What is this used for?

[cpaspr]

322169

The attached picture is something my dad was using 60+ years ago. I remember it from when I was a wee lad, but don't remember what it was used for.

I now have what is left of his reloading gear, and this was in one of the boxes. It appears to be home built, 36 dowels in a piece of 1" plywood.

Does anyone have something similar, and what is it's purpose?

Thanks in advance.

[Handloader109]

Sort by headstamp?

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[Winger Ed.]

From the marks on top of the dowels,
it looks like he might have been using it as a loading block to seat primers on with a drift/mandrel & hammer.

[Alchemist]

My WAG is that cases are placed mouth down over the pegs, maybe so primer pockets can be inspected. Second guess is to act as drying rack for washed black powder cartridge cases.

[georgerkahn]

I have a couple of these; we used to call them "porcupines" and after you trimmed and decapped your cases they were dropped onto the dowels. They were then removed, one at a time as needed, to start the reloading process. An added note is that this was used pretty much exclusively in the days of, say, the early single stage -- e.g., Fred Huntington's first RCBS models, old Pacifics, and the like presses. Part of the "safety regiment" of loading was one can visually SEE the case ready for a primer, and then subsequent following steps to produce a round. Back in these days (I've done it :() it was a possible to charge a case with powder, then seat the bullet, to "oops" then notice one forgot to put in a primer.

[challenger_i]

Can't say what that particular device was made for, but I am building something similar for spray lubing my cases.

[cpaspr]

Thanks y'all for the quick responses. He never shot black powder. Nor, for that matter, did he ever tumble or otherwise clean his cases, other than wiping them off. I don't know that tumblers even existed for brass back then, and if the they did, he never had one. I have his old notes, and some read like "loaded 19 rounds of .38 Special". He was not a high volume reloader. He did have a couple of nails that he pounded one end flat then filed the edges and bottom to just fit a primer pocket. One large, one small. He was frugal that way. And they work. I just used the small one to clean the pocket on a .38 Special case.322171

I just checked, a .38 Special dropped over the top has the mouth of the shell lining up with the black mark at the bottom of each peg, so, yeah, seating primers could be one of it's uses. He had a C press, and eventually a RCBS JR3. I have both. The C is out in the garage, with a couple of screw on shellholders. I know the JR3 has the priming arm, but I'm not sure when he got it. 60 years ago he may have had to do the hammer and mandrel primer seating method.

[gunther]

Just out of curiosity, what diameter are the dowels, and what calibers did your father reload?

[cwtebay]

My older brother made me something similar for holding my spools of thread when I was tying flies for extra money.

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[15meter]

Part of the "safety regiment" of loading was one can visually SEE the case ready for a primer, and then subsequent following steps to produce a round. Back in these days (I've done it :() it was a possible to charge a case with powder, then seat the bullet, to "oops" then notice one forgot to put in a primer.

I still do similar, but I use 1-1/2" high or higher wooden blocks with holes drilled in them. 20 to 50 holes. All cases go in the blocks upside down in the beginning. F/L sized and deprimed, then back in the block upside down. Then trimmed if necessary and back upside down, repeat through belling, priming and any other operations until ready to charge with powder. Only time a case is right side up is after powder charging. Then flashlight to check consistent powder charge. Then seat the boolits/bullets.

I've even gone to the extent of upside down cases on the left side of the powder measure, charged right side up cases in a different block on the right side of the powder measure.

Only had one instance of an over-charged case. A 30-06 loaded on a Dillon 550B using SR-4759. Didn't make that mistake again. But did pull down a bunch that had been loaded at the same time.

Didn't like having to hammer open the bolt on a very nice 03-A3.

[Bazoo]

I have a couple of these; we used to call them "porcupines" and after you trimmed and decapped your cases they were dropped onto the dowels. They were then removed, one at a time as needed, to start the reloading process. An added note is that this was used pretty much exclusively in the days of, say, the early single stage -- e.g., Fred Huntington's first RCBS models, old Pacifics, and the like presses. Part of the "safety regiment" of loading was one can visually SEE the case ready for a primer, and then subsequent following steps to produce a round. Back in these days (I've done it :() it was a possible to charge a case with powder, then seat the bullet, to "oops" then notice one forgot to put in a primer.

Thank you for sharing that tidbit.

[Baltimoreed]

Do the same thing but with a loading block with holes when I load my ‘06-.303-.30krag or 6.5x55. Load them on a single stage.

[cpaspr]

Just out of curiosity, what diameter are the dowels, and what calibers did your father reload?

5/16", though being 60+ years old, some are undersized at .304-.306". I didn't measure more than half a dozen. One was .312", a couple were .310".

I have a picture of my brother, sister and I with that block and boxes of brass. We were all little kids, and the only brass I can identify on the table appears to be .30-06. My sister has the block of wood, and it appears there may be .38 Specials inserted on most of the dowels. It doesn't blow up well, as it's a snapshot from about 1963.

[georgerkahn]

5/16", though being 60+ years old, some are undersized at .304-.306". I didn't measure more than half a dozen. One was .312", a couple were .310".

I have a picture of my brother, sister and I with that block and boxes of brass. We were all little kids, and the only brass I can identify on the table appears to be .30-06. My sister has the block of wood, and it appears there may be .38 Specials inserted on most of the dowels. It doesn't blow up well, as it's a snapshot from about 1963.

My use was for .38 S&W Special for a Model 52 Smith, shooting Bullseye in the early days. I did not mention this in my earlier post, but I'd have wagered the porcupine in question was for .38 S&W Special. At least in my area, there were but "three ;) calibres": .22 lr; .38 S&W Special; and .45ACP. A good plurality of Bullseye shooters went for the .38 S&W Special with its mild mid-range loading (2.x grains of Alliant Bullseye in front of a CCI primer using a 148 grain flush-seated wadcutter). A good many reloaders then, did their loading at, say, the kitchen table, and -- again -- the porcupine was a very efficient and easy way to "tell" at which stage one was in their loading. Now, many spend multi-hour load sessions with progressive presses. (I, for one, do 90% (all save .21 Fireball) on a Dillon 550b!) But, back then, the few progressive units were WAY out of the financial reach of most. (I had an early RCBS and... employed a porcupine :)).
geo

[poppy42]

For holding powder bushings. Did he load for shotgun? That’s what I use it for.

[cpaspr]

Thank you all. I think George is probably right. He did shoot NRA expert at some point, and he did have .38 Specials at the time, so in hindsight the Expert rating was probably from shooting Bullseye matches with one of them. I don't know what bullet he was shooting, but I also have a .22 shell brazed onto a bent piece of coat hanger. That scoop holds exactly 3.0 grains of Bullseye powder, and deep in the recesses of my memory I knew that before I even checked it.

[cwtebay]

Good to hear that you found your answer.
I'm sure I am not alone when I say congratulations to you for having that piece of your father.
And I am also sure I am not alone in asking for you to post the picture you described!

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[Winger Ed.]

That scoop holds exactly 3.0 grains of Bullseye powder,

Depending on which book ya pick up, it's .5gr. below min. in some of them.
However:
With 148gr. DEWCs, that's been a long time favorite load for .38s.
I use it myself in a S&W Model 52.

[vagrantviking]

Organize powder bushings was my first thought.

[wv109323]

Could be used with pistol cases to avoid a double charge. With single stage loading, remove a primed case, drop/dump the powder, then immediately seat a bullet. Place the loaded round in the box. No way to get a double charge with low volume pistol powders.

[barnetmill]

Thanks y'all for the quick responses. He never shot black powder. Nor, for that matter, did he ever tumble or otherwise clean his cases, other than wiping them off. I don't know that tumblers even existed for brass back then, and if the they did, he never had one. I have his old notes, and some read like "loaded 19 rounds of .38 Special". He was not a high volume reloader. He did have a couple of nails that he pounded one end flat then filed the edges and bottom to just fit a primer pocket. One large, one small. He was frugal that way. And they work. I just used the small one to clean the pocket on a .38 Special case.322171

I just checked, a .38 Special dropped over the top has the mouth of the shell lining up with the black mark at the bottom of each peg, so, yeah, seating primers could be one of it's uses. He had a C press, and eventually a RCBS JR3. I have both. The C is out in the garage, with a couple of screw on shellholders. I know the JR3 has the priming arm, but I'm not sure when he got it. 60 years ago he may have had to do the hammer and mandrel primer seating method.

My first tumbler was identical to what would be used for polishing rocks.

[trapper444]

Ithink that it's a coustom made loading block

[cpaspr]

Good to hear that you found your answer.
I'm sure I am not alone when I say congratulations to you for having that piece of your father.
And I am also sure I am not alone in asking for you to post the picture you described!

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

Not unless I blur the faces, since my siblings are in the picture as well.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Thank you all. I think George is probably right. He did shoot NRA expert at some point, and he did have .38 Specials at the time, so in hindsight the Expert rating was probably from shooting Bullseye matches with one of them. I don't know what bullet he was shooting, but I also have a .22 shell brazed onto a bent piece of coat hanger. That scoop holds exactly 3.0 grains of Bullseye powder, and deep in the recesses of my memory I knew that before I even checked it.
I think it's great that you have a few DIY items from your Dad's 38 spl hand loading.
That porcupine block is maybe the most special.

[gwpercle]

My first tumbler was identical to what would be used for polishing rocks.

I was polishing rocks with my Thumler's Tumbler model B long before I started polishing brass cases with it . Just emptied out the rock polishing media and put crushed Walnut Shell Polishing media in it and polished brass !
Works like a charm ... I'm still using that 50 year old thing !
Gary

[JSnover]

Can't say what that particular device was made for, but I am building something similar for spray lubing my cases.

Best idea yet! The other answers; any of them could be right but any of those functions would work just as well by turning the cases base-up in a typical loading block.

[barnetmill]

Best idea yet! The other answers; any of them could be right but any of those functions would work just as well by turning the cases base-up in a typical loading block.

I would just use screws sticking out of the block. Easier to make.

[frkelly74]

I made a similar " tool" once. I had finish nails driven in to a board and used it to hold brass cases to totally anneal 40 S&W brass so I could swedge them down to make 41 cal jackets out of them. Still have some of those bullets but not the tool.

[Electrod47]

Did your dad also flyfish? or tie fly's? May have used to keep his floss and tensil spools organized..

PS: If he were still with us, I'd bet Major George C. Nonte would have known what that is.

[RogerDat]

It is nice to know I'm not the only one to dump a load of powder into a case without a primer. Picking up the case and watching the powder dribble out is... as humbling as it is annoying. A humbling reminder that I can make a mistake, so I need to remember to be very attentive and careful. Annoying because I have to clean up that wasted powder which has managed to go everywhere.

[barnetmill]

It is nice to know I'm not the only one to dump a load of powder into a case without a primer. Picking up the case and watching the powder dribble out is... as humbling as it is annoying. A humbling reminder that I can make a mistake, so I need to remember to be very attentive and careful. Annoying because I have to clean up that wasted powder which has managed to go everywhere.

What about backwards seated primers. I seem to think that I have done it. I have put them in sideways and crushed them. I even had one that sizzled after being crushed.

[cpaspr]

I don't recall backwards seating them, but the Lee Handpresses (old style-round) I have used would frequently insert a primer crooked. I eventually learned to partially raise the primer to just below the bottom of the shell before inserting the shell in to the holder, then raise the primer the rest of the way into the shell.