ohland
07-22-2015, 08:40 PM
American Rifleman, Vol 63, No. 3, Oct 13, 1917 page 47, 51-52
https://books.google.com/books?id=z44wAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA503&dq=woodchuck+rifles+landis&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAWoVChMI6qS45v3vxgIVAg4-Ch05QwAE#v=snippet&q=landis&f=false
The Newton Re-Loading Tool at Last
by C.S. Landis
145168
SOME time ago--so long, in fact, that it was almost “Befoh de Wah" I became the proud possessor of a whole package of Newton Catalogs, and with a fine disregard for the future, I promptly distributed them where they would cause me the most trouble.
Charlie Newton can write a whale of a catalog—but the time of delivery of the goods described in that catalog is from my experience—“something else again.”
About eight months ago, and also six months after I had ordered a set of Newton re-loading tools, I got word by wireless common in all rifle clubs that a Newton rifle was in town. In five or ten minutes I had Newton rifle No. 80 in my hands.
I also had a Mannlicher Schoenauer, a Haenel Mannlicher, a .280 Ross, and several dozen other rifles of different makes right there for comparison. The Newton was the best finished of any except the Mannlicher Schoenauer and the best proportioned rifle of the lot, to my taste, especially the barrel and action. I would prefer less drop to the stock, at the heel, both for looks and work. Two other Newton rifles that I have seen since that time were not so well stocked or finished.
After I came back to earth and began to see things more naturally I casually inquired the cost of the cartridges. The salesman never batted an eye as he said $8.00 per 100.
I’m with Sherman on this war business.
After I reached home and sadly took up the old Springfield and thought of its fine hand-loaded ammunition at $1.75 per 100 I had an idea that we could hit that $8.00 per 100 a wallop in the eye if those tools were ever born.
About every two weeks for the last six months Newton has written promising me those tools in ten days or two weeks. At the end of each two weeks St. Peter cut out the middle of a “B” target and pasted it after the name— Charles Newton. What else could he do?
They say that all things come to those who wait——long enough. I suppose ’tis true, for after waiting more than a year I got those Newton tools.
I suppose that I am one of the first to be so honored, so here goes for the benefit of those other people who also Ordered, and have at various times bombarded Buffalo with letters beginning with SOS and ending with PDQ.
Considering the Newton tools in operation, let’s begin with decapping the empty shells.
The Newton reloading tool that I have is for the .30 Springfield shell. I also have an Ideal tool for the same cartridge.
The decapper that came with this Newton tool would positively not decap any of my Frankford shells. The pin on the end of the rod is too short and too thick and cannot be forced through the primer hole of any Frankford shells that I have. I tried to buck the game with one perfectly good shell and it took my friend, who reloads his shells with me, about 15 minutes to file the head of that infernal shell off the pin.
I saw another set of Newton tools on exhibition as a sample, and not for sale, that apparently suffered from this same defect. This trouble can be remedied by filing the pin into the correct shape.
To resize the necks of the shells. Unscrew the knurled head at the end of the tool next the lever, pull the lever out of the slot in the bolt and pull out the bolt which contains the bullet seater. Take the small, brightly finished piece of metal about 3/4 inch long, which is the muzzle resizer, and screw it into the end of the bolt. Then slide the bolt into the tool and after fitting the lever into the slot, fasten the nut.
To resize the neck of a shell, turn the knurled head at the other end of the tool a quarter turn to the left which will allow the shell to be inserted. Insert the shell, lock it with a quarter turn to the right, and after guiding the shell mouth into the hole in the resizer, close the lever. This operation resizes the neck.
This tool does a very good even job of resizing the necks but is slower than with the Ideal tool which apparently does just as good a job, and the Newton tool is harder to operate in opening.
Incidentally this Newton tool does not resize the necks of the shells as small as my Ideal tool does. I believe this is a benefit for purely target work but for hunting, the shells should be resized so small that the bullets will be held with an unshakable grip.
Not that I believe the Newton does not resize small enough for most full size bullets but occasionally there is that skinny sinner of a bullet that was undersized around the waist line from birth and must be allowed for. There is no muzzle expander with the Newton tool and this is probably the reason for this difference.
But when it comes to expanding the necks of the shells that have been crimped, there is absolutely no provision made whereby the crimp may be ironed out of the shells with the Newton tool. Nearly all commercial shells and all of the Frankford shells that I have seen are crimped slightly at the muzzle. The chamber pressure of 50,000 pounds per square inch does not iron out that crimp.
There is a special shell muzzle expander sold with the Ideal tool for that purpose and also to insure the fact that the shell will be expanded to exactly the right diameter, inside, to hold the bullet. The Newton tool is evidently made on the principle that two operations are unnecessary when one will suffice, so it resizes to the exact size necessary with one operation. The correct theory provided we had no crimp to contend with, and also provided that all bullets used were of the same diameter.
The Ideal tool is made with the end of the loading chamber dressed off to a sharp point so that the crimp can be reamed out on that. With the Newton tool there is no arrangement of this kind and we must force a .308 to .3085 metal cased, or a .311 gas check or cast bullet, through the mouth of a shell that is crimped to about .305 or .306 at the extreme muzzle. This procedure, needless to say, will not lead to accurate shooting, especially with a cast bullet. A .311 gas check or plain cast bullet I have found will shave every time in my Newton tool when forced into a shell that has had all of its crimp ironed out with an Ideal tool, then had the muzzle resized in the Newton tool and the bullet seated in a Newton tool.
If anyone thinks that it is possible to load accurate cast bullet ammunition with such an arrangement will he kindly explain to me how it is possible to center a .311 bar, with a flat end, in a .305 or .306 hole and then drive or push it into that hole without defacing the end of that bar (or bullet) ?
So far as I can see the only practical way to use the Newton tool with oversize cast bullets is to own both an Ideal and a Newton tool and to expand the muzzles of the shells with the Ideal tool and do the rest of the job with the Newton tool. I do not believe that the Newton tool will ever be perfectly satisfactory until the lack of a muzzle expander or crimp remover, is corrected. However, to be fair, the Newton tool is all right for seating metal cased bullets as at present furnished, provided the shells have not been crimped too badly.
In recapping the shells with the Newton, remove the muzzle resizer from the tool and screw the recapping bar into the hole in the muzzle resizer. Replace the whole outfit into the tool, place a primer in the hole in the butt of the tool place a shell in the groove ON THE END OF THE TOOL OPPOSITE THE LEVER—neck of shell then faces away from tool—and close the lever. This seats the primer. This seats the primers alright but flattens them considerably, if they fit tight. Incidentally care should be taken in seating tight primers with the Ideal tool as well.
But returning to the Newton outfit; the recapping bar is about 1/4 inch too long and one is likely to tear a good part of the head off the shell by closing the jaws the whole way instead of only part way—said part way to be guessed at. The recapper should be made shorter; also the slot for the head of the shell is too large and allows too much play between the head of the shell and the butt of the tool.
Where the Newton tool DOES SHINE is in seating the bullets. The shells should not be inserted in the cannelure in the tool that was used to hold them during resizing, but on top of it. I have loaded some both ways and the shell is not held correctly at the neck if the head of it is held by the grove.
Insert the metal cased bullet in the neck of the charged shell with the fingers—insert the shell in the side of the tool and close the lever with the bullet seater in the tool in place of the recapping bar. The bullet seater will have to be adjusted for depth of seating by turning it by inserting the point of the recapper.
A collar slips down over the end of the shell—grabs it firmly by the neck and then the bullet seater comes along and jams the bullet down its throat. It will seat the metal cased bullets more accurately than the Ideal tool provided the shells have been freed of crimp with the Ideal tool or some other arrangement. This is my opinion. My chum who loads with me, prefers the Ideal tool for all the operation.
The Newton tool is made, finished and blued almost as well as a Winchester rifle or a Colt revolver. It is miles ahead of any Ideal tool in this respect.
The Newton tool is something like a pocket knife with a half dozen extra attachments. It makes a good pocket knife but a mighty poor toothpick, nail file, screw driver or cork screw. That is the Newton tool in a nutshell. It is a very fine bullet seater, but every thing else about it is as slow as molasses and none too satisfactory. As issued it is most certainly not adapted to seating cast bullets in shells that have been crimped. I suppose in time that the Newton tool will have these defects corrected, but they are not corrected at the present time.
The easiest way out of the difficulty, and the way to load the most accurate ammunition with the greatest speed-— is to purchase an Ideal tool with all the attachments and also to purchase a Newton tool. Decap, resize, expand and recap the shells with the Ideal tool. Then seat the bullets with the Newton tool.
This will result in slightly better ammunition than can be produced with either tool working alone and the job can be finished much quicker than with the Newton tool working alone.
I am not the least bit interested in either knocking or boosting the business of the manufacturers of either set of reloading tools. I have paid for my tickets and seen both shows.
I have tried to point out the faults and virtues of both sets of reloading tools to the end that we may have high power rifle ammunition fit to shoot, at a price in time and money that you can afford to pay.
https://books.google.com/books?id=z44wAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA503&dq=woodchuck+rifles+landis&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAWoVChMI6qS45v3vxgIVAg4-Ch05QwAE#v=snippet&q=landis&f=false
The Newton Re-Loading Tool at Last
by C.S. Landis
145168
SOME time ago--so long, in fact, that it was almost “Befoh de Wah" I became the proud possessor of a whole package of Newton Catalogs, and with a fine disregard for the future, I promptly distributed them where they would cause me the most trouble.
Charlie Newton can write a whale of a catalog—but the time of delivery of the goods described in that catalog is from my experience—“something else again.”
About eight months ago, and also six months after I had ordered a set of Newton re-loading tools, I got word by wireless common in all rifle clubs that a Newton rifle was in town. In five or ten minutes I had Newton rifle No. 80 in my hands.
I also had a Mannlicher Schoenauer, a Haenel Mannlicher, a .280 Ross, and several dozen other rifles of different makes right there for comparison. The Newton was the best finished of any except the Mannlicher Schoenauer and the best proportioned rifle of the lot, to my taste, especially the barrel and action. I would prefer less drop to the stock, at the heel, both for looks and work. Two other Newton rifles that I have seen since that time were not so well stocked or finished.
After I came back to earth and began to see things more naturally I casually inquired the cost of the cartridges. The salesman never batted an eye as he said $8.00 per 100.
I’m with Sherman on this war business.
After I reached home and sadly took up the old Springfield and thought of its fine hand-loaded ammunition at $1.75 per 100 I had an idea that we could hit that $8.00 per 100 a wallop in the eye if those tools were ever born.
About every two weeks for the last six months Newton has written promising me those tools in ten days or two weeks. At the end of each two weeks St. Peter cut out the middle of a “B” target and pasted it after the name— Charles Newton. What else could he do?
They say that all things come to those who wait——long enough. I suppose ’tis true, for after waiting more than a year I got those Newton tools.
I suppose that I am one of the first to be so honored, so here goes for the benefit of those other people who also Ordered, and have at various times bombarded Buffalo with letters beginning with SOS and ending with PDQ.
Considering the Newton tools in operation, let’s begin with decapping the empty shells.
The Newton reloading tool that I have is for the .30 Springfield shell. I also have an Ideal tool for the same cartridge.
The decapper that came with this Newton tool would positively not decap any of my Frankford shells. The pin on the end of the rod is too short and too thick and cannot be forced through the primer hole of any Frankford shells that I have. I tried to buck the game with one perfectly good shell and it took my friend, who reloads his shells with me, about 15 minutes to file the head of that infernal shell off the pin.
I saw another set of Newton tools on exhibition as a sample, and not for sale, that apparently suffered from this same defect. This trouble can be remedied by filing the pin into the correct shape.
To resize the necks of the shells. Unscrew the knurled head at the end of the tool next the lever, pull the lever out of the slot in the bolt and pull out the bolt which contains the bullet seater. Take the small, brightly finished piece of metal about 3/4 inch long, which is the muzzle resizer, and screw it into the end of the bolt. Then slide the bolt into the tool and after fitting the lever into the slot, fasten the nut.
To resize the neck of a shell, turn the knurled head at the other end of the tool a quarter turn to the left which will allow the shell to be inserted. Insert the shell, lock it with a quarter turn to the right, and after guiding the shell mouth into the hole in the resizer, close the lever. This operation resizes the neck.
This tool does a very good even job of resizing the necks but is slower than with the Ideal tool which apparently does just as good a job, and the Newton tool is harder to operate in opening.
Incidentally this Newton tool does not resize the necks of the shells as small as my Ideal tool does. I believe this is a benefit for purely target work but for hunting, the shells should be resized so small that the bullets will be held with an unshakable grip.
Not that I believe the Newton does not resize small enough for most full size bullets but occasionally there is that skinny sinner of a bullet that was undersized around the waist line from birth and must be allowed for. There is no muzzle expander with the Newton tool and this is probably the reason for this difference.
But when it comes to expanding the necks of the shells that have been crimped, there is absolutely no provision made whereby the crimp may be ironed out of the shells with the Newton tool. Nearly all commercial shells and all of the Frankford shells that I have seen are crimped slightly at the muzzle. The chamber pressure of 50,000 pounds per square inch does not iron out that crimp.
There is a special shell muzzle expander sold with the Ideal tool for that purpose and also to insure the fact that the shell will be expanded to exactly the right diameter, inside, to hold the bullet. The Newton tool is evidently made on the principle that two operations are unnecessary when one will suffice, so it resizes to the exact size necessary with one operation. The correct theory provided we had no crimp to contend with, and also provided that all bullets used were of the same diameter.
The Ideal tool is made with the end of the loading chamber dressed off to a sharp point so that the crimp can be reamed out on that. With the Newton tool there is no arrangement of this kind and we must force a .308 to .3085 metal cased, or a .311 gas check or cast bullet, through the mouth of a shell that is crimped to about .305 or .306 at the extreme muzzle. This procedure, needless to say, will not lead to accurate shooting, especially with a cast bullet. A .311 gas check or plain cast bullet I have found will shave every time in my Newton tool when forced into a shell that has had all of its crimp ironed out with an Ideal tool, then had the muzzle resized in the Newton tool and the bullet seated in a Newton tool.
If anyone thinks that it is possible to load accurate cast bullet ammunition with such an arrangement will he kindly explain to me how it is possible to center a .311 bar, with a flat end, in a .305 or .306 hole and then drive or push it into that hole without defacing the end of that bar (or bullet) ?
So far as I can see the only practical way to use the Newton tool with oversize cast bullets is to own both an Ideal and a Newton tool and to expand the muzzles of the shells with the Ideal tool and do the rest of the job with the Newton tool. I do not believe that the Newton tool will ever be perfectly satisfactory until the lack of a muzzle expander or crimp remover, is corrected. However, to be fair, the Newton tool is all right for seating metal cased bullets as at present furnished, provided the shells have not been crimped too badly.
In recapping the shells with the Newton, remove the muzzle resizer from the tool and screw the recapping bar into the hole in the muzzle resizer. Replace the whole outfit into the tool, place a primer in the hole in the butt of the tool place a shell in the groove ON THE END OF THE TOOL OPPOSITE THE LEVER—neck of shell then faces away from tool—and close the lever. This seats the primer. This seats the primers alright but flattens them considerably, if they fit tight. Incidentally care should be taken in seating tight primers with the Ideal tool as well.
But returning to the Newton outfit; the recapping bar is about 1/4 inch too long and one is likely to tear a good part of the head off the shell by closing the jaws the whole way instead of only part way—said part way to be guessed at. The recapper should be made shorter; also the slot for the head of the shell is too large and allows too much play between the head of the shell and the butt of the tool.
Where the Newton tool DOES SHINE is in seating the bullets. The shells should not be inserted in the cannelure in the tool that was used to hold them during resizing, but on top of it. I have loaded some both ways and the shell is not held correctly at the neck if the head of it is held by the grove.
Insert the metal cased bullet in the neck of the charged shell with the fingers—insert the shell in the side of the tool and close the lever with the bullet seater in the tool in place of the recapping bar. The bullet seater will have to be adjusted for depth of seating by turning it by inserting the point of the recapper.
A collar slips down over the end of the shell—grabs it firmly by the neck and then the bullet seater comes along and jams the bullet down its throat. It will seat the metal cased bullets more accurately than the Ideal tool provided the shells have been freed of crimp with the Ideal tool or some other arrangement. This is my opinion. My chum who loads with me, prefers the Ideal tool for all the operation.
The Newton tool is made, finished and blued almost as well as a Winchester rifle or a Colt revolver. It is miles ahead of any Ideal tool in this respect.
The Newton tool is something like a pocket knife with a half dozen extra attachments. It makes a good pocket knife but a mighty poor toothpick, nail file, screw driver or cork screw. That is the Newton tool in a nutshell. It is a very fine bullet seater, but every thing else about it is as slow as molasses and none too satisfactory. As issued it is most certainly not adapted to seating cast bullets in shells that have been crimped. I suppose in time that the Newton tool will have these defects corrected, but they are not corrected at the present time.
The easiest way out of the difficulty, and the way to load the most accurate ammunition with the greatest speed-— is to purchase an Ideal tool with all the attachments and also to purchase a Newton tool. Decap, resize, expand and recap the shells with the Ideal tool. Then seat the bullets with the Newton tool.
This will result in slightly better ammunition than can be produced with either tool working alone and the job can be finished much quicker than with the Newton tool working alone.
I am not the least bit interested in either knocking or boosting the business of the manufacturers of either set of reloading tools. I have paid for my tickets and seen both shows.
I have tried to point out the faults and virtues of both sets of reloading tools to the end that we may have high power rifle ammunition fit to shoot, at a price in time and money that you can afford to pay.