ohland
07-10-2015, 08:27 PM
The Bond reloading tool.
Outdoors Recreation vol 63, No. 1 July 1920, pages 54-56
https://books.google.com/books?id=MHw7AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA54&dq=reloading+cast+bullets&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Wk-gVfKyEojeoASu6pmAAQ&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=reloading%20cast%20bullets&f=false
Reducing Cost of Ammunition
By Lieut. Col. Townsend Whelen
ONE effect of the war has been to just about double the cost of rifle ammunition. This is a very serious matter for the rifleman, who naturally can not afford to practice much with cartridges for modern rifles running in price from 5 to 15 cents apiece. We who are responsible for the promotion of rifle practice have been very much worried by the outlook because with the price of material and labor as they are there seemed to be no relief in sight. It is a condition exactly similar to that of the high cost of living.
Another thing that the war did for us was to knock out our only company manufacturing reloading tools, and this company has since been unable to get on its feet. It is a well known fact that empty shells can be saved, primers and powder bought, bullets moulded from lead and tin, and cartridges reloaded for about one-third what the factory product costs. In many cases these empty shells can be reloaded to give better accuracy and more modern ballistics than the regular factory cartridges. But naturally reloading tools are necessary, and until the present time it has been almost impossible to obtain any reloading tools.
In studying the ways and means for reducing the cost of ammunition it appeared to us that reloading was the only solution. The cost of primers has gone up very little. The cost of smokeless powder has not increased at all, thanks to the peculiar situation surrounding the manufacture of powder and to the patriotic policies of the powder companies. Lead and tin for bullets have gone way up in price, but in many cases bullets can be caught behind the targets and moulded over and over again, thus greatly reducing the cost of bullets used in target practice. Also it would appear entirely practicable for the individual with proper tools to make his own metal cased bullets at a cost very much less than the factory product, and fully as good. The one thing needed was efficient and modern reloading tools at a moderate cost.
Realizing the importance of this matter, the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice, the National Rifle Association, and the Director of Civilian Marksmanship, Government agencies charged with the promotion of rifle practice among civilians, have been actively engaged in an effort to induce a responsible firm to undertake the production of these tools, and success has at last crowned our efforts. The Bond Machine Company of Wilmington, Delaware, who have been manufacturing the large sets of reloading tools for the Army for the new .30 caliber gallery practice and short range cartridges, some few months ago decided to enter into the business of manufacturing hand reloading tools. The large amount of preliminary work has already been accomplished, and this firm has now entered into production of the tools, and are ready to make deliveries. They are putting out a most complete and perfect line of tools for all rifle and pistol cartridges, and for all kinds of ammunition from reduced loads to high power charges with hand made jacketed bullets.
Of these tools the reloading tool proper, the bench powder measure, and the bullet moulds were ready for delivery on March first. The remainder of the series are being perfected rapidly, and will no doubt be ready for delivery before this article appears in print. These include:
A bullet lubricating and sizing machine.
A speed re- and decapper.
An arbor press for operating full length shell resizing dies.
A bench reloading tool for clubs and organizations.
Copper bullet bases for metal base bullets. ‘
Copper jackets for all calibers of soft point metal jacketed bullets.
Swages for inserting cores in jackets and swaging metal cased bullets to form.
Scales for weighing super charges of .powder.
Funnels, etc., for use with powder scales.
The reloading tool proper, powder measure, and bullet mould are all that the rifleman requires for ordinary reloading, although if he works much with super loads giving high velocity and maximum pressures, a pair of powder scales are a necessity, and the Bond Machine Company have made arrangements to handle the most efficient powder scales on the market at a very reasonable price.
These tools, which are the most necessary ones, have now been available for some weeks, have been thoroughly tried out, and are most excellent. They have already been manufactured in about thirty of the most popular calibers, and any other caliber will be made to order at no additional cost, subject only to a slight delay. As soon as the manufacturers have made one tool for any of these odd calibers they will be able there after to furnish tools for that caliber without any delay. Tools for special cartridges or bullets, for which there does not seem to be any demand, will of course cost a little extra.
144224
Of these tools, the one which first engages our attention is that known as the “Reloading Tool”- At first glance this seems similar to the one which in the past has been offered for sale, but a close examination will show that it is more modern, accurate, and efficient, and that it incorporates many new features which place it far above the new tool and give the rifleman much more for his money. This tool extracts the old primer from the fired shell, resizes the neck of the shell for either lead or metal cased bullets, chamfers out the mouth of the shell for lead bullets if necessary, inserts the new primer, seats the bullet in the shell, and crimps the bullet in, or leaves it uncrimped as is desired. All this without any additions or extras.
The loading chamber is of the double adjustable type so that the bullet can be seated to any desired depth in the shell, and can be crimped or not as the rifleman desires. The outward end of the screw plunger in the lower part of the chamber which seats the bullet is cut as a shell chamfering reamer, thus making it unnecessary to purchase this additional instrument. This loading chamber can be unscrewed and in its place can be inserted the muzzle resizing dies to resize the expanded muzzle of the shell to hold the bullet friction tight. Two of these dies are furnished with each tool, one for metal cased bullets, and the other .003 inch larger for lead alloy bullets. These resizing dies are of course absolutely necessary, and are therefore always furnished as a part of the tool, but with the tool formerly made they were charged for extra at fifty cents each.
One feature of the greatest economical importance to riflemen is that all the various chambers, dies, collars, attachments, etc., no matter for what caliber, fit in the standard handle. Thus if the rifleman desires tools for more than one cartridge it is not necessary for him to buy a complete new tool, but only the new loading chamber, muzzle resizing dies, decapping pin, and bushings for the recapping chamber and bullet sizing chamber. Thus the handle does for all cartridges, and half the cost of the tool is saved when it comes to purchasing instruments for reloading another cartridge.
The tool which I have at present, and which is illustrated here with, is for the .30 caliber Model of 1906 cartridge, but by simply obtaining a couple of extra bushings for the top of the loading chamber recess, and at the cost of only a few cents, this tool and its various chambers and dies will load any of the various .30 caliber cartridges -.30-40, .30-30 W. C. F., .30 Rem., .303 Savage, and .303 British.
Sometimes it is necessary to get an extra screw plug for the end of the loading chamber, fitted for the point of the particular bullet it is wished to seat, but usually a plug for the spitzer point will seat all other bullets without deforming the point of the bullet. The reverse is not true, however, and a plug cut with recess for a round or flat point bullet will not seat a spitzer point bullet without deforming the point. As this plug for any bullet costs only a few cents this is of little importance.
The bushing which holds the rimless shell while repriming it is quite unique and efficient. The shell is pressed down into place and flanges snap into the groove, holding it securely while the primer is inserted. To remove it from the tool, the mouth of the shell is simply pressed against the loading bench or table, when it comes out readily into the hand. The sizing die for lead alloy bullets is also a great improvement. There is a cylindrical portion of the die in which the unsized bullet is placed, and which fits it perfectly. The handle is then closed, and the plunger forces the bullet in perfect line through the die so that it is impossible for the bullet to be resized crooked, or to be deformed in any way.
The powder scoop which accompanies the tool without charge is adjust able with very fine graduations for any charge of powder, and it will run charges within about a grain variation in weight. Most riflemen will prefer to obtain the regular bench powder measure, but this little scoop works perfectly for throwing charges upon the pan of the powder scales.
The bench powder measure is much more efficient than the old model, and more accurate as well. The recess in which the powder is measured is smaller in diameter and deeper, fills more accurately, and delivers its contents more freely without grains of-powder remaining in the measure, and without cutting 50 many of the long tubular grains of modern smokeless powder.
144225
Bullet moulds for lead alloy bullets and for the lead cores of metal jacketed bullets, are made of the best materials, carefully cut with accurate cherries, so that the bullets mould perfectly and leave the mould freely. The moulds all have extra long handles which make them easy and cool to handle.
Last, but by no means least, the Bond Machine Company has worked out a perfectly practical method by which the individual rifleman can make his own soft point. metal cased bullets. This is a very important matter because of the cost of factory bullets. The company will furnish a swage for making the bullets, copper bullet jackets, and moulds for casting the core. The core is first cast in the mould, and then inserted in the jacket. The core and jacket together are inserted in the swage, and the latter struck several blows with a heavy hammer. and the job is done. The jackets will be made of heavy copper, and the swage is so constructed that the jacket covers the spitzer bullet almost to the point, leaving just a pin point of lead exposed. Such a bullet will give little more wear on the barrel than does a lead bullet, the small lead point will not flow back and deform in the bore, and the bullet will hold together better on game, and will not fly to pieces, a fault of most modern soft point bullets when fired at modern velocities.
The production of these reloading tools will be hailed with joy by all riflemen. In fact it looks as though the American Rifleman was decidedly coming into his own. Look at the number of things we have gotten in the past year. Members of the National Rifle Association can now purchase the Springfield rifle and ammunition for the same, also all the components of ammunition including primers, powder, shells, and bullets at government prices.
All that is necessary is membership in the National Rifle Association which costs two dollars a year. Civilians have now the privilege of using all Government owned rifle ranges, and when they attend a range where troops are stationed they can have the additional privilege of a rifle to shoot and an allowance of fifty rounds of ammunition per day, but not to exceed about 450 rounds for any man per year. Also in certain cases they can have the services of a skilled instructor.
Small Bore Matches are being started by the National Rifle Association. Any club can compete in the team matches, and anybody can compete in the individual matches. Scores can be shot on any range. There is a generous prize list. These competitions start in May. We are going to have the largest National Match ever held at Camp Perry in August. In addition to the matches for the big rifle there will be small bore competitions. I expect that we will have over 25,000 men shooting the small bore rifle this year. Thousands of others will be shooting their Springfields, and getting in shape with their hunting rifles now that the problem of the high cost of ammunition has been solved. This year we will make a long step towards ag
Outdoors Recreation vol 63, No. 1 July 1920, pages 54-56
https://books.google.com/books?id=MHw7AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA54&dq=reloading+cast+bullets&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Wk-gVfKyEojeoASu6pmAAQ&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=reloading%20cast%20bullets&f=false
Reducing Cost of Ammunition
By Lieut. Col. Townsend Whelen
ONE effect of the war has been to just about double the cost of rifle ammunition. This is a very serious matter for the rifleman, who naturally can not afford to practice much with cartridges for modern rifles running in price from 5 to 15 cents apiece. We who are responsible for the promotion of rifle practice have been very much worried by the outlook because with the price of material and labor as they are there seemed to be no relief in sight. It is a condition exactly similar to that of the high cost of living.
Another thing that the war did for us was to knock out our only company manufacturing reloading tools, and this company has since been unable to get on its feet. It is a well known fact that empty shells can be saved, primers and powder bought, bullets moulded from lead and tin, and cartridges reloaded for about one-third what the factory product costs. In many cases these empty shells can be reloaded to give better accuracy and more modern ballistics than the regular factory cartridges. But naturally reloading tools are necessary, and until the present time it has been almost impossible to obtain any reloading tools.
In studying the ways and means for reducing the cost of ammunition it appeared to us that reloading was the only solution. The cost of primers has gone up very little. The cost of smokeless powder has not increased at all, thanks to the peculiar situation surrounding the manufacture of powder and to the patriotic policies of the powder companies. Lead and tin for bullets have gone way up in price, but in many cases bullets can be caught behind the targets and moulded over and over again, thus greatly reducing the cost of bullets used in target practice. Also it would appear entirely practicable for the individual with proper tools to make his own metal cased bullets at a cost very much less than the factory product, and fully as good. The one thing needed was efficient and modern reloading tools at a moderate cost.
Realizing the importance of this matter, the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice, the National Rifle Association, and the Director of Civilian Marksmanship, Government agencies charged with the promotion of rifle practice among civilians, have been actively engaged in an effort to induce a responsible firm to undertake the production of these tools, and success has at last crowned our efforts. The Bond Machine Company of Wilmington, Delaware, who have been manufacturing the large sets of reloading tools for the Army for the new .30 caliber gallery practice and short range cartridges, some few months ago decided to enter into the business of manufacturing hand reloading tools. The large amount of preliminary work has already been accomplished, and this firm has now entered into production of the tools, and are ready to make deliveries. They are putting out a most complete and perfect line of tools for all rifle and pistol cartridges, and for all kinds of ammunition from reduced loads to high power charges with hand made jacketed bullets.
Of these tools the reloading tool proper, the bench powder measure, and the bullet moulds were ready for delivery on March first. The remainder of the series are being perfected rapidly, and will no doubt be ready for delivery before this article appears in print. These include:
A bullet lubricating and sizing machine.
A speed re- and decapper.
An arbor press for operating full length shell resizing dies.
A bench reloading tool for clubs and organizations.
Copper bullet bases for metal base bullets. ‘
Copper jackets for all calibers of soft point metal jacketed bullets.
Swages for inserting cores in jackets and swaging metal cased bullets to form.
Scales for weighing super charges of .powder.
Funnels, etc., for use with powder scales.
The reloading tool proper, powder measure, and bullet mould are all that the rifleman requires for ordinary reloading, although if he works much with super loads giving high velocity and maximum pressures, a pair of powder scales are a necessity, and the Bond Machine Company have made arrangements to handle the most efficient powder scales on the market at a very reasonable price.
These tools, which are the most necessary ones, have now been available for some weeks, have been thoroughly tried out, and are most excellent. They have already been manufactured in about thirty of the most popular calibers, and any other caliber will be made to order at no additional cost, subject only to a slight delay. As soon as the manufacturers have made one tool for any of these odd calibers they will be able there after to furnish tools for that caliber without any delay. Tools for special cartridges or bullets, for which there does not seem to be any demand, will of course cost a little extra.
144224
Of these tools, the one which first engages our attention is that known as the “Reloading Tool”- At first glance this seems similar to the one which in the past has been offered for sale, but a close examination will show that it is more modern, accurate, and efficient, and that it incorporates many new features which place it far above the new tool and give the rifleman much more for his money. This tool extracts the old primer from the fired shell, resizes the neck of the shell for either lead or metal cased bullets, chamfers out the mouth of the shell for lead bullets if necessary, inserts the new primer, seats the bullet in the shell, and crimps the bullet in, or leaves it uncrimped as is desired. All this without any additions or extras.
The loading chamber is of the double adjustable type so that the bullet can be seated to any desired depth in the shell, and can be crimped or not as the rifleman desires. The outward end of the screw plunger in the lower part of the chamber which seats the bullet is cut as a shell chamfering reamer, thus making it unnecessary to purchase this additional instrument. This loading chamber can be unscrewed and in its place can be inserted the muzzle resizing dies to resize the expanded muzzle of the shell to hold the bullet friction tight. Two of these dies are furnished with each tool, one for metal cased bullets, and the other .003 inch larger for lead alloy bullets. These resizing dies are of course absolutely necessary, and are therefore always furnished as a part of the tool, but with the tool formerly made they were charged for extra at fifty cents each.
One feature of the greatest economical importance to riflemen is that all the various chambers, dies, collars, attachments, etc., no matter for what caliber, fit in the standard handle. Thus if the rifleman desires tools for more than one cartridge it is not necessary for him to buy a complete new tool, but only the new loading chamber, muzzle resizing dies, decapping pin, and bushings for the recapping chamber and bullet sizing chamber. Thus the handle does for all cartridges, and half the cost of the tool is saved when it comes to purchasing instruments for reloading another cartridge.
The tool which I have at present, and which is illustrated here with, is for the .30 caliber Model of 1906 cartridge, but by simply obtaining a couple of extra bushings for the top of the loading chamber recess, and at the cost of only a few cents, this tool and its various chambers and dies will load any of the various .30 caliber cartridges -.30-40, .30-30 W. C. F., .30 Rem., .303 Savage, and .303 British.
Sometimes it is necessary to get an extra screw plug for the end of the loading chamber, fitted for the point of the particular bullet it is wished to seat, but usually a plug for the spitzer point will seat all other bullets without deforming the point of the bullet. The reverse is not true, however, and a plug cut with recess for a round or flat point bullet will not seat a spitzer point bullet without deforming the point. As this plug for any bullet costs only a few cents this is of little importance.
The bushing which holds the rimless shell while repriming it is quite unique and efficient. The shell is pressed down into place and flanges snap into the groove, holding it securely while the primer is inserted. To remove it from the tool, the mouth of the shell is simply pressed against the loading bench or table, when it comes out readily into the hand. The sizing die for lead alloy bullets is also a great improvement. There is a cylindrical portion of the die in which the unsized bullet is placed, and which fits it perfectly. The handle is then closed, and the plunger forces the bullet in perfect line through the die so that it is impossible for the bullet to be resized crooked, or to be deformed in any way.
The powder scoop which accompanies the tool without charge is adjust able with very fine graduations for any charge of powder, and it will run charges within about a grain variation in weight. Most riflemen will prefer to obtain the regular bench powder measure, but this little scoop works perfectly for throwing charges upon the pan of the powder scales.
The bench powder measure is much more efficient than the old model, and more accurate as well. The recess in which the powder is measured is smaller in diameter and deeper, fills more accurately, and delivers its contents more freely without grains of-powder remaining in the measure, and without cutting 50 many of the long tubular grains of modern smokeless powder.
144225
Bullet moulds for lead alloy bullets and for the lead cores of metal jacketed bullets, are made of the best materials, carefully cut with accurate cherries, so that the bullets mould perfectly and leave the mould freely. The moulds all have extra long handles which make them easy and cool to handle.
Last, but by no means least, the Bond Machine Company has worked out a perfectly practical method by which the individual rifleman can make his own soft point. metal cased bullets. This is a very important matter because of the cost of factory bullets. The company will furnish a swage for making the bullets, copper bullet jackets, and moulds for casting the core. The core is first cast in the mould, and then inserted in the jacket. The core and jacket together are inserted in the swage, and the latter struck several blows with a heavy hammer. and the job is done. The jackets will be made of heavy copper, and the swage is so constructed that the jacket covers the spitzer bullet almost to the point, leaving just a pin point of lead exposed. Such a bullet will give little more wear on the barrel than does a lead bullet, the small lead point will not flow back and deform in the bore, and the bullet will hold together better on game, and will not fly to pieces, a fault of most modern soft point bullets when fired at modern velocities.
The production of these reloading tools will be hailed with joy by all riflemen. In fact it looks as though the American Rifleman was decidedly coming into his own. Look at the number of things we have gotten in the past year. Members of the National Rifle Association can now purchase the Springfield rifle and ammunition for the same, also all the components of ammunition including primers, powder, shells, and bullets at government prices.
All that is necessary is membership in the National Rifle Association which costs two dollars a year. Civilians have now the privilege of using all Government owned rifle ranges, and when they attend a range where troops are stationed they can have the additional privilege of a rifle to shoot and an allowance of fifty rounds of ammunition per day, but not to exceed about 450 rounds for any man per year. Also in certain cases they can have the services of a skilled instructor.
Small Bore Matches are being started by the National Rifle Association. Any club can compete in the team matches, and anybody can compete in the individual matches. Scores can be shot on any range. There is a generous prize list. These competitions start in May. We are going to have the largest National Match ever held at Camp Perry in August. In addition to the matches for the big rifle there will be small bore competitions. I expect that we will have over 25,000 men shooting the small bore rifle this year. Thousands of others will be shooting their Springfields, and getting in shape with their hunting rifles now that the problem of the high cost of ammunition has been solved. This year we will make a long step towards ag