Load'n w/ 1884 hand tongs!!!!

[Slamfire]

I just loaded 10 test rounds for my 40/60chappie,,used a IDEAL 40/60W,hand tool pat.in 1884.It really was faster than I thought ,,This tool has a 210gr. bullet mold on the end,",alas,",no deprime ,tool with it . Lighting struck my shop during a storm the other night,,blowed a couple sw. out of my mini lathe,,will make a deprimer pin when I get the lathe up& running. I used my LEE pro-1000 expander die to open case,,primed w/ tong,,powder w/ dipper & digital scale,,put a nice light crimp behind the crimp ring. The rounds came out pretty neat,,,i can see this tool in a saddle bag,,back in the day.



 Hootmix.

[Ben Beam]

This is great stuff.  I was curious how it worked and found a video:

[mtmarfield]

   Greetings!

   Some of my first handloading experiences involved an Ideal #1 Tool, melting bullet metal
in a soup can at the camp fire. They really do work well, and produce decent cartridges. They
usually are missing the Decapping Pin, but these are fairly simple to fabricate.

                 M.T.Marfield
 

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[treebeard]

I heard that the pin from a Lee Case Length gauge set could be used in the old reloading tools missing the decap pin. Since I reload and also owned a number of these for 25-20 thru 44-40 (all missing the pin) I tried it and it worked for me. I only tried it as an experiment since i have more modern reloading equipment. I do like to seat the primers with these tools. I am not a speed reloader so old slow and steady is good for what i do.

[Bunk Stagnerg]

in the now so long ago I started with a similar tool the Lyman Ideal tool in .45 Colt to feed my gen1 single action Colt using home cast lead bullet in an old Lyman steel mould and Du Pont Orange Extra Sporting Powder with the new non corrosive, non mercuric Winchester Staynless primer.
And that, my friends, was a while ago.
Yr' Obt' Svt'
Bunk

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Years ago I had a 44 WCF tool with the bullet mold on it.  Just for grins, I molded some bullets, smeared bees wax in the grooves, and used the tool to load (my de-capping pin was also missing) after stuffing with black powder from a dipper.  I fired them from an Uberti .44-40.  The bullets only sized about .426, so accuracy was dismal.  It was fun, though, and it was a great option for someone on horseback in the mountains.

[Black River Smith]

Slamfire,

Just as a helpful tip.  You expand the mouth of the casing by sliding the casing down on the tapered top of the loading chamber.  You just push it down over the taper and work it back and forth until it is wide enough to accept the bullet.

Not real good for that old nickel finish but that is how it should be used.  See link below.

http://ps-2.kev009.com/ohlandl/310/310op/ideal_1.htm

Go down to the bottom of the page.  The illustration listing the different parts of the tool.  See letter 'D' 'opening mouth of shell'.

[dusty texian]

 Good Info !  Thanks for the link BRS .,,,DT

[Slamfire]

My tongs didn't have a deprimer,,either,,so I made one,,works perfect,,so I made a 2nd. one ,,,but with a expander milled at the top,,it expands the case's just enough to start a bullet. The sad part is someone tried to make a hollow point mould out of the mould,,,,,,drilled the hole off center and nicked the lube "ring's",, so I tried to mold a few ,,,not useable,,,but I can still load w/ it . I'm really surprised at how fast you can ,load w/ these tong's.

 Thank's for all replys,,,,Hootmix.

[dusty texian]

Thats a shame about the bullet mould. You are right the first time that i used a tong tool , i noticed how fast and simple the tong can make a cartridge come together. For my little 32 LC Marlin 1892 , i will sit at the bench and shoot five or so and reload them and shoot them over again . It's that easy.  Slamfire sure wish you would get that 40/60 shooting up too snuff  ! We are not that far apart , i smell a friendly shooting match  abrewing!!! ,,,,DT

[Slamfire]

OH,,H-ll yea  DT,,tried to e-mail you some pic's. ( i'm not to computer savey),of some of my stuff. Sure don't take long to go thru 50 -100 rounds ( from Buffalo Arms) working up a good load. Go'n have to buy some mould's and fix'ns,,( 24.10 per -50 rds.)
 Maybe on toward the of end of summer,,,STARTING hay season here.





 Big ,Thanks ,,Hootmix.