Some progress, I think. I do not expect this to all work the first go-'round, but I have a few workable things going, even if they are not the end-all.
I am not 100% sold on the "lure-box" for die/accoutrement stowage. This is not perfect, but it's not bad. I am only missing a few small pieces, which were out of stock, but I'll catch those up and they will definitely fit. It is rigid and limits where you can stuff the kit, but not terribly so. I do NOT like the rattly-rolly nature of the spaces, but have plenty of pieces of closed-cell, sleeping pad material to dampen this annoyance if necessary. I would really rather make up a "tool-roll" for the dies, with a couple snap-flap pouches for the do-dads, but I would have to make that.
The whole sectioned box, contents included, weighs 3.94#. I still need a few small bits, which won't change this by mouch more than a few ounces. It is relatively compact, being 11" x 7" x 1 3/4"
The entire kit, lure-box, bag, press and all, weighs 6.75#, and that includes a couple wrenches to tighten the decapping rods in LEE FLR dies. I'll snag a pair of short combination-wrenches at the flea-market next summer to dedicate to this project. It takes a 1/2" and a 5/8", the latter of which has to be an open-end wrench. I'll cut the box end off the 5/8" wrench and the open end off the 1/2" wrench. I had this false epiphany this morning that I could cut each in half and weld them together. OK, that was before my second cup of coffee.
The tote bag came with a cordless drill set I got a year ago, but I have a couple tool totes just for my drill-motors, drills, accessories, etc. already, so this nice bag was going to waste. These bags make nice, portable shooting rests too, when stuffed with one's choice of ballast. I saved this bag for this project though, because it was just the right size and I still have plenty of room inside for a pound of Unique and a thousand primers, which by no coincidence, will give me one thousand loads, of four configurations in the 357 and 30/30, all of which are very useful and proven loads. Oh, and there is plenty of room for 100 357 cases and, say 60 30/30 cases without playing puzzle-pieces to get it all in there.
I may end up making tool-roll in the sketch below to keep the press clean and not rub the lube off the ram. Please forgive the ambiguity of the sketch, as I left my good sketching pencils at work. I'll have to find some material to make the tool roll - something which is not hygroscopic!
EDIT: Ignore the above comments regarding the "tool roll." I've deleted the sketch and added a picture of the gun sock
@Dusty Bannister suggested, which is PERFECT. I just added it to my "wish-list" at Midsouth, with the few other items I am still missing.
This kit has/will have everything I need to handload two cartridges; the 30/30 and the 357 Mag, with a practical selection of two different loads per cartridge. I know that I could have bought a couple new whack-a-moles for $70 and fit them in a dopp kit, but this isn't meant to be a last-LAST-ditch, but just a last-ditch kit. I plan to eventually buy those too, but that's a different thing altogether. I actually HAVE a tin-cloth dopp kit, so that project WILL happen too. Unless, that bag gets used for the portable casting kit.
What's in there (so far):
- LEE, Hand-Press, Breech-Lock version
- LEE, 30/30 4-die set, with added Breech-Lock adapters
- LEE, 357 Mag 3-Die set, which came with the adapters
- LEE, 357 Mag Collet Crimp Die, plus an added Breech-Lock adapter
- LEE, Shell-holders for each dies set
- LEE, Ram Prime* setup, from another press from ages ago, screwed into the adapter that came with the hand press
- LEE, Bullet-Sizing "Thingy," which holds the various sizing-die inserts, with an added Breech-Lock adapter
- LEE, Bullet-Sizing Die Insert, .358"
- LEE, Bullet-Sizing Die Insert, .309", to be honed to .310" (missing)
- LEE, Dippers that came with the die sets, but will make/add what I really need
- LEE, Lock-Ring Wrench, and will be adding at least one more, because they are sort of flimsy
- LEE, Case Trimmer Cutter/Base
- LEE, 30/30 Case Trimmer Mandrel/Shell-Holder
- LEE, 357 Mag Case Trimmer Mandrel/Shell-Holder (missing)
- LEE, Deburring Tool
- LEE, Powder Funnel, which I may cut down or find a smaller one
What I need to ADD:
- LEE, Bullet-Sizing Die Insert, .309", to be honed to .310"
- LEE, 357 Mag Case Trimmer Mandrel/Shell-Holder
- Rag(s)
- Wad of steel wool
- Case neck brush/"handle"
- Sizing Die Lube for t he FLR 30/30 die
- Maybe a small container of lube for the press
What I need to DECIDE:
- *Priming means: I am a long-time devotee to the LEE hand-prime with the round primer magazines - just have to find them. I probably wouldn't toss the Ram-Prime tooling, in case I break/lose something on the Hand-Prime unit. Still considering.
- Powder Dispensing: I have a Hornady powder dispenser with various bushings, which is compact and lightweight. I MAY or may NOT opt to go that route. I'm not against using dippers, and this setup will be for likely no more than two established loads for each the rifle and handgun rounds.
- A bullet casting kit: I've tossed around a number of ideas on this, from adding a coiuple LEE 2C moulds to THIS kit, but I'm really thinking hard about buying a couple 2C moulds for the exact bullets I currently use in these two cartridges already. I've even toyed with the idea of a custom 4C with two 35-cal cavities and two 30-cal cavities. My mind went racing on that one, thinking I could even have pins for flat-nose AND HPs, and it started looking like a $400 mould. This will definitely be a separate project, unless I snag a couple used LEE, 2Cs to stick in the current kit for now. I'm half-inclined to take apart a pair of LEE, 2Cs and adapt them to interchange with one set of handles just for the heck of it. Even four pairs of LEE 2C blocks and one set of handles would be very compact.
I am having fun with this project. I'm being lazy and useless today, after a week of hustle-bustle, so this was a meaningful expenditure of time today.
