Messages

1

Star Reloaders / Re: DIY case kicker

« on: March 31, 2021, 09:05:26 am »

Thanks for the input! Yeah that looks like a simple solution for keeping the case in the pocket.  I think the big things I want to do next are make the kicker leg a little stouter on the outside end.... it’s a little fragile,  and I need to make the trip lever that hangs down a little longer so the press can raise high enough for a loaded cartridge to clear the die before it ejects. I never thought about how much the press would have to raise before the cartridge would be free of the crimp die until I started bending that kicker arm.  It was a good thing I was trying to video it’s function to post online.... it would have take a little head scratching to figure out what was happening.

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Star Reloaders / Re: DIY case kicker

« on: March 30, 2021, 09:53:46 am »

There are lots of ways to skin this cat, and I see now why the RayVin design uses a kicker with a prong on both sides of the case....It keeps the case from trying to slide out of the slot when you rotate it around.  And there are advantages in his design of only having one part moving. I hate to move back more in the direction of mimicking his design, but I think it probably is a better design than what I’ve come up with so far.

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Star Reloaders / Re: DIY case kicker

« on: March 29, 2021, 08:09:27 pm »

Design is working, I just have to make the arm that actuates the kicker leg a little longer so that it gives more time for the tool head to raise before it tries to kick the shell out (it won’t clear with a bullet in the cartridge yet ) and I probably would like to make a little heavier duty kicker leg as well… But it seems to work good.

https://i.imgur.com/q63LxCr.mp4

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Star Reloaders / Re: DIY case kicker

« on: March 28, 2021, 01:19:25 am »

I made a spring loaded kicker “leg” today. Thinking about activating it in similar fashion to the RayVin version, but I’m thinking the arm that comes down will pivot to clear the stud on the kicker leg.... haven’t decided yet how I want to try to do it.

https://i.imgur.com/S9UI19j.mp4

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Star Reloaders / Re: DIY case kicker

« on: March 26, 2021, 06:59:46 am »

Looks easy enough, do you not use a taper crimp die on any of your presses? This press was originally set up with a hole for the finished round to drop out and didn’t have a taper crimp die for 38 special, but since my 45 tool head has the taper crimp die I was trying to get it set up for it to work.

Nice bullet feeder by the way… Who makes it?

6

Star Reloaders / Re: DIY case kicker

« on: March 25, 2021, 11:24:20 pm »

Well the first step in the process appears to be creating a rigid mounting point for the kicker arm to pivot on.  After looking things over, I decided to try and create a design that uses the existing post and screw that the safety gizmo is mounted with instead of making a new post. I also thought if the end of the bracket tucks into the notch on the side of the case feeder that it might help stabilize everything too. I’m not concerned with making a copy of RayVins case kicker, just working with the design concept and trying to make something that will work. It’s going to be a trial and error and modification process that hopefully will result in a functional case kicker. So here is the first iteration of the first part.

https://i.imgur.com/QYUuvp1.jpg

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Star Reloaders / DIY case kicker

« on: March 25, 2021, 08:42:24 am »

I’m going to start working on building a case kicker, it’ll take a little bit of reverse engineering to figure out the dimensions of all the parts… But I think there’s enough information online it shouldn’t be too complicated. If anybody would be willing to take a few measurements along the way to speed up the process it will be appreciated. Planning to make something similar to the RayVin version, Since they have retired I’m assuming I’m on my own, unless I can get one of you fine folks to take a few measurements here-n-there along the way.

Does anyone have any suggestions of other designs that work equally well?

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Star Reloaders / Re: Hole in the center of the 68U plug... why is it there?

« on: March 18, 2021, 02:35:23 pm »

It’s another air hole for the gremlins that live in there.

I went ahead and made mine with the hole.... I didn’t see any reason it would hurt anything to be there.

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Star Reloaders / Re: Hole in the center of the 68U plug... why is it there?

« on: March 18, 2021, 09:19:11 am »

That possibility crossed my mind. I’m not really sure how you could set off a cartridge at the taper crimp die but I guess anything is possible. I wondered if it was a place for powder to go if a primer didn’t get installed in the cartridge.

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Star Reloaders / Hole in the center of the 68U plug... why is it there?

« on: March 17, 2021, 11:42:41 pm »

Just looking at the 68U plug, and wondering what the purpose is for the hole in the middle?  Just curious what the general consensus is....just there to be able to hook it and pull it out with a piece of wire maybe?

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Star Reloaders / Re: In process of converting to 45acp

« on: March 17, 2021, 05:15:27 pm »

A factory loaded 45 ACP cartridge will not push into the sizing die by hand so that seems like a good sign.

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Star Reloaders / Re: In process of converting to 45acp

« on: March 17, 2021, 04:07:27 pm »

Just to clarify the fired case would not go in the sizing die, I was sliding it into the bullet seating and the taper crimp die. I guess I can bring the dies to work and check the inside diameter‘s to get a better idea what I’ve got.

Unfortunately I don’t have a shell plate for 45 ACP so I can’t test it out very easily, but I can get a unfired cartridge and see what it does in those dies.

It would be interesting to see how a factory made shell plate for 45 LC is made… This one appears to be made with the intent of holding the cartridge by the outside case wall just above the rim.… Rather than going into an extractor groove.

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Star Reloaders / Re: In process of converting to 45acp.... got a shell plate that prob. isn’t right

« on: March 16, 2021, 01:55:13 pm »

I wonder if it was a 45 ACP shell plate that was modified to fit 45 Colt.   I have seen such things.  I won't name any names.

Bruce Williams

So I guess the big question, is this shell plate worth keeping to trade for what I need or do you think that outside diameter being too small is going to create enough problems that you wouldn’t recommend it?  If you don’t think it’s going to be a viable option for someone to use to reload 45 Long colt then it’s probably not gonna be of much value for me to try to use it for trade and I might as well send it back for a refund. Is there any more information that you need to be able to form a recommendation?

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Star Reloaders / Re: In process of converting to 45acp.... got a shell plate that prob. isn’t right

« on: March 16, 2021, 11:46:56 am »

So if the outside diameter of the shell plate was a little smaller than normal that shouldn’t  keep it from working then right?… Since that should still give me clearance to keep the plate from interfering with the tabs holding the case in place? Is that outside diameter what you would normally expect to see for a 45acp plate?

By the way, I measured the plate at work with my micrometer and it is .2174” thick

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Star Reloaders / Re: In process of converting to 45acp.... got a shell plate that prob. isn’t right

« on: March 16, 2021, 09:13:47 am »

Here are a few more accurate dimensions.... my original measurements were done with my retired calipers that I took home with me and they’re a little bit worn on the tips were you measure inside dimensions.  I discovered the openings for the cartridge pockets are about .480” at the back of the pocket and the wider dimension I gave earlier of .490-.492 is in the “funnel” that guides the cartridge into the pocket.

https://imgur.com/a/m5VCevI