Automatic Caster

[cervelorod]

I'm new to casting bullets, but in doing my research, it appears that the most popular automated caster builder has quit manufacturing them. As with some of my other hobbies, this looks ripe for a open-source project to build your own.

With modern steppers, I think this could be a simple project, to build and code, and be valuable to the community.

Myself, I have picked up a 300 AC Blackout, shooting suppressed, and it has become my favorite firearm. With that, you can go through a reasonable amount of ammunition per session. I have 2 more guns in process for this caliber and am trying ramp up my production of ammo to shoot more.

Are there enough wanting to cast "automatically" to try to develop something like this, or am I sniffing to many lead fumes??

Rod

[Plate plinker]

Working on one right now. Building a four mold unit. First step is getting it mechanically correct to prove that part, when that proves out I will be interested in full automation.

Side note I am not a master fabricator but can weld decent enough.

[atfsux]

There used to be a company called Ballisticast that made an automated caster that competed with Magma. They went under about 9 years ago. But about 4 years ago, a company called A.C.E. (American Casting Equipment) came out with their M2R, which is essentially just the old Ballisticast product, but modified by about 10% so that A.C.E. can claim it is actually a different product. And indeed, it is reported that the A.C.E. product is in fact slightly improved over the older Ballisticast design. Although it still is not as good as the legendary Magma line.

Just a few days ago, because I live nearby, I went and visited Magma and talked to the owner about them shutting down and going away. Among the things I asked him was whether anyone had made an offer on his patents and intellectual property. His answer was no.

Now I'm not suggesting you immediately go out and just rip off the Magma product line and start reproducing it. (Although I'm certain there would be many who would be happy if someone went out and did exactly that.) But it might be worth investigating if one could do something similar to what A.C.E. did with Ballisticast,...just take the best parts of the Magma line,...update and modernize it a bit sufficiently to prevent any sort of lawsuits,...and go with that.

[cervelorod]

This is an interesting idea, but my feeling is the market is too small for a consumer sized automatic caster to be financially viable. I do feel that an open source product could allow development and maybe a small financial gain for someone to create parts others don't have the time or skill to do.

If you are using a bottom pour, the rest of the mechanism is pretty simple. I'll have to look up magma's patent app and see what it says.

[dverna]

Unless the Magma stuff is patented it can be copied. If the patent has expired, what they have can be copied. Phelps did that with the Star reloader and Sizer decades ago.

To the OP, Magma has left a big void, and someone is going to fill it. Many commercial casters will want to keep their machines going. If not, they will need something else.

Most of us on this forum are not running a business and I doubt more than 500 members have a Master Caster. I have one and will keep it running somehow. At my age (73), I do not shoot enough to invest in a better machine.

There was a guy in Germany who put a gearmotor on a Master Caster. Very slick but not cheap:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0TWNmgEMnM

I nearly pulled the trigger on the above back when I was shooting a lot, but I lacked the skills to build something like that. Bear in mind the Hatch system works well and costs less than $1500. The only downsides are having to run air (need decent sized compressor) and a bit of noise. I would have paid $2500 for an electric powdered upgrade - $1000-1500 more than the Hatch system - for my MC. If you can build something like the MC at a price point of $1500 and add a $2000-2500 electric automated system you can cover two markets. Manual mode and Automated.

15 years ago, I would have spent $4000 for something like that.

If you can design it to run HP molds it would be a game changer.

[HATCH]

Consumers will not spend the money on a small automated machine. Yes you will get a couple people that pipe up and say they want one but that’s a few

The base Master caster was around $1100 if I recall correctly.
My automation kit was $850
I don’t think you can do an automation setup for less then $2000 and make a profit.


The problem with Magma is their assembly process was by hand. Everything they did was by hand.
I don’t think they owned a CNC machine.

Do I think there is a market for a hand operated machine similar to the master caster - yes there is.

[HATCH]

If you can design it to run HP molds it would be a game changer.

Erik at hollowpointmolds.com can hook you up.

https://youtu.be/B-opimEGO_4?si=fT3DhZbAmx-EeMLE