Lyman 310 tong tool anyone?

[Bill in Oregon]

Thought I would ask. Always wanted to load with the tong tool. Found some .45 Colt dies for it.

[Bill in Oregon]

Guess I need the “short” or “small” version fort handgun cartridges.

[Ysabel Kid]

Like you, I've always been interested in a set of these as well.

[AJMD429]

Had an incomplete set for 32-20 years ago.
Traded it for a Lee mallet-kit since it was missing parts hard to replace even back in the 70s.

Looked practical though, and well made.

[LeverGunner]

I've never messed with one. Though I have a lot of interest in mobile reloading, such as the Lee Whack a mole and Hand press.

[Bill in Oregon]

I've been quietly jonesing since reading Skeeter's legendary enabling article from many years ago.

It is referenced here:
https://americanhandgunner.com/our-expe ... hilosophy/

[Malamute]

I have several sets, I really like using them. Theyve gone up in price, but if youre patient deals come along on ebay, and the cast boolit site has a 310 swap thread going that might yeild handles, dies or parts.

I keep a set in the calibers I use most when traveling, along with the regular full length size die for a normal press and basic moulds. At times Ive bugged out of the rockies and gone to Arizona for part of the winter in the past, and hoping to start the habit again soon, perhaps next month. The older steel handles are cool, but dont accept the different adapter inserts for different size shells, though anywhere close enough probably works OK. I need to modify one of my steel handles to short type, Im short on short handles.

Gun shows and old school gun shops are good places to find 310 stuff. It wasnt that long ago you could order parts from lyman, I did to complete a couple sets I had.

The 310 was all I had to load 45-70 shells for the first original 86 I had in the 1980s. It did fine, mostly loading black powder and home cast bullets, before there were so many commercial casters. I loaded 44 spl for the Colt with a 310 also, and with black and smokeless powder.

[black river smith]

As Malamute stated go to Ebay and search under a title like 'Lyman 310 hand tool'. That seems to get the most hits with the plier tool. I go in every now and search under 'Lyman 310 die or reloading dies' just to see what's available. The handles show up under that search too, but more the dies. They have gone up in price 'a lot' like most things. Also, try a local gun show.

I do not know if your are aware, but they are for the most part a reloader for a specific firearm. That being, they are only a neck sizer (MR die). They do not FL resize the casing unless you get the case resizer (CMR) in your set or collection. This die really should not be use in the hand plier tool only a normal press with the 7/8 X 14 adapter.

Hope this helps you. They are fun to use. Also you are lucky, with your 45 Colt find, as your First one. It took me awhile to put together a 45 Colt set. The DA seater, took me the longest time, to come up with one. Just as a warning, they can be an addiction once you have one, you will think these are soooo neat to use, you will want other calibers.

[Bill in Oregon]

Found one fellas. A chum in Texas had an extra.

[Malamute]

As Malamute stated go to Ebay and search under a title like 'Lyman 310 hand tool'. That seems to get the most hits with the plier tool. I go in every now and search under 'Lyman 310 die or reloading dies' just to see what's available. The handles show up under that search too, but more the dies. They have gone up in price 'a lot' like most things. Also, try a local gun show.

I do not know if your are aware, but they are for the most part a reloader for a specific firearm. That being, they are only a neck sizer (MR die). They do not FL resize the casing unless you get the case resizer (CMR) in your set or collection. This die really should not be use in the hand plier tool only a normal press with the 7/8 X 14 adapter.

Hope this helps you. They are fun to use. Also you are lucky, with your 45 Colt find, as your First one. It took me awhile to put together a 45 Colt set. The DA seater, took me the longest time, to come up with one. Just as a warning, they can be an addiction once you have one, you will think these are soooo neat to use, you will want other calibers.

I believe the CMR die is a neck sizing die, (MR = Muzzle resizer) they made a full length screw in size die for the True Line press that used the same smaller dies, I dont recall what they marked them, and they made an unthreaded hand sizer die that full length sized, they were generally used with a plastic mallet I believe, and a rod to drive the case back out. I think one of the old school bench rest reloading tool makers still makes something similar, though I see the Lyman ones on ebay for $25 and under now and then, often more, no idea if they sell at the higher prices.

[black river smith]

As Malamute stated go to Ebay and search under a title like 'Lyman 310 hand tool'. That seems to get the most hits with the plier tool. I go in every now and search under 'Lyman 310 die or reloading dies' just to see what's available. The handles show up under that search too, but more the dies. They have gone up in price 'a lot' like most things. Also, try a local gun show.

I do not know if your are aware, but they are for the most part a reloader for a specific firearm. That being, they are only a neck sizer (MR die). They do not FL resize the casing unless you get the case resizer (CMR) in your set or collection. This die really should not be use in the hand plier tool only a normal press with the 7/8 X 14 adapter.

Hope this helps you. They are fun to use. Also you are lucky, with your 45 Colt find, as your First one. It took me awhile to put together a 45 Colt set. The DA seater, took me the longest time, to come up with one. Just as a warning, they can be an addiction once you have one, you will think these are soooo neat to use, you will want other calibers.

I believe the CMR die is a neck sizing die, (MR = Muzzle resizer) they made a full length screw in size die for the True Line press that used the same smaller dies, I dont recall what they marked them, and they made an unthreaded hand sizer die that full length sized, they were generally used with a plastic mallet I believe, and a rod to drive the case back out. I think one of the old school bench rest reloading tool makers still makes something similar, though I see the Lyman ones on ebay for $25 and under now and then, often more, no idea if they sell at the higher prices.

I will stand corrected half-way, if you will. The comment I make, came from a direct conversation comment, of Rick's owner of the once 'The 310 Shop', when I started collecting these 'things' back in 2017. This direct comment was do not use CMR dies in the hand-pliers only JR presses. This could be what I messed up -- in that 'I thought I remembered him saying they are 'FL sizers' for the press. So over time, I bought some, that were marked CMR and CMR-FL just because I could not get a MR die, and all this time thinking they were the same function, just a company notational designation change. I have now searched the internet found other peoples comments and they do confirm that the "CMR(-FL) dies" were only sold in 'JR' die sets.'' The CMR (combination muzzle resizer/decapper) and CMR-FL are not meant for hand-plier tools. I have never used mine at all, so I did not experience, a possible difference in them. I have put a universal decapper into each of my caliber sets, so I did not really worry about the CMR.

Sorry about the confusion and this correction.

[Malamute]

The combination of decapper and muzzle sizer may be the deciding factor, otherwise I thought the MR dies were the standard to the tong tools. They have changed their die code markings over time, the older stuff required a chart to know what caliber and type die it was. One box of dies I bought had a hald dozen or more die sets and lots of odd pieces, but no priming chambers, and a few FL size dies. I was able to order priming chambers from Lyman to make them suitable for the 310 handles along with odds and ends of spare rings, expanding plugs and such.

I broke a number of decapping pins early on, then gave up and bought several of the Lee hand decapper punches in 22 cal (fits everything) and leave in the die sets. It was difficult, at least for me, to get the 310 decapping pins perfectly centered and remain so.

I started with the 45-70 in the early 80s, added 44 spl, and over time have maybe 15 or 20 or so sets of various types along with some odds and ends of parts from gun show "box-o-310-junk" deals.

The 310 expanders are the nice Lyman M expanders that have 2 steps of diameter to help get cast bullets started straight without shaving the bullet. They are great for the soft round ball small game loads and getting the next opened enough they dont squish the ball too small. The crimper also works great. Lyman also had different diameters depending on if jacketed or cast were used, along with Lyman bullet mould specific seating punches.

I dont recall the guys name that had the 310 shop before Rick, I dealt with him a bit before his health cratered and he sold it all. He had moved once or twice while I knew him. I think he may have been down around Tombstone at the tail end of his 310 career.

310 die codes, its not comprehensive, but helps when looking at dies on ebay or wherever an they have no idea what they are, and looking through some of my mix of oddball stuff.

[OldWin]

I've never had the Lyman tong tools. I do have a bunch of Winchester tools, however, and enjoy loading with them. They work very well.

[450 Fuller]

Have an early one made for the 30 Army. Then carefully modified by someone to load
30 Govt 06 cartridges, Works well.