Hand Loading Ammo

Jim Taylor
[subject]
Saturday, January 10, 2026, 14:41 (9 days ago)

I mean, by hand handloading. :-)

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Lyman 310 Tool. Depiming punch - Neck expander - Priming - Bullet seating and crimp die.

The Lyman 310 Tool is a direct descendant of the Winchester Loading Tool developed by John Barlow for Winchester. When you bought a rifle you could get a handloading tool. I found one on my Grandpa's Ranch, near the blacksmith shop, a bit more than 60 years ago.

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I replaced the priming punch and have used it to prime .45 Colts, .44 Specials and .44 Magnums.

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But this day I was loading some #454190 .45 Colt bullets with the 310 Tool. I had cast these from an old IDEAL mold that my Dad had rescued.
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I dipped the powder charge using my old Lee Powder Dippers I bought back in the 1960's. These are in grains, not cc's like the newer ones.
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I was loading 7.8 gr. Unique.
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This is real Hand Loading. I find it quite relaxing. Well ... not all the time. But every once in awhile I get the urge to do it like I did when I was a kid. :-)

old western, maybe Quigley, had the main man loading

Gary Reeder
[subject]
Saturday, January 10, 2026, 15:33 (9 days ago) @ Jim Taylor

his ammo using one of the 310 Tools. From time to time we will get one of the tong tools in an estate we buy out. I have heard the tool called a 310 Tool and a Tong Tool. When I get one of them I usually get a handful of the dies that go with it.

When Winchester quit making them ...

Jim Taylor
[subject]
Saturday, January 10, 2026, 15:45 (9 days ago) @ Gary Reeder

the man who designed them went to work for IDEAL. They produced the #3 Tool (for use with rimmed cartridges) the #4 Tool ( rimmed cartridges but with an attached
bullet mold), the #6 Tool (rimless cartridges with an attached bullet mold) and the #10 Tool(rimless cartridges).

Eventually the bullet mold on the tool was dropped and they made just the #3 and the #10. When Lyman took over the old Ideal company they redesigned the tool so it could be used for either rimmed or rimless cartridges. Thus the "310" too.

Were they ever marked Tong Tool?I have

Gary Reeder
[subject]
Saturday, January 10, 2026, 15:49 (9 days ago) @ Jim Taylor

had several folks call them a Tong Tool.

I have never seen them marked that but ..

Jim Taylor
[subject]
Saturday, January 10, 2026, 16:04 (9 days ago) @ Gary Reeder

that's what a lot of those who used them called them.

Makes me appreciate my Dillon 450RL!

drdougrx
[subject]
Sunday, January 11, 2026, 06:36 (9 days ago) @ Jim Taylor

- No text -

I no longer have a progressive loader ...

Jim Taylor
[subject]
Sunday, January 11, 2026, 08:04 (8 days ago) @ drdougrx

and truthfully, I do not miss it. Anymore I have plenty of time to load ammo, cast bullets, etc. And I don't shoot a lot of ammo a session anymore. 150 rounds and I am ready to stop. :-)

Just getting older and slowing down .....

Hahaha no sense loading more than you got time to shoots

jthomson
[subject]
Monday, January 12, 2026, 10:30 (7 days ago) @ Jim Taylor

- No text -

. . . unless you're stocking up for when . . .

ORG
[subject]
Thursday, January 15, 2026, 14:28 (4 days ago) @ jthomson

. . . the "stuff hits the fan!" ;-)

I have one of those, maybe it’s a 550? I’ve

WB
[subject]
Sunday, January 11, 2026, 14:02 (8 days ago) @ drdougrx

Never actually opened the box! Inherited it from a friend who passed. I’ll get to it.

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