Extra/Backup Loading Tools

[Blaine]

The way things are, I'm thinking beyond ammo and fixin's....I think maybe I need an extra set of dies for everything and some extra de cap pins....what else?
( Oh...I decided not to sell the guns...fishing is overrated)

[2ndovc]

I recently ordered a spare parts set for my Dillon. All those little springs and
screws.

Decapping pins are a great idea. I have an extra set of shell holders for everything I shoot.

Also bought a couple sets of the Lee powder dippers in case my ele. and mechanical measures poop out.

jb

[cnjarvis]

I doubt you'll wear out your dies before you run out of components to load with but a few extra decapping pins wouldn't hurt. Save the cash for more components IMO.

[Coldfingers]

Don't forget to get an extra rice bowl Tubby.

I would think a spare intertia puller would be nice. JIC a feller needs to salvage parts in a mix-n-match sort of way.

[Blaine]

I have this universal de-capping die from Lee that seems to be bullet proof, but I've broken the one that came with the 45-70 and the 30WCF dies (all Lee) The Lee hand press seems bullet proof as well.

[Modoc ED]

I've got two sets of dies for each round I reload for. I also own one of those LEE Reloader Kits for each round I reload for. Took me awhile to find a .444 Marlin LEE Reloader Kit. They're the ones you use with a small hammer to tap the components with. One tool I haven't had to use yet is a "Broken Case" Removal Tool (it's a RCBS) but I got it just in case so that I wouldn't have a set of dies out of commission in case I broke a case in the sizer die. I have two presses. One a RCBS Challenger Press and the other a LEE Hand Press.

It sure doesn't hurt to have extras of a lot of things around. Over the years, I've bought a lot of things in pairs just in case something happened to one of them.

[Old Ironsights]

The Lee Loaders are the Backups. Cheaper than new dies and more portable in a pinch too.

[Modoc ED]

The Lee Loaders are the Backups. Cheaper than new dies and more portable in a pinch too.

The LEE Loaders aren't so cheap anymore -- especially, the ones that aren't made anymore that are available on e-Bay, Gunbrokers, etc..

[Coldfingers]

Ditto the LeeLoaders. What a great tool for special occasions.

[Modoc ED]

This article by Marshall Stanton of Beartooth Bullets is a great article on the use of a LEE Loader.

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_no ... tes.htm/51

It's worth noting that quite a few people use the LEE Loader as their ONLY reloading tool. It's not unusual to see guys at our range using them or the LEE Hand Press or both in combination.

[Coldfingers]

I have used the LeeLoaders as my principal reloading set up for many years. It is only in the last four years that I got all teknolijikal and purchased a fancy single stage "O" press.

[Ysabel Kid]

Excellent point. I imagine these will be banned or taxed into extinction at some point...

[Lefty Dude]

My emergency reloading box includes a 12 ga. Lee Loader, no longer made BTW.
Picked it up at a garage sale for $.50. Original box, instructions & etc. Kinda neat as it lists Black Powder loads.
This is an early model for sure.

My first reloading 35 years ago was with a 222 Lee Loader.

It's a good idea to have one in the most popular caliber you shoot.

[kimwcook]

Recently getting ready for this Tonasket silhouette shoot I didn't want to pull everything out of storage so I used a Lee hand loader. I'm thinking if I were to be mobile or quasi-mobile I'd need something like that to drag along. I'm thinking about the Lee Ideal Tool with different dies so I could load for most of my primary pieces using a portable tool.

[Old Ironsights]

I have a LEE Loader for every caliber/guage I have... (except for the odd Euro 9.3x72R) and a couple I don't.

I agree that the hard/exotics are uber pricy, but for the TEOTWAWKI guns they are still pretty available.

Even the 12ga Loader is still relatively cheap to get (don't ask about .410).

They will stop producing them much sooner than later. Get your common calibers NOW while you still can.

[marlinman93]

I've owned a lot of my dies for over 30 years, and some were used when I bought them. I've got a 5 pack of decapping pins I bought about 20 years ago, and it's got 4 left. I think I'll just stick with what I have, and continue to be careful.

[Modoc ED]

I've owned a lot of my dies for over 30 years, and some were used when I bought them. I've got a 5 pack of decapping pins I bought about 20 years ago, and it's got 4 left. I think I'll just stick with what I have, and continue to be careful.

CAREFUL is the watch-word. Of course no matter how careful we are, things can still go wrong but most of the equipment we have today is well made.

[jhrosier]

While there is a lot to be said for the classic Lee Loader, they aren't getting any cheaper, and the selection of calibers leaves much to be desired.

I think that a person with several calibers to load would be better served by getting a Lee hand press to use with the existing dies. The money saved by not buying ten or twenty sets of dies would pay for a basic bullet casting setup.

The Lee decapping die and a pair of the Lee hand decappers would be cheap insurance.
I hadn't thought of an inertial bullet puller for salvaging components, but that is something that I will add to my kit.

I would add the following item as well, a pair of sets of the Lee powder dippers. They are cheap, rugged, and accurate when you get the hang of using them. I said a pair of sets because I think that it would be nice to modify the second set for the 'between' sizes, while an accurate powder measure is available.

Anybody with a magnum rifle caliber might also think about getting one of the Lee hand case trimmers for each caliber.

Jack

[JohndeFresno]

The way things are, I'm thinking beyond ammo and fixin's....

Here are two "grab and run" items to consider:
1) As mentioned, Lee Loader in the PISTOL of your choice (mine is .44 Mag).
If things get worse indeed and the authorities try to disarm even the fleeing
citizens (as we saw with Katrina), a handgun is less conspicuous, as is the
compact and portable Lee Loader. Problem: It only handles one caliber!

2) The Lee Hand Press for about 40 bucks is an oversized nutcracker, still very
portable and somewhat concealable. You screw in any standard
die to reload rifle or pistol rounds. It affords a fair amount of leverage. See:
http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog ... ress1.html

[Grizz]

( Oh...I decided not to sell the guns...fishing is overrated)

I want my thousand dollars and fishing gear back then ....

[Charles]

I keep about 50 decaping pins of various sizes on hand. I am forever breaking or bending on of those little gizmos. I also have Wilson base and decamping rod sets for most of my common calibers.

I really would not worry about wearing out sizing dies. I bought my FL 30-06 dies (a C-H) in 1960 and have loaded well over 100,000 rounds with it and it is it still going strong. I don't FL size much anymore, but have neck dies and/or Lee Collet neck dies in most common calibers. In short, I consider reloading dies to be everlasting.

I have only known of one sizing die (25-20) that wore out. It went 3K rounds before it rolled snake eyes. However, the guy using it was not good about cleaning his cases and I strongly believe this is what destroyed the die.

[Noah Zark]

I have plenty of spare parts for conventional reloading equipment, but my "backup" is my Practical Portable Reloading outfit (see Handloader #114 for the article I co-wrote on the concept). It consists of a large plasic tacklebox filled with 310 Tool handles and dies to load every cartridge for which I have a firearm. Many individual dies and die pieces can be "mixed and matched" to load different cartridges; you don't need a complete set for every cartridge. For example, I have a complete set of 310 tool handle cartridge case bushings that I picked up with various die sets and individually since the 70s. Same for the dies.

Noah

[kimwcook]

Noah's beat me to it. That's going to be my back up system.

[Leverdude]

I have this universal de-capping die from Lee that seems to be bullet proof, but I've broken the one that came with the 45-70 and the 30WCF dies (all Lee) The Lee hand press seems bullet proof as well.

Howd you break a Lee decapper? I had a bent one came with my 7mm08 die set that didn't hit the flash hole but just pushed up thru the collet. It broke but only after I fixed it.
Other than that I'v only broke 2 RCBS ones. I kinda thought of the lee design as idiot proof. Course I dont suppose I'm the best idiot out there.

[Blaine]

I have this universal de-capping die from Lee that seems to be bullet proof, but I've broken the one that came with the 45-70 and the 30WCF dies (all Lee) The Lee hand press seems bullet proof as well.

Howd you break a Lee decapper? I had a bent one came with my 7mm08 die set that didn't hit the flash hole but just pushed up thru the collet. It broke but only after I fixed it.
Other than that I'v only broke 2 RCBS ones. I kinda thought of the lee design as idiot proof. Course I dont suppose I'm the best idiot out there.

I must be a better idiot than you

[Bear 45/70]

I have this universal de-capping die from Lee that seems to be bullet proof, but I've broken the one that came with the 45-70 and the 30WCF dies (all Lee) The Lee hand press seems bullet proof as well.

Howd you break a Lee decapper? I had a bent one came with my 7mm08 die set that didn't hit the flash hole but just pushed up thru the collet. It broke but only after I fixed it.
Other than that I'v only broke 2 RCBS ones. I kinda thought of the lee design as idiot proof. Course I dont suppose I'm the best idiot out there.

I must be a better idiot than you

Blaine, you've always been the best IDIOT in my book!