Another Ideal Bullet Sizing tool

[jrmartin1964]

An Ideal tong-type bullet sizer, but one that's unlike any others I've seen, unlike any of the illustrations in the Ideal handbooks, and neither shown nor mentioned in John Barlow's patent No.464311 of December 1, 1891. Notice the two pins between the sizing die and the hinge... the ends are finished on an angle such that the opposite handle contacts them both when the handles are fully closed. I don't know if this is "as manufactured" or perhaps a modification performed sometime after, but it is extremely well done and the overall finish on everything matches.

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Jim

[ascast]

Nice tool. I have a couple. Neither have those additional pins. The dies are very hard to find; long ago having been lost or gobbled up by collectors who knew what they weir.

[jrmartin1964]

I am fortunate in that my Dad had one of these sizing tools, along with a small assortment of the dies, which I now also have. Additionally, I have over the years acquired a couple more of the tools and a number of the dies as well - to the point that I now have dies to cover most of the calibers I load.

[Pressman]

Jrmartin, do you have Reloading Tools by Tome Rowe and Ed Curtis?
Your tool is described on page 182, Volume 1. Listed in catalogs #1 through #35.
It ism fairly common, I have seen many pictured but never held one.
Ken

[jrmartin1964]

Jrmartin, do you have Reloading Tools by Tome Rowe and Ed Curtis?
Your tool is described on page 182, Volume 1. Listed in catalogs #1 through #35.
It ism fairly common, I have seen many pictured but never held one.
Ken

I have the Ideal handbooks from No.1 onward (up to and including Lyman's 48th edition), but the bullet sizing tool is not shown in any of them with the two angled pins between the hinge and the - for lack of a better word - swinging "pusher" pin. I have four other example of this tool, and only the one in my original post has the anomalous pins. They seem to serve no obvious purpose, but are quite well fitted to contact the opposite handle just as both handles are brought together. It remains a mystery, so far, as to whether they were put there during assembly by Ideal, or perhaps added by some previous owner.

Jim