Tru-Line Jr, 7/8 conversion and set up to load 45 Auto for Wild Bunch.
I bought yet another Tru-Line Jr. press, complete with a hand full of various dies. One of purchases that comes with a bit of buyers remorse afterwards, this time because I did not have any practical use for yet another T-L Jr.
That was just before winter, I'd cleaned up the press and mounted it onto a short piece of wood so i could clamp it in my bench wise.
But I had the nagging desire to set it up in a useful configuration. I have most of the cartridges I load set up in their own toolhead, and i didn't want to strip down and working setups. This is what i came up with.
https://i.imgur.com/GCLXGnz.jpg
The first order of business was to mount the 7/8 conversion turret. This is one of the batch Flea Bay turrets that was offered, and once sold out never to be seen again, They were decent enough, and after mounting I checked the alignment and it was spot on.
At the same time I'd installed the "J" to "X" adapter I had sitting around. When I Tested the press with a 39 Spl sizer i noticed an issue with the shell holder set screw. It was not aligning with the hole in the J to X adapter. I double checked and it did not align with any of the J shell holders I had. The issue was with the press. Lyman also had a All American press that used J type shell holders, the only difference being that the shell holder screw was inline with the front, and not off to the side.
https://i.imgur.com/rSHZKDD.jpg
The obvious solution was to drill and tap a new hole in the slide. Measuring gets a bit tricky and it took a bit of time before i did the actual drilling and tapping. It turned out OK, off by a whisker for us anal types. The tapered point on the set screw holds the J to X adapter down solid. The J to X adapter, like most of my reloading tools, was purchased used, and the screw that holds the X shell holder in place was a bubba screw that had the wrong thread. I cobbled together a 10x32 screw until I get to a hardware store and by a brass set screw. I used a bit of Hemi Engine Orange paint on a Q-Tip to touch up the paint. Just to show how well the colors match here's the before.
https://i.imgur.com/4XLuYBk.jpg
Removing the slide was a bit involved, the turret and the detent plate needed to be removed before the slide could be lifted off. I much prefer to drill and tap with the drill press, especially with these only one kick at the cat tasks. It has to be right the first time.
My intent was to set it up for 38 Spl. but I didn't have enough spare dies, and I found a set of LEE dies for 45 Auto, so that became a contender. I thought that using a RCBS Lil' Dandy measure might be nice, but my tickle trunk doesn't have a lot of rotors. I compared my rotors to the chart and reloading data. a #6 rotor will drop 4.2 grains of WW231 and that is a starting load, so 45 Auto it was.
I find the on press priming on the Tru-Line Jr to be a bit awkward to use, so i installed a RCBS Ram Priming Unit. It works well, and I have it set up so the seating is done mid stroke. I don't see any issues with priming this way.
Another nice piece of kit is a red MTM tray that I had kicking around. Unlike most trays the shells sit high enough to grab. And, in keeping with the theme of not using any of my regular tools I pressed a pair of Lyman Primer Pocket cleaning tools into service. A simple tool with a flat screwdriver looking end that seems to work rather well.
A nice winter project considering it's brutally cold outside, -28ºC this morning, 2023, Jan 30.
https://i.imgur.com/aXTpkcB.jpg
Loading pistol cartridges seems to be the niche task for the old Tru-Line Jr press. But I must admit, I do prefer the 7/8 die sets, especially having a carbide sizer.
Note: I was able to contact Dave and if anyone is interested in buying a 7/8 turret for their T-L Jr, there is a good chance he'll be doing a run of them one of these days.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057636811742
Nitro
1 Attachment(s)
Fl Resize rifle cartridge with a Tru-Line Jr press.
Attachment 311365
I attempted to FL size a 308 Win case with the Tru-Line Jr but stopped short as the flex seemed more than I wanted to live with. The flex was mainly in the upright shaft. I thought about it for a while and wondered if adding a support to the rear guide rod would add the rigidity needed. I set up the press as in the picture, the support for the back was an upside down decapping die (small).
I snugged up the center post nut, nothing silly, just snug, no torque and tightened the reversed 310 die for hand pressure. This took a bunch of movement out of the press. because of the limited mechanical advantage and the added rigidity, I ended up only turning in the 308 FL die a bit more than 3/8 turn, as I felt that was the limit. I was able to set the shoulder back 0.003", and that was enough to prove the concept to me. 308 Win is not the easiest case to FL size, I'd say calibers like 30-30, or 223 and such would be an easy task. Will it stress the press a bit, yes, but for a camp press or a trip to the range, why not use it. If and when it gives out, get another one at a garage sale. Total investment is not that much. The J to X adapter and the Special T priming punches aren't cheap but it beats trying to buy the odd J type shellholder. The adapter is taller, helps mitigate the higher die position.
For the support to work, I needed to remove the nut on the priming seating stop, as it interfered.
I have two turrets at the machine shop getting D&T to 7/8-14. I'll set up two presses and try and flog them at the next gunshow, I don't need all four.
Nitro
