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Today a friend sent me a text telling me to look at an Ebay auction for a Remington tool. It turned out to be a re-de-capping tool for removing primers and installing new primers. This tool was made in the 1870's and rarely seen in anything but shotgun sized tools. Not only is this a rifle cartridge, but it's a Rem. tool in a .40 Ballard cartridge!
The auction surprisingly had zero bids, and one day left. But also surprising was the seller had a "make offer" also, so I sent an offer and he accepted it!
I've wanted one of these Remington tools for my antique reloading tool collection for a very long time! I'm tickled pink!
These were pictures from the auction, so we'll see how it looks once I get it here!
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
piller wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 10:41 pm
Cool. I had not heard of those tools.
Most people haven't either. And info on these tools is lacking in reference sources I have also.
I've got an early Remington mold, plus a bullet seater, but didn't have one of these to complete the set. Mine are in different calibers, but at least they'll give me examples of each and display well together.
Ysabel Kid wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 8:38 pm
Very nice score!
I was not familiar with these either. I have several of the Winchester reloading tools. Very interesting...
Most of my old antique loading tools are Ideal, or Marlin marked from when they owned Ideal. Others are Ballard or Remington, with only two Winchester tools that were part of my cased Pope-Ballard 3 barrel set. They are a Win. tool for .32-40, and another for .22WCF. The 3rd barrel is a .28 Pope Special, so that's why no tool for it.
The seller was extremely fast shipping, and the new Remington 3rd model re-decapping tool arrived today! I immediately took it to the bench and dug out a couple .40 caliber cases to try it. One a .40-63 Ballard, and a .40-85 Ballard, since both have very similar rim diameters. The two cases fit the tool perfectly, and actually pop the primers out easily once I figured out the trick to it.
The tool only catches one side of the rim, so when I squeezed it to pierce the primer it wants to lever the case out of the tool. If I hold the case until the primer is pierced and then let the case move it takes the primer right out. Of course installing is simple as it's just moving the case to the notch under the primer pin and squeezing to press a new primer in.
I can see how this old tool was a handy item to toss in your saddle bags back in the day, and with powder, primers, and a mold to cast bullets, you could easily reload sitting in camp at night.
Back when it was all on horseback, and you might be out for months, things like that would be useful. On a wagon train, it could be a genuine lifesaver.
D. Brian Casady
Quid Llatine Dictum Sit, Altum Viditur.
Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire---Bill Jeans
Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up---Robert Frost
piller wrote: ↑Fri Jan 06, 2023 7:17 pm
Back when it was all on horseback, and you might be out for months, things like that would be useful. On a wagon train, it could be a genuine lifesaver.
That's one of the things about collecting old reloading tools I love! Looking at the ingenuity, and seeing how handy it would be for guys who were far from any local source to buy more ammo. I often wonder how many of these old tools got tossed for scrap once things became more "civilized" and ammo was more readily accessible?
