I was in my favorite place today doing some handloading and started to think about tools I just couldn't live without.

Of course there are the basics such as a solid press and quality dies that everyone must have, but what are the other things that you cherish most on your reloading bench?

For me, and I'm not saying it makes logical sense, I feel like my handloads must be blessed by the following four case prep tools in order to be complete.

I know... I know... most folks don't even bother to:
1) Chamfer the inside and outside of the necks
2) Debur flash holes
3) Uniform primer pockets

I got these from Sinclair's and use all of them chucked inside a drill motor.





And for what it's worth, the Generation II flash hole deburring tool is LIGHT YEARS ahead of the previous model. The old one tends to get junked up with brass chips very quickly; the new one cuts like a hot knife through butter. I highly recommend the Gen. II.




So what are your MUST HAVE tools?
?
?
?

A stuck case remover. Because shit happens.

.001" dial calipers.

Alan

For me it would be

1.) Redding Micrometer Seaters


2.) Redding UltraMag Press


3.) RCBS Chargemaster

My daughter bought me my Mitutoyo 6 inch caliper for Fathers Day last year. Best gift I've gotten in quite some time.

Digital Calipers ..... I'm not picky ..... the one's from Work Zone for $9.99 that have been sold at Home Improvement outlets have worked perfectly.

The Sinclair Primer Primer Pocket Cleaner/Cutter (both Small & Large).

Lyman Case Neck Graphite/Mica Inside Neck Brush Set. Takes all the worry/issues of case neck chatter outa Dies.

Lyman 22° VLD Case Inside Chamfer Tool, really helps seat bullets w/o the case neck bumping over the heels of flat based bullets, the boattails appear to just magically glide into the cases and makes for a sturdy crimp wtih the LFCDs, too.

Lee Factory Crimp Dies - all of them .....

Lee Case Gauges (actually their Case Cutters/Trimmers), like the LFCDs they can all be modified one way or the another to fit pretty much any cartridge.

Most of the above goes into an Electric Screwdriver which has become another of my basic case prep tools also if there's no room or time to use the Drill Press.

The Lee Universal Case Chuck Holder.

Yeah, a Stuck Case Remover. In a lifetime of reloading I've only ever required it's use 4 times, but like Craigster said, when you need it you want it Right Now!

Lyman Turbo Case Cleaner.

Net, much of the electronic & useful Widgets/Stuff that has been developed over the past years has taken much tedium outa once manipulative-intensive loading steps for those who desire to use them. Obviously, not everyone elects to use these "Widgets/Tools" and they still make good ammunition. Life's about Choices.

Electronic Digital Lyman 1200 Charge Dispenser. Saves countless hours of fiddling with a manual scale although I still have one and use it for tweaking. Appears the RCBS version could/may be a better tool, 'cept Lyman always has their stuff in 220 Volt first which is a major consideration for me.

Personally, I consider consistancy as one of my major criteria for making reliable, better than factory ammunition. Loading the same case every time with the same charge at the same depth with the same bullet pull as one of the key steps to uniformity and many of today's usefeul Stuff provide that although if I had a basic Lee Loader I could still make ammunition.

1) RCBS Chargemaster 1500 220 volt
2) Lyman Turbo tumbler 220 volt
3) Digital Calipers

Lee Collet Dies.

If Lee doesn't make one for a cartridge I'm loading I'll modify an existing LCD to work on the new catridge.

The Lee Trimmer system too.

quote:

Originally posted by craigster:
A stuck case remover. Because shit happens.

Thats funny right there......
and right on the mark, without it I'd be dead in the water on occasion.

quote:

Originally posted by nsaqam:
Lee Collet Dies.

If Lee doesn't make one for a cartridge I'm loading I'll modify an existing LCD to work on the new catridge.

Until I read this I thought that I was the only one that did that: .22 Hornet to .22 K-Hornet; .222 Rem to .221 Rem; .223 Rem to .222 Magnum; 6mm Rem to 6mm Imp; .300 WIN to .300 H&H; so far.

I also would be greatly put out without my Lee Auto Prime. I have a couple of odd-ball calibers for which I don't have the proper Auto Prime shell holder and I just hate to use the press to prime those.

Probably, the most welcome addition to my reloading room is the Hornady case prep center. Trims, chamfers and cleans the primer pocket at one place. It has cut my trimming/chamfering time in half. It is the handiest trimmer I have seen yet.

What I find the most effective tool on my loading bench is the ability to "see" what a solution might be to a particular question and the practical abiility to make that come about, whether it be "adjusting" a factory part to work as I need or fabrication of the said part. As far as off the shelf pieces I think the VLD chamfer tool, Sinclair nect turning tool, along with arbour press and Wilson dies to have bought the most benefit.

quote:

Originally posted by Von Gruff:
...arbour press and Wilson dies...

I'll have to agree with you there too.

Thanks to everyone for contributing and making this an interesting thread! It's fun to see what individuals cherish most.

-Kenati

A vernier caliper. I just got done using it.

It may not be in the same class as what you fellows are talking about, but my Giraud power trimmer. I am in the process of reloading about 5k 5.56 cases, and there is nothing like being able to trim, de-burr and inside chamfer all within six or eight seconds!

quote:

Originally posted by Doubless:
... I am in the process of reloading about 5k 5.56 cases, and there is nothing like being able to trim, de-burr and inside chamfer all within six or eight seconds!

Having prepared for more than one prairie dog shoot with the same level of clinically diagnosible anal retentiveness, my finger joints ache just thinking about that! Unfortunately, I am too much of a tight ass (maybe even a dumb ass??) to spring for the fine machine I have heard it to be.

quote:

Originally posted by Doubless:
It may not be in the same class as what you fellows are talking about, but my Giraud power trimmer. I am in the process of reloading about 5k 5.56 cases, and there is nothing like being able to trim, de-burr and inside chamfer all within six or eight seconds!

And I cant even begin to imagine getting 5K cases preped and loaded. The most I have done at a time is to take 300 222 cases and make 20VarTarg cases and load them.

I would think your auto press would have to be on the highly prized list as well.

Both a vernier micrometer and a dial caliper
Chinese work fine. The digital caliper is
going to "bite you" when you aren't looking.
same for digital scales.

Von Gruff, you are right... I hadn't thought about the Piggyback, but it ranks right up there as well...

And Kenati, they are only going to go up. Yes, it is somewhat time consuming, but with two black rifles already, and a friend and myself currently evaluating a 6 X 45 upper for a hoped for prairie dog hunt while I am here in Nebraska, there is no other real viable alternative. Other than a bit of noise, the task becomes almost mindless; just sit there feeding cases into the machine and let it do its thing. Absolutely indispensable for large volume case prep!

I don't think I could work without my shell holders. ???

Bore Scope so I know what the condition of the bore is. On factory guns this is really a big plus so you can see obvious problems before you waste time loading for them.

quote:

Originally posted by hawkins:
Both a vernier micrometer and a dial caliper
Chinese work fine. The digital caliper is
going to "bite you" when you aren't looking.
same for digital scales.

Been using my Mitutoyo digital caliper for many, many years and have never been bit. Wouldn't touch a Chinese digital though.

quote:

Wouldn't touch a Chinese digital though.

My Chinese digital caliper cost me $10 on "sale" at Harbor Freight Tools. It's done well for three years and is still going strong. Checks on my Jo Blocks show it to be well within a half thou, that's plenty good for reloading work and most anything else a caliper is good for.

Just a thought but I wonder if you'd touch a Chinese made computer? Or printer, TV, power tool, cell phone, kitchen appliance, etc.

An accurate, consistent scale that does,nt seem to have any real quirks.
And a goofy grey cat. To provide moral support..

Calipers and case lube pads.


Cal30

my manuals/books and all of my notes from years gone by

Lee Powder dippers.

Seriously.

find the one closest to your desired weight, dump that into the pan on the scale, fill it about half way and then I can trickle the final weight quicker than it takes to type this.

Caliper and max cartridge gauge for me. I've had to disassemble a few lol!