Help ID these tools

[cuzinbruce]

Hi,
I have these two tools that came with a bunch of casting equipment I acquired. I never saw these before and haven't found anything like them in any of the places I looked. I am speculating that they might be for muzzle loading somehow but it is a mystery. The blocks are about 4" tall. One is marked .45, the other is marked .50. Both marked on the aluminum pin attached to the handles. I checked some Handloader's Digests and a bunch of catalogs. Any help much appreciated. If anyone is interested in them, shoot me a PM.
Thanks,
Bruce

[nhrifle]

Those look like false muzzles to me, though the pointed rods have me stumped. Target shooters used them to make sure their boolits were seated dead straight into the muzzle upon loading.

[imsoooted]

some kind of sizer maybe?

[williamwaco]

It appears to me that the slot is square and tapers from the top center to the bottom side?

[Artful]

Looks like someone would put a Minie nose first into the die and use the pointed rod to push into the hollow base and thru to size the Boolit.

[cuzinbruce]

The slot is square and curves to the outside. The black metal round at the top is not tapered on entry and is kind of rough for a sizer. Certainly not like a Lyman die.The round hold is just a blind hole that the aluminum pin fits into.

[runfiverun]

the fact that there is a place to put the pin while the tool is in use kinda tells me they are used as a sizer even if it's just used to clean up pan or dip lubed boolits.
the boolits would be either hollow nose or hollow based and the slot would allow the boolit to come out the front.
the handles are super clean, but the blocks look slightly [maybe] used.

[Wayne Smith]

Those look like false muzzles to me, though the pointed rods have me stumped. Target shooters used them to make sure their boolits were seated dead straight into the muzzle upon loading.

A false muzzle is made by drilling the muzzle of the barrel for locating pins and then cutting off a piece of the barrel. The locating pin holes are the same for both pieces. This provides a precise replacement on the muzzle. The false muzzle is then machined for the desired loading process. No wood is involved.

[Janoosh]

I think Artful has nailed it. The caliber is the key. Homemade push thru sizer. Nose first.

[Dave Bulla]

I don't know...

If it's a sizer, it appears that the angled channel in the wood would force the bullet to the side before it was all the way through the steel "sizer" part. i.e. it looks like it would bend the bullet.

[NoZombies]

I don't know...

If it's a sizer, it appears that the angled channel in the wood would force the bullet to the side before it was all the way through the steel "sizer" part. i.e. it looks like it would bend the bullet.

I think the shadows are playing tricks on your eyes. Look at the item on the right. It's pretty clear the slot is long enough for something like a HB minnie bullet.

I agree with artful, they are sizers for HB bullets. That was my thought immediately when seeing the picture.

[KCSO]

Those are old fashioned sizing dies for minnie balls. You use to be able to buy them at Dixie.

[mdi]

Well, to me they just look like hollow pointing pins for use in a mold, and the wooden holders...

[gwpercle]

[QUOTE=mdi;2482120]Well, to me they just look like hollow pointing pins for use in a mold, and the wooden holders...[/QUOTE
That's what I thought also...except the hollow point/base tools don't show any evidence of heating. My Lyman hollow point tool is now heat blued from casting. Either these have never been used or they are the Dixie sizer. Never saw them in any of my Dixie Catalog's but that don't mean they werent cataloged at some time.
Gary

[cuzinbruce]

These don't appear to have been used at all. The pins are aluminum which might not work in a mold with hot metal. The metal sleeves they fit in are a reasonable fit. But the insides are not finished as smooth as a Lyman, etc. sizing die. I am going to list them for sale if anyone is interested.