Early hand loader?

[Joss House]

Scrolling through old posts I found this photo posted by Buck Stinson of his bullet mold and hand loader.  Being an old buckskinner enthusiast, we used to 'run lead' sitting around the camp fire using a spoon shaped dipper. I'm wondering if these spoon shaped handles were used for 'dipping' lead to cast bullets? That obviously would complete the set.

[Trailrider]

Maybe... But those "dippers" would have gotten awfully hot with no wood around them. I suppose they could have been, though...  But having loaded (not very many) some rounds using identical type loading tools, I can tell you the smooth bulges in the handles make it much more comfortable to squeeze.

[Joss House]

I agree that they would certainly get hot. Same with the bullet mould. They'd have to be wrapped with some type of insulation probably an old piece of rawhide would be best and plentiful during that era. I have a similar Winchester hand loader minus the spoon shaped handles for 44 WCF. The handles will open all the way out so it would be easy to use as a ladle or dipper.

[Buck Stinson]

Winchester made two models of reloading tools with the spoon handle.  The first one was the model 1875, which was a rough cast tool, painted with gold enamel.  The next spoon handle tool was the model 1880, 1st issue shown in the photo.  There were five variations of the model 1880 tool, but all of the others had the plier handle.  These were a machined tool with a high luster blued finish.  I have all of the 1875 tools and 1880 tools in all four of the 1876 Winchester calibers.   I also use the tool in the photo for reloading.  The original instruction sheet that comes with these tools mentions nothing about using the spoons as a lead dipper.  I'm sure someone tried it, but that idea won't work.  Beside the tool getting too hot to handle, the spoons are not designed for pouring.  The tool pictured is .45-75WCF as is the early Winchester brass mold and original box of ammo.

[Buck Stinson]

I think I need to clarify something here.  In my previous post, I mentioned that Winchester made two spoon handle tools, the model 1875 and the model 1880 1st issue.  This is correct, but only in the large calibers and that was the message I unsuccessfully tried to convey.  The very first spoon handle tool offered by Winchester was the model 1874.  This is a very odd looking tool and so far, there are only two calibers known to exist in this model.  They are .44WCF and .45 Colts.  This tool was also rough cast and painted with gold enamel.