I'm usually in the modern casting section and came upon a youtube video where the shooter used an all-in-one bullet mold, lube-sizer, seat and crimp tool for his blackpowder cartridge rifle. The tool looked like a pair of pliers with a tube that projected from it to seat and crimp the bullet. I assume there is another part which is a cast iron spoon to remelt the spent lead bullet. What is this tool called, is it caliber specific to old round? Are they hard to find and expensive? Thanks
I have never heard of one that included a spoon for casting. I am not sure what you saw, but several companies made tools for this. Most probably you saw an Ideal 310 type tool. Ideal made about 10 variations and then Lyman bought them. Modern-Bond made a similar tool. Remington, Winchester, Marlin all made tool of this type. Take a look at the 310 swap board here.
Posting the you tube video would be very helpful.Quote:
Originally Posted by BJung
There were a couple of main plier-type reloading tools - Ideal and Winchester. The Winchesters were cartridge specific. Some had a bullet mold incorporated into the design and others not so. The tool had a decapping pin/flare tool that dropped into the tube as you refer to it and that was the first step, to decap the brass and slightly flare the case mouth. There was a repriming step then the case was filled with black powder. A lead bullet was then started into the case mouth and the cartridge placed back into the tube and the bullet squeezed into proper place with the plier action. That also crimped the bullet in place. Typically, the earlier ones will run $150 to $200. and most are incomplete as in the decapping pin insert is missing.
It sounds an awful lot like you’re seeing a Lyman 310 or the Winchester 1880(?) “tong tool. Pictures or a link are needed to be sure.
And yes, this is the proper place to ask! ;)
Froggie
I've got a couple of them. Bought them just as curiosities. I believe they were a forerunner of the more common Ideal tools, which themselves are antiques. The specimens I've encountered were usually for handgun calibers, although some of them could have been used in handgun caliber carbines such as the .44-40 also. They came from the black powder eras and the one tool was designed to do everything. Cast the bullet, load the cartridge. Maybe I can dig one out and post a photo, but not today. They used to turn up with some regularity on e-bay.
DG
Attachment 311929
The lower three are like the ones that I have. Can't lay my hands on them at the moment though.
This is the video I was watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik06rn2R0HY
This video gives a more complete use of the Winchester style tool, to include the decapping insert. He mentions using a separate tool to bell the case mouth but I believe that the originals had a belling capability machined into the decapping assembly. At least that's what I did when I made mine.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...6FORM%3DHDRSC4
I don't ever remember seeing or hearing of one having a built-in mold.Quote:
Originally Posted by BJung
It might be a Eruopean tool since they are hunting Roe Deer?
That’s an Ideal No. 4 tool. It de- and reprimed the empty case, cast and sized the boolit and seated and crimped it in the cartridge case.
The tool came with a belling/depriming insert and a little scoop that held 40 grains of black powder. These loose accessories were frequently lost in antiquity and need to be cobbled together or replaced with currently available offerings (like Lee scoops).
I like Cap&Ball. His videos are very well done and always informative.
Thanks. Learned something today https://www.reloadingtool.com/ideal-no-4-reloading-toolQuote:
Originally Posted by Bent Ramrod
Here you go...! Took me a couple of days to get out to the shop. These are both Ideal tools, both in .32-20. No, I have never cast with these. I have a couple of larger ones that I did try casting with, but as you can see they are all metal construction, and after perhaps 10 bullets dropped they were getting unpleasant to handle. If I had to guess, I'd figure that's why Ideal dropped the mold and just went with the rest of the tool until the Lyman 310 system came along.
DG
Attachment 311997