Hello: I am hoping that a viewer of this forum might recognize or have some knowledge about what I believe is an old priming tool. I hopefully have presented here 4 photos of this tool which I found in the basement of an old house I once owned. It is made of cast iron and the only markings on it are C.V.Schmitt, Minneapolis Minn and the word patented. I have inserted a case into what appears to be the case holder - the rim of the case slips into a groove in a housing which is activated by the handle. Moving the handle moves the housing backwards, shoving a rod forward through the housing towards the case's primer pocket, and pushing a primer into the case. The housing appears to have the ability to hold a small stack of primers. The unit also has several methods of adjustment built into its mechanism. Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this item.
Posts: 226 | Location: Western Maryland | Registered: 21 August 2003
I don't know what it is, but it reminds me of an old bullet swaging tool. In the 60's, someone made a horizontal press for swaging bullets that looks very similar. The reason for the horizontal design (on the machine I'm thinking of) had to do with the ferocious amount of leverage need to swage bullets. I wonder if they offered other reloading accessories to go with it?
Posts: 588 | Location: Maryland | Registered: 08 April 2003
Hello again - the pictures were working earlier in the day, but as of right now (3:00 pm, 9/18)I am only getting one of the four to show. The host site seems to be working okay - perhaps Hurricane Isabel is playing with them. You can view them at the following web address if you like:
The cartridge case I have inserted into the "case holder" is a .243 Winchester. The rod which gets shoved forward through the housing never extends beyond the housing -thus I'm pretty sure it is designed to seat primers. I would provide a better close-up photo of the housing area, but Isabel has blanketed my area in gloom and there won't be enough light for a close-up photo until Sat. at the earliest.
Posts: 226 | Location: Western Maryland | Registered: 21 August 2003
You are right. It is a priming tool. It appears to be the predecessor of the Bonanza/Forester priming tool. The magazine is a folded steel or aluminum square tube that will appear to have about 1/2 of one side cut out. The difference between lg and sm primers is the thickness of that tubes walls. Some primers had a stop to regulate seating depth. Check for it. Heck the Bonanaza tubes "look" like they may fit. Get a couple and try;what have you lost.
Posts: 231 | Location: Republic of Texas | Registered: 19 June 2003
Seldom seen today the Schmitt reloading press was state of the art way back when. A reloading press that had resizing & loading dies as well as re-decaping. It�s illustrated in �Complete Guide to Reloading� by Sharpe.
First I went for the B&M hand book where (p.20) they offer the "Model 28 Improved Straightline Reloading Tool" which works horiontally for depriming, priming, neck sizing, expanding, and bullet seating (don't know how they persuade the powder to stay in place).
Now knowing what this kind of tool is good for, I went to Naramore and Whelen - no success, but Sharpe's "Complete Guide to Reloading" mentions the B&M tool (p.224), a Hall Bench Loading Tool (p.229), and a (bit different than on your photo) Schmitt Tool. I was not able to find it described in the text though.
Posts: 367 | Location: former western part of Berlin, Germany | Registered: 25 August 2001
Thanks to all for the opinions and information. I apologize that the photos are working sporadically, but here, again, is the web address where you can view them if you so desire:
This tool looks like the B&M reloading tool without the reloading dies. That is why it is hard to figure out what it does. This is only the press. - Lew
Posts: 66 | Location: St. Louis, MO, USA | Registered: 19 August 2001
Yep, seen that before...my Dad had one. After he passed on I gave it to a friend - too darn complicated for me. If I remember right, it should come with a hollow square shaped tube about the size of a pencil for holding the primers.
Posts: 56 | Location: Western Washington, USA | Registered: 25 August 2003
