ALL-IN-ONE reloading box

[georgerkahn]

Last week I elected to load up a batch of 45 Colt ammo. No problem for me to find 3-set of dies as they're mounted in Dillon 550b. Or, the shell holders to put in my RCBS Bench-mounted primer. Or, the L E Wilson case gauges; L E Wilson trimmer case holder, etc.. However, I got the ideal to -- perhaps -- find and purchase some plastic or wood boxes, roughly the size old Dutch Masters cigars had come in, to put EVERYTHING associated with one caliber in said box?
It sure would have saved me some time and effort had I been able to just grab one box, say, labeled "45 COLT" -- in which everything needed for reloading this caliber might be in it. Now -- as you can see from photo of my bench -- I have a holder I made for each die set, and to its left individual boxes for M dies, Factory crimp dies, and you know -- all other stuff. For some calibers -- notably my .221 Rem Fireball -- I probably have enough "stuff" to almost fill two boxes! And -- Murphy Law -- I regularly need spend way too much time searching for that one item I need...
Doing an Internet search I could not readily find a box which might work. And, it does seem to me an "everything you need to reload one caliber" box may not be the dumbest idea.
Hence, what do you think, for one? And, if you agree -- do you know of a recommended box which would work? I will add I found one box on Etsy and three or four on Amazon which might do -- but -- an added wish is they be in the under-ten-dollar range.
geo

[Carrier]

I have everything for each caliber in Tupperware boxes. Dies, shell holders, plates, powder dies, etc for each caliber all together. Makes finding what I need much easier.

[StuBach]

For the Dillon loaders out there, almost seems like someone should make a stand for the quick load that houses all the “necessities” on one stand?

[Winger Ed.]

Organized storage? Oh no, no, no,,,, The has to be a direct violation of Man Law.

As we all know-- Nature hates a vacuum, and seeks to fill it.
So, you'll also need to put more things on top of the bench.
Dirty dishes, extra tools, candy bar wrappers, etc., pretty much anything will do.

[ascast]

You may want to check your local dollar store or variation of.

[Minerat]

George, call your local cigar store and see if they have any boxes they want to sell or get rid of. The interweb is full of cardboard cigar boxes for sale from around 3 to 6 bucks each. Some from cigar stores.

[georgerkahn]

George, call your local cigar store and see if they have any boxes they want to sell or get rid of. The interweb is full of cardboard cigar boxes for sale from around 3 to 6 bucks each. Some from cigar stores.

Steve -- I believe the closest cigar store is about 70 miles distant, south of the border; or, about 80 kilometers (~50 miles) distant, north of the border . Hence, thanks to your brilliant suggestion I searched the e- auction site, and found a group of five 10 1/2" x 7 1/4" boxes which may meet my wants. Not the least expensive of purchases, but they cost less than a new Ford F150... Thanks you again for the suggestion -- my mind had been stuck on Plano-type plastic boxes, but all those I found had dividers which would have not allowed the plastic die boxes the dies come in to fit.
This is indeed the greatest of forums, evidenced by folks like you!
geo

[Bmi48219]

I load my frequently used calibers (9, 38, 45 acp & 30 carbine) on an SDB. I have preset powder measures for each and die plates with preset dies, brass pins etc, in marked plastic boxes. I can change to the subject cartridge in less than five minutes including double checking the charge weight. I load the other not so frequently used cartridges on a T-Mag, for which I’ve collected five turrets. Those are stored with preset dies and shell holders in round heavy plastic Tupperware bowls (& lids). All powders are stored in one 1-1/2” thick wood cabinet and primers in another.
Any brass I plan to reload gets deprimed, cleaned, lubed and sized before it goes into storage. There are no decapping pins in my SBD sizing dies. Since most of the brass has been sized and sitting in storage months after being prepped, I figure the SBD takes care of any brass spring-back.
I pre-prime whatever I plan to load as a separate step. I can feel each primer is seated properly sparing me the irritation of charging powder into an unprimed or crookedly primed case. I mounted my priming tool on a piece of wood I can clamp to my bench when needed. The primer shell holders and L & S primer feed heads are stored in another plastic box.
My process probably seems pretty anal and time consuming but I feel I get a better finished product without trying to keep track of too many things happening at once.

[wv109323]

Getting to do a deep search for something is like Christmas. I find treasures I forgot I had.

[15meter]

I find the 2 lb. plastic bottles from chocolate covered peanuts work well for a complete caliber conversion for both my Dillon SDB and 550B.

Only tough part is getting the empty bottles.

[georgerkahn]

I load my frequently used calibers (9, 38, 45 acp & 30 carbine) on an SDB. I have preset powder measures for each and die plates with preset dies, brass pins etc, in marked plastic boxes. I can change to the subject cartridge in less than five minutes including double checking the charge weight. I load the other not so frequently used cartridges on a T-Mag, for which I’ve collected five turrets. Those are stored with preset dies and shell holders in round heavy plastic Tupperware bowls (& lids). All powders are stored in one 1-1/2” thick wood cabinet and primers in another.
Any brass I plan to reload gets deprimed, cleaned, lubed and sized before it goes into storage. There are no decapping pins in my SBD sizing dies. Since most of the brass has been sized and sitting in storage months after being prepped, I figure the SBD takes care of any brass spring-back.
I pre-prime whatever I plan to load as a separate step. I can feel each primer is seated properly sparing me the irritation of charging powder into an unprimed or crookedly primed case. I mounted my priming tool on a piece of wood I can clamp to my bench when needed. The primer shell holders and L & S primer feed heads are stored in another plastic box.
My process probably seems pretty anal and time consuming but I feel I get a better finished product without trying to keep track of too many things happening at once.

Bmi48219 -- nothing you do sounds "anal" to me. I, too store shell holders in separate plastic boxes (the ones Lyman assortment comes in -- I need four of them for all my 'holders; and, I have a 3/8" threaded bolt coming up through my loading bench table. "Accessories" like my RCBS priming tool get held in place after being placed on it with a large wingnut. I have eleven different tool-heads for my Dillon 550b, each with its powder measure set, attached. (I drop a 3"x5" card in each after each loading session to indicate what the powder and charge was in now-empty powder measure. (I left powder in one many years back and it stained the plastic).
I think the best description for you would either be a "smart" and/or "safe" loader. My kudos!
geo

[JimB..]

Common calibers are in toolheads on Dillon stands.
Other dies and caliber conversions are in their plastic boxes in a 6” drawer of a snapon toolbox.
Case feeder caliber conversion parts are a bit of a mess, but usually go into the powder hopper for common calibers.

For stuff that I might load one day, everything including brass and bullets go into an appropriately sized ammo can or cans with some desiccant and VCI tabs.

It sounds a lot more organized than it is.

[dverna]

Good ideas.

[CastingFool]

If you have some woodworking skills, you could just make your own. All you need is a table saw.

This is one I made out of scrap paneling.

[Land Owner]

Alright - thoughts from a different direction. Knowing I had an increasing "wealth" of components, BY CALIBER, I was fortunate to be the recipient of ten (10) four-drawer metal filing cabinets. I am not saying these cannot be "found" in your locale, but mine were CHEAP.

Every drawer is a different caliber and even that is insufficient for all of the "common aspects" of an active reloading and casting hobby.




357 Mag (typical drawer):




Shelf over the top carries cleaning supplies and "common" items:

[Czech_too]

I use something like these for storage purposes.
https://www.amazon.com/Sodissa-Shipp...9&sr=8-36&th=1

One size for rifle, or larger, boolits & another size for pistol, or smaller, boolits. One each for "as cast" & "sized/lubed". There not free but it works for me.
Brian

[gloob]

I don't have a shellholder issue, but I have 2 die boxes to fit the extra dies for both cast and jacketed and case gauge I might use for some rifle calibers.

[John Wayne]

For the Dillon loaders out there, almost seems like someone should make a stand for the quick load that houses all the “necessities” on one stand?

They do, he is on ebay...alli44502 Pictured is my 1050 stand but he also has 550 and 650 stands plus a nice casefeeder plate stand.

[GONRA]

For decades, GONRA has used wide mouth plastic peanut butter jugs for storing all sorts of small shop / reloading items.

[jetinteriorguy]

Another good source for accessories for loading setups is ETSY, lot of interesting things there.