Author Topic: Most useless reloading accessory? (Read 1709 times)

Questor · « **on:** May 20, 2003, 09:10:24 AM »

I vote for the powder dribbler. Then after that, the inertial bullet puller.

longwinters · « **Reply #1 on:** May 20, 2003, 10:20:38 AM »

I would probably agree on the dribbler. A plastic teaspoon works well for me. But after my last misadventure . . . I might put in a vote for my brain.

Robert · « **Reply #2 on:** May 20, 2003, 04:58:57 PM »

Havent seen mine for a long time....I use a clear film canister. In fact, if I am only doing a handfull of shells or if I am experimenting with loads, I use it instead of my powder measure all the time. It is a lot easier than setting the measure.

Graybeard · « **Reply #3 on:** May 20, 2003, 07:07:02 PM »

Primer seater attachment on the press. Haven't had one on a press at my house in 20 years. I have actually used a dribbler in that time but not much.

GB

Robert · « **Reply #4 on:** May 20, 2003, 07:17:11 PM »

I have been curious about the hand primers, but have never tried one.

KYODE · « **Reply #5 on:** May 21, 2003, 01:03:11 AM »

:eek: wow! i use a powder trickler on every charge and think it's great! i agree on the press primer attachment. robert you really need to switch over to one if you're not using one. i had put it off myself until a couple years ago, when i got the lee hand prime tool. it's super dooper and cheap too.
inertia bullet puller works fine when you need it in a pinch to save a few rounds. those other bullet pullers are so expensive, unless of course you we're pulling bullets out the ying yang. :roll:
:shock: a case tumbler is pretty useless to me, as i never polish cases to a shine. aggravating just getting the media out of every case. i just wipe each case by hand.
i guess my vote for most useless goes to the press primer arm. TOTALLY USELESS

Questor · « **Reply #6 on:** May 21, 2003, 03:31:51 AM »

Robert:

Get a Lee autoprime tool. It costs between $10 and $15. GB is right, the primer attachment on the press is so useless that I forgot it even existed. The autoprime tool is excellent and you won't want to use anything else again. The only problem is that they're made of cheap metal and break after a reasonable service life. At that price I don't feel bad about buying a new one. I also have an RCBS hand priming tool and it's not quite as good as the Lee tool, although it's built to last.

eroyd · « **Reply #7 on:** May 21, 2003, 03:55:46 AM »

The hand priming tools are way better than fumbling with those press mounted ones. I get a better feel for the primer seating. You can sit in front of the TV and prime hundreds of cases in short order. While your at it, get a lee case length trimmer. Mounted on a cordless drill you can use it to not only trim cases but also chamfer the mouth and then, with a bit of steel wool, polish the brass.

The only problem with the Lee tools are that you need a different shell holder for every cartridge base. The press ones don't work.

BruceP · « **Reply #8 on:** May 21, 2003, 03:57:48 AM »

I guess I use the neck turning tool for my Forster case trimmer less than anything else. On which priming tool to buy. I would have to say buy a Lee autoprime hand primer. I like my well enough that I just bought an extra one so I can have one set up for large primers and one for small primers. I know it is not hard to change but for the ten bucks I paid on sale from Midway call me lazy. Besides my first one has a lot of miles (cases) on it and if it breaks I wont have to wait on a new one.
BruceP

ricciardelli · « **Reply #9 on:** May 21, 2003, 06:51:15 AM »

Most useless piece of crap in reloading?

Without a doubt the "universal shell holder" on the RCBS Big Max press.

Tom W. · « **Reply #10 on:** May 22, 2003, 04:46:46 PM »

I dunno. I got an RCBS primer pocket swager combo :oops:
I suppose for military brass I thought I needed it.

Graycg · « **Reply #11 on:** May 22, 2003, 05:35:05 PM »

How about the automatic primer feed mechanism for the press mounted priming arm? Gotta rate up there with the most useless.... I concur with all the folks above, get two Lee auto primes, just make sure you keep the lollypop greased.

regards,
Graycg

Double D · « **Reply #12 on:** May 22, 2003, 06:31:31 PM »

I was gonna put down the Lee auto prime tool as the most useless, but when I thought about it it's not true. It was a darn useful device.

Now if we have a topic on the most dangerous reloading tool then auto prime will be #1.

All you guys using it have me wondering if Lee pulled his head out from between his ankles and redesigned the throat of that tool. I'll have to look next time I'm in a gun shop.

I'll tell you when one of those things blows up in your hands it hurts like, like, like, well it hurts.

Probably the most irksome thing about it however is to talk to Richard Lee at the S.H.O.T. shot Show or the NRA convention right after you sent a blown up tool in and had it replaced free of charge, and have him look you square in the eye and say he has never heard of such a problem!

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #13 on:** May 23, 2003, 12:14:18 AM »

lee ramprime!

Hcliff · « **Reply #14 on:** May 23, 2003, 05:31:21 AM »

Any single stage priming arm or accessory. I always hand prime. I only use the machine to prime on my progressive Dillion 550

Jack Crevalle · « **Reply #15 on:** May 23, 2003, 09:15:44 AM »

Dial calipers. I bought a digital one for less than I paid for either of
two dial calipers and I doubt if I'll use them any more.

daddywpb · « **Reply #16 on:** May 23, 2003, 02:13:21 PM »

Another vote for the single stage priming arms. It's the only place I've ever had a primer go off while I was trying to seat it. Scared the crap out of me, and I never used it again.

eroyd · « **Reply #17 on:** May 23, 2003, 03:10:44 PM »

I don't like those cylindrical Lee die containers or for that matter, their little rectangular die boxes. Wish they'd go to something that snapped shut and stacked like everybody else's.

The only gadget I didn't scoop on sight was that Lee Zip-Trim thing. Is it any good or is it the piece of crap it appears to be?

Robert · « **Reply #18 on:** May 23, 2003, 06:48:41 PM »

The Lee universal shell holder is great. I use it in a drill press for cleaning individual cases, I also use it to hold cases like a mini-lathe to cut them down. Recently I did this to make 8mm Mauzer from 30-06. Worked excellent.

Loader 3009 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 25, 2003, 03:06:06 PM »

Lee advises that you use only CCI or Winchester primers in their tool as their compound is not as "touchy" as Federal or Remington.

The inertia puller should have a wad of cotton placed in the nose to avoid damage to the bullet noses.

As for tricklers, I use a .303 British empty. Since it is a rimmed cartridge it stands upright better than others. Just tip and tap till your scale balances.

Kragman71 · « **Reply #20 on:** May 26, 2003, 01:09:59 AM »

I'll admit that I have'nt used the auto prime attachments on my presses in a long time. But Most useless has to be that powder trickler/dribler.
It is simply time and effort that has no value.
Just opinion
Frank

Snout · « **Reply #21 on:** May 27, 2003, 03:53:43 PM »

The trim die is probably just next to being useless. Used one when I first started to reload, felt like I was a blacksmith when I pulled my big file out. Better than nothing, but not by much. Much better ways to trim your brass.