Blount, Inc.

Alliant Techsystems Inc.

Steven R Shields

Fred B Blodgett

Jerry D Brand

Ronald L Smith

Steven J Koch

Alan D Schufeldt

Lester V Rodriques

Eugene F Bill

Arthur F Peters

Donald F Legg, Jr

Ammunition reloading apparatus includes a shell case support for holding a shell case, a container spaced above the support for holding shell loading material to be placed in a shell case during reloading, and an elongate charge bar underlying the container having a charge opening therein. The bar is mounted for movement between a first position in which the opening underlies the container to receive a charge of material and a second position where the material may be released to an underlying shell case. Control mechanism is operable to sense the presence or absence of the shell case on the support when the charge bar is in its second position. The control mechanism prohibits release of material from the charge opening when a shell case is absent and permits release of material to be dispensed to the shell case when a shell case is present.

Ammunition reloading apparatus with feed mechanism

A hand-held tool for loading a primer into a primer socket of an ammunition cartridge case includes an elongate body with a holder for holding a cartridge case with its primer socket in a target position in a priming station. An elongate track on the tool longitudinally guides a rectilinear primer holding strip through the priming station. A reciprocating advancing member moves in advancing and retracting directions, and in its advancing direction engages the primer strip to sequentially align successive primers in the strip with the target position. A detent holds the primer strip against retraction when the advancing member moves in its retracting direction. A plunger is mounted for shifting longitudinally of the body into and away from the priming station to push a primer out of the primer strip into the primer socket of the cartridge. An elongate operator handle is connected to the body for movement relative thereto. Movement of the handle in one direction produces advancement of the primer strip to align a primer with the primer socket and shifting of the plunger out of the priming station. Movement of the handle in the opposite direction moves the plunger into the priming station followed by retraction of the advancing member. The cartridge case holder includes a pair of opposed, laterally spaced shiftable gripper members having arcuate gripping faces which are spring biased toward each other to hold the base of a cartridge case.

Hand-held primer loading tool

A device and method for loading primers into primer receptacles of a rectilinear primer holder strip. The device includes an elongated track for longitudinally guiding the primer strip through a primer loading station. The primer strip includes a series of longitudinally aligned receptacles, each of which is designed to hold a primer in an interference fit that prevents dislodgement of the primer from the strip. Each primer strip also has a plurality of laterally extending castellations including teeth and depressions that slide on a ledge within the track. The track of the loading device is of substantially the same width as the strip, such that the strip slides through the track. A primer delivery slot in the device delivers a primer into the track, and a pressure application device is positioned to press the primer into a target primer receptacle. In one embodiment, the pressure application member is an inclined surface above the track that pushes the primer into the receptacle as the strip is advanced toward the inclined surface to eliminate clearance space above the strip. In another embodiment, the pressure member is a push pin that is biased to a retracted position, but which can be advanced to push the primer into a target receptacle in the strip. In either embodiment, advancement of the strip along the track sequentially loads primers into each of the receptacles in the strip. The device may be hand held and manually operated.

Primer strip loading tool

A device and method for loading components into holders used in cartridge case reloading machinery is disclosed. The loading device includes a tray that receives and orients reloading components such as primers. The tray includes a strip receptacle which receives and positions a component holder while components are oriented by the tray and moved into position into receptacles in the component holder. The components are forced into the component holder by manual pressure, a roller, or a lever actuated bar. After the components are pressed into the component holder, the holder may be removed from the loading device and used in reloading machinery.

Apparatus and method for loading items into component holder

A device for loading a primer from a priming station into a primer socket of an ammunition cartridge case, includes an elongated track for longitudinally guiding a rectilinear primer strip through the priming station. The primer strip includes a series of longitudinally aligned receptacles, each of which holds a primer in an interference fit that prevents dislodgement of the primer from the strip. Each primer strip also has a plurality of laterally extending castellations or teeth that slide on a ledge over the track, and a reciprocating advancing member on the track has arms that interdigitate with the teeth to move the primer strip forward through the priming station as the advancing member moves in an advancing direction. A detent interdigitates with the teeth to hold the primer strip with a target receptacle in a target position adjacent the primer socket of the cartridge case, while a reciprocating punch pin transfers the primer from the target receptacle to the primer socket. The primer strips provide a compact storage member that safely and conveniently allows primers to be loaded into spent ammunition cartridges.

Primer loading tool

A cartridge priming device having a cartridge receiver for holding a cartridge to have a primer inserted therein, a primer receiving station for holding a single primer for insertion into a cartridge, a primer reservoir operable to hold a plurality of primers, a passage for directing primers from the reservoir to the primer receiving station, and a guard shiftable between a first position, allowing primers to pass from the passage into the primer receiving station, and a second position in which the guard isolates the primer receiving station from the primer passage to shield following primers from a primer in the primer receiving station. The tool may be a hand-held and operated tool having a swingable handle, with the guard being an arcuate plate member connected to and movable with the operator handle between its first and second positions.

Cartridge priming device with safety guard

A reloading press that is convertible between different capabilities. The press utilizes a basic structure to which interchangeable conversion sets are individually mounted to provide a reloading press with a capability. To change the capability of the press, one conversion set is interchanged with another. The interchange of the conversion sets permits a user to convert the reloading capability of the press such as from a single station to an indexable multiple station. The conversion sets include top plates for holding a tool or tools, and a shell holder mountable to the ram. Components may be added or interchanged between conversion sets to convert the capability of the press further such as converting from one caliber to another or converting a multiple station press from manual to automatic indexing. The basic structure utilizes a rugged support extending from the base for supporting the interchangeable top plates.

Growing community of inventors

Oroville, CA, United States of America

Steven R Shields