Video - Loading black powder cartridges with a Lyman 310 Tong tool

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

In this video we load black powder .38 Spl cartridges for a Colt 1851 Navy cartridge conversion revolver using a Lyman 310 Tooll...just like great grandpappy used to do it.

[fourfingersofdeath]

The Lyman 310 tools are old, slow and awkward, but..... very satisfying. I have three sets and love using them.

Between missing shell plate and broken decapping pin you got off to a rough start with them.

I really like the primer seater, it is slow, but it seats them all exactly at the same depth.

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

It was a learning experience. In my view, you can't really understand how our forefathers did things by reading about them. You have to do the old way.

[fourfingersofdeath]

It was a learning experience. In my view, you can't really understand how our forefathers did things by reading about them. You have to do the old way.

I have to agree with you there. I started out reloading in about 1966 with a Lee Loader. I have a few sets of them and occasionally reload using them for nostalgia's sake. I am a lot smarter now and use a wooden mallet instead of my father's claw hammer.

Dad was frugal (seven kids on one pay makes you that way) and just had enough tools to keep the house maintained. The only hammer he owned was a carpenter's claw hammer. Boy, that was exciting, I'd reload my box of 50 shells and set five or six primers off during the process. No matter how ready you were, the crack of the primer going off was always enough to give you a good start,  . I don't know why I wasn't smart enough to grab a hunk of wood to use instead of the hammer, but I never did. A mixture of youth, inexperience, too many hormones and a short attention span were hampering me somewhat.

I really like using the 310 tools.

[Bryan Austin]

Well Mike, where was this video over a year ago when I needed it? lol, I searched high and low for photos and videos before I bought mine. I bought it just so I could see how the dang thing worked. Of course you have already seen the video so I won't bore everyone with it again.

Nice work, thanks 

[mtmarfield]

   Greetings!

   I love the Lyman (Ideal) 'Nutcracker' Loading tools; they really will make quality reloads in a minimum of space. Having recently moved, with no room in my tiny garage  for a Loading Bench, I dug out my 310 .38 Spl. Kit, and loaded a couple of boxes for a Colt Official Police I'd picked up.
   My first metallic cartridge reloading started with an Ideal #1 set up for the .32 S&W Long, with the bullet mould on the end of the tool. I would melt lead in a soup can at the camp fire, and had a .22LR with a wire soldered to it, and I used it as a powder scoop. Great memories!

            Be Well, All!

                     M.T.Marfield:.
                       11-11-11

[Papa Irish]

Great fun, good memories. I learned to reload with one of these circa 1964.