The paths we take

[Petrol & Powder]

There are aspects of this hobby in which you can pick what you want in terms of gear. For example, I have a large selection of dies from several different manufacturers. I even have different brands of dies mounted on the same toolhead.
And there are other areas where you go down a path, and you are rather dedicated to that path. For example, once you pick a Lyman or RCBS lubersizer - you're going to be using Lyman & RCBS sizing dies.

Other gear is close enough to being a standard that we can often make it work. Lee mold handles come to mind. They are compatable with a lot of different mold blocks.

I think tools tend to move towards standards quicker than other things. There's a reason that ratchets and sockets use square drives of 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", etc. and not some odd ball fraction or different drive shape. When a good design comes along, other companies capitalize on it.

My gut feeling is that all industries move towards standards. The real question is which designs become the standard and which ones get lost in the race?

 

[JonB]

Knowing what I know today, sometimes I think I would have been better off buying factory ammo all these years, instead of reloading/casting.
BUT, not for the current obvious reasons that you'd think (price and availability of components).
The reason is, I've always loved to shoot. Back in the 90s I was shooting all the time, many times a week. shooting leagues or just with friends for a fun afternoon, and also some solitary benchrest practice. As I look back on it, when I started reloading, then casting...I seemed to shoot less and less, even though I took those paths to make shooting for affordable, so I could shoot even more.
OK, I did say I think of this "sometimes"...not all the time, so I'll never be selling all my equip and components and supplies...but I bet I could pay for factory ammo for the rest of my life, if I did.
.
Well Dang, I guess I missed the mark, as to what the OP asked. I guess I really have no opinion on a desire for more proprietary equipment vs more standards.

 

[Jeff H]

...When a good design comes along, other companies capitalize on it.

My gut feeling is that all industries move towards standards. The real question is which designs become the standard and which ones get lost in the race?

You've already set t his one up.

The question in the last sentence cannot be answered without defining "good" in the previous sentence.

"Good," from the manufacturers' perspectives first means it will be profitable.

"Good," from our perspective means it will work well and last - be a good value.

OUR perspective - what WE consider "good" CAN be the underlying cause for the manufacturers' perspectives, but there is an intermediary between us and the manufacturers (sales/marketing folks) which doesn't always serve either party well. It's probably obvious that I am a bit cynical about sales and marketing, because the short-term gains for an individual or small group become the imperative which drives the definition of "good." Don't get me wrong - I know and have worked with a lot of good sales/marketing people, but there are enough who are not that it causes a fair bit of frustration.

So, I personally think it's sort of a crap-shoot as to whether what's "good" becomes a standard or gets lost in the race. Maybe not all of it, or even half, but it's enough that we get stuck with crap sometimes, and sometimes something really good sticks around. Bottom line - whatever is "good" has to conform to modern manufacturing means or no one can afford it.

 

[Jeff H]

....As I look back on it, when I started reloading, then casting...I seemed to shoot less and less, even though I took those paths to make shooting for affordable, so I could shoot even more....

I benefit from this phenomenon, especially these days because it extends my enjoyment of the overall avocation. I enjoy casting and hand-loading as much as I enjoy shooting. Even tuning up a mould or polishing a die has at least some benefit in that respect.

But, speaking of standardizing, I think I have done that with my dies, now that I think about ity. I like LEE dies and prefer them over the others, mostly based on features which just make more sense to me. A fellow forum-member recently got my last set of Redding dies, so now all I have is LEE. This is a default standardization, since I would have kept t hat Redding set if I'd have continued to load for that cartridge, but I think it qualifies as standardization even if the completion thereof was incidental.

 

[Missionary]

Reloading was a way of life when I was young. Dad did his own 38 Special. Cast is own WC.
So it was no decision for me.
Can you imagine buying ammo for caliber .50 rifles ? 375-06. 405 Win. .58 Rim Fire 56 Spencer 44 Frank Wesson and a long list of others
All the reloading / casting gear I can eventually sell off. Think about buying an obsolete caliber with 100 rounds of accurate ammo.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

Jeff H,

I share your cynical attitude about marketing & sales being rather predatory, but I believe the free market (if allowed to function) will ultimately sort it out.
The Ford Model T comes to mind. The car was fabulously successful and had an 18-year production run of over 16 million units. Henry Ford was extremely reluctant to adapt to the changing market, and his competitors overtook him. Only when faced with severely decreasing sales and stiff competition from more modern designs, did he acquiesce to ceasing production of the Model T. The Model A was the successor to the Model T and was a far more conventional (standardized) car that the buyers wanted. So, we see even when there is an extremely strong market position, competition will still rule.

This is the same reason that virtually all reloading dies are 7/8” die bodies with standard threads. Or after more than 160 years of centerfire metallic cartridges we only have three basic primer diameters. Eventually, the market, for good or bad, will settle on some standards.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

I benefit from this phenomenon, especially these days because it extends my enjoyment of the overall avocation. I enjoy casting and hand-loading as much as I enjoy shooting. Even tuning up a mould or polishing a die has at least some benefit in that respect.

I Absolutely share your view. I enjoy casting & reloading as much as I enjoy shooting.
I started reloading for economic reasons and those reasons no longer exist. I continue to reload because I derive pleasure from the activity.

 

[JonB]

Reloading was a way of life when I was young. Dad did his own 38 Special. Cast is own WC.
So it was no decision for me.
Can you imagine buying ammo for caliber .50 rifles ? 375-06. 405 Win. .58 Rim Fire 56 Spencer 44 Frank Wesson and a long list of others
All the reloading / casting gear I can eventually sell off. Think about buying an obsolete caliber with 100 rounds of accurate ammo.

Back in the 90s (before I started reloading), my Brother gave me a minty looking 1874 French Gras, from his Boss's collection (long long story, I should make a new thread and tell it sometime). I did have 40 rds of custom 11mm Gras ammo made, the gunsmith that made 'em, charged me about $2 per round...that was back when a couple bucks a round was a lot. I wonder what custom made 11mm French Gras ammo would cost today?

 

[JonB]

I benefit from this phenomenon, especially these days because it extends my enjoyment of the overall avocation. I enjoy casting and hand-loading as much as I enjoy shooting. Even tuning up a mould or polishing a die has at least some benefit in that respect.

I understand, I also enjoy the casting/handloading...but not as much as the shooting.
Now tuning a mould or polishing a die...with my ham fists, I do the best I can to avoid that stuff

 

[smokeywolf]

I'm equipment poor compared to most on the forum. I have only one press, 2 powder measures, 2 scales, 2 lubrisizers, not much over 2 dozen molds and other assorted gear (trimmers, tumblers, etc.). Have never used a progressive and don't see one in my future. Don't powder coat, yet.

My press is a 1950ish Hollywood single stage that I believe Dad bought new. Only major pieces of equipment I've added is a Star lubrisizer and an Ohaus 3100 Dial-O-Grain scale.

I very much enjoy reloading. I like handling one cartridge at a time. Each gets inspected, re-inspected and inspected again.
I can be a little obsessive about detail. When it comes to reloading I think maybe that's not a bad thing.

 

[RBHarter]

I guess it's an options thing .

When I started casting I just couldn't swallow $80-100 a pop for moulds and spending $2-400 on a lube sizer then having to spend another $25-30 on every caliber change . I bought Lee Moulds and push through sizers where needed .

Then I needed a 7mm mould . I shopped it to death and found a sale . Then when it was going to cost me $9? For the $65 mould I looked at NOE and paid as I recall about $10 more for a 5c shipped than for the mould I was looking at on Natchez .

I found an incredibly cheap Herters lube sizer and a bunch of H&I dies . I have a few weird dies . But that sidesaddle lubesizer takes all the Lyman , and RCBS H&Is . There is also a Lyman 45 .
Lube sizer was a direction I had no intentions of going . I don't think I will head down the PC road . I don't know what the post count is but I read all of the first 2700 on HyTek over there then I read 20-30 shake and bake threads . Long/short temperature control is a PITA for what I'm willing to spend . I cull to hard to risk melting a whole plate of bullet and I've had PC on the inside of a barrel .....no thank you. If I have to size anyway I'm not really saving any steps . I've lived the no gas check go fast lifestyle , and got pretty good at it . Well pretty good results anyway .
Now that I have a lube sizer it's really hard for me to want to go back to thumb lubing .

 

[fiver]

having some things standardized would be nice.
size dies, punches, barrel diameters, cylinder throats.

others,, i'm okay with paying a few extra dollars to have more attention paid to them during the manufacturing process.

i'm glad that parts and pieces interchange within a brand.
i can take a few things off my 650 and put them on one of my 550's, wish it was more, but they ain't the same machine.
i can swap anything from any of my 550's to another one, and i know it'll fit and keep me going just fine.

same with my Star sizers.
pull a die, or a bullet feeder, or the air cylinder,,,, move it over two steps put it on and off we go.

 

[burbank.jung]

I started reloading with RCBS dies and believed that they were every bit as good as a Hornady or Lyman. I never heard of Redding or Forster then but as I want to improve my assembled loads, I have started buying Forster dies. Lee dies are good and get the job done but don't look as refined as RCBS dies. From there, I avoided RCBS lube/lube presses. I didn't want another tool on my bench and to deal with the lube. Only after I returned to reloading from a short break did I discover PC. I limit my spending yet want some decent bullets. Lee molds meet my needs. Just like when I purchased a Forster die to assemble a better-quality load, I purchased MP molds because I wanted to cast better bullets. Unlike the Lee 6-Cavity gang mold that could cast different weight bullets, my MP 2-Cavity mold uses a different style pin per cavity. This is like casting with a one cavity mold for a specific style of bullet and the weight variance is non-existent.