip doesn't make it down far enough just have a solenoid move a divider before the gauge opens up so it drops into a different box than the ones that pass.

What about bullets that aren't seated deep enough? Think those might become an issue or no? I'm thinking not, but my quick solution in my head was more along a camera w/software making the go/no go decision vs. prox. switches. But I haven't had any sleep yet, so I'm pretty dingy.

[David2011]

But I gotta say this; Don't you fellers like to reload? Trying to get it over with as quickly as possible? What's the obsession with reloading faster?

I know what "not enough time" means, but budget your time and there's no need for faster, more, faster, more, faster, faster...

MDI,

It just depends on the needs. Several years ago I lived in an area where it was possible to shoot a USPSA match almost every weekend day of the month plus 4 to 6 weeknight matches. I didn't shoot every last match but had 7 per month that I attended regularly. Add in a few practice sessions that were organized and had several regular participants, timing and scorekeeping just like a match except that we had a specific task we worked on and shot the same stage multiple times. It was easily 2500 rounds per month and sometimes much more. Yes, that does call for casting and loading as efficiently as possible. One of my friends would load 2,000 rounds at a sitting and then just enjoy shooting for a few weeks. She didn't have a press of her own; she used one at someone else's house.

When I load for rifle or pistol hunting rounds the speed of production is not a consideration. I just want to load up 20 or 40 rounds that will find the mark without causing suffering to the recipient. I allow an hour and a half to load 1000 .40 S&W including setup and cleanup. I allow an entire evening to load a few hunting rounds. I enjoy doing both but there is no feeling of craftsmanship cranking out the .40; it's just something that has to be done to accomplish the end of shooting pistol matches.

David

[jmorris]

What about the bullets that aren't seated deep enough?

The machines that I would use them on would stop if they don't complete either end of the stroke within a specified time frame. In other words, can't happen.

This is how they work.
http://s121.photobucket.com/user/jmorrismetal/media/VIDEO0114.mp4.html

[Stephen Cohen]

Ok, thanks for the info. Looks like a good idea.

But I gotta say this; Don't you fellers like to reload? Trying to get it over with as quickly as possible? What's the obsession with reloading faster? Nearly every forum I drop in to had some new idea/method of making reloading faster, more rounds, faster, faster, faster! "Single stage press? No way! Too slow? Turret press? Better, but still not fast enough. Progressive press? Getting there but still need faster. Motorized, larger, reloading plant, well mebbe". This seems to be the prevailing way of thinking. Same with casting; 2 cavity mold casting is primitive, you need to use at least 2, six cavity at the same time to get the 10,000 bullets needed per hour.

Man, slow down and enjoy life (and reloading). I worked for the last 25 years of my career 9 hours per day, and was gone 12 hours per day with commuting to/from work. I went to Church on Sunday, and meetings once or twice a week. I took my wife out to dinner at least once per week, but I still managed to reload my 150-250 rounds per week, on my single stage and/or turret (non-indexing) for my twice per month range sessions (I know all this is nuttin' to you fellers, but it's just an example). I know what "not enough time" means, but budget your time and there's no need for faster, more, faster, more, faster, faster...

I'm with you mdi. I have seen 5 primer only reloads at my range, two resulted in blow up when trigger was pulled again, none were loaded on a single stage press. Reloading is like making love, slow down take your time and enjoy the experience. Of cause that's only from memory.

[r1kk1]

I've seen single stage, turret and progressive mishaps on the range. It comes down to the operator not the machine.

Tedious operations like decapping, trimming, etc are just that too me. I like handloading, reloading is just a means to an end for me.

Take care

r1kk1

[jmorris]

I've seen single stage, turret and progressive mishaps on the range. It comes down to the operator not the machine.

The link to the first machine I built like it in #22 has loaded thousands of rounds with little more operator input than filling things when they need to be filled. More often than not, no one in the room while the process is happening.

Much like how a person can burn popcorn in a skillet or just put it in the microwave and hit the " popcorn button.

[freebullet]

Very interesting thread...very interesting indeed.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

The machines that I would use them on would stop if they don't complete either end of the stroke within a specified time frame. In other words, can't happen.

This is how they work.
http://s121.photobucket.com/user/jmorrismetal/media/VIDEO0114.mp4.html

So confidence in full seating.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

The link to the first machine I built like it in #22 has loaded thousands of rounds with little more operator input than filling things when they need to be filled. More often than not, no one in the room while the process is happening.

Much like how a person can burn popcorn in a skillet or just put it in the microwave and hit the " popcorn button.

Gotta love automated processes.

[gunoil]

A shot from another side with the decap machine. Finally got dillon case counter working.

http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k511/putt2012/47317768-EAE4-4903-AF92-F0556D8AE434-421-0000013DF1C6314B_zps3f4bfd72.mp4

[jcwit]

I'm really glad I've lived long enough that speed and getting things done in a rush is no longer an issue.

Life is good.

[country gent]

Also being a toolmaker and working with preccision parts tools everyday ( when I was working) I want every aspect of my loads as close to identical as possible. Years ago I made a simple decapping tool that is similar to a set of pliers. Only decaps but allows me to do it anywhere. With my BPCR rounds I decap at the range and drop the cases into a jug of lemishine dawn water to start cleaning while the fouling is soft. Others centerfires are done with the family or in front of the tv. I decap and then clean. This tool allows me to decap with out running dirty cases into a die or thru my presses. This has worked for me for years.

[jmorris]

Care to post some photos of the tool?

[country gent]

I dont have a means to take pics currently. Its all 1/8" X 1" aluminum for the pliers /press. 2 rails 10" long spaced on 4 1/8"X1"X1' blocks spaced end 41/4" 6" and end. This makes an 1/8" opening for the pivot and for case heads to center in at the end. Spacer blocks at 4 1/4" and 6" stiffens supports pivot opening. 2 plates 1/8x 1"x 1 1/4 on the outside ends provide the case stop shoulder. A 1/8" X 1" X 2 1/2 long makes the pivot point. 2 1/8" X 1" X 4 1/4" pieces makes the lower handle/lever. A 1/8" X 1" X 1" makes the spacer for the back end of the handles. A swivel joint 1/2" aluminum round slotted 1/8" and end taped 10 32 makes the decarrping rods mount. mandrels rods are caliber specific or the decapping pin has to be felt into the flash hole everytime. I used 10 32 ready rod. and made the caliber specific ends with JB weld. A .060 drill blank set in the end and then the epoxy lilling and holding. SOrry I cant post pics yet

[country gent]

I riveted mine together but could use screws also.

[gunoil]

Heres another newbie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhvuqS9_o9E

[VHoward]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wonY_HaH0sQ
Collator mod to makes collating 9mm cases easier. A lot fewer upside down cases using this mod. And it's removable.

[jmorris]

That is nice and easy and only costs a penny.