Cleaning Reloading Equipment

[Kimmienemo]

I have an Winchester 1894 loading 33-55 tool with very minor rusting on the outside.  The rusting is so minor, you can still read the information stamped on the outside of the tool.  I was wondering if wiping it down gently with something like WD-40 would be a BAD idea.  Definitely NO steel wool or any of that type.  No abrasives!

What are your thoughts!  (Do you need pictures?)

[Rauville]

That would be a good idea to stop the rust from getting any worse.
(BTW: The caliber marking should be 38-55)

[mart]

please pics !!

[Kimmienemo]

Rauville - will do.  Should I then store it in an oil-cloth? 

Mart - sorry.  I was trying to save on server space 

This piece, the Canadian Explosives CXL can and the powder flask all came from my Great-grandfather's place in Arnprior, Ontario, Canada.

When my dad was packing them to bring them back to the states, he had to "get rid" of the black powder that was in the CXL can before he could bring it on the plane!  Made quite a lot of smoke!

Here are the picts

[Kimmienemo]

Rauville - yes, it was 38-55.  I hadn't finished my coffee yet 

[fancypants]

I'd say an oilcloth would be a good idea for storing your little item , perhaps within a small metal lidded 'container' .

Neat tool , Kimmienemo !

[Kimmienemo]

OK. . . so I found ANOTHER part of this whole hunting, reloading thing.  I am attaching another set of picts.  I know that this piece was also made by Winchester and it too has the 38-55 stamped into an arm of the tool.  I can tell that this was the part in which the lead was poured to make the projectile.  My questions:

The first picts I posted. . . what did that tool do?  Did it have something to do with putting the primer into the shell?

Also, does in increase the value to have both pieces?

[Rauville]

OK.
The first picts I posted. . . what did that tool do?  Did it have something to do with putting the primer into the shell?

Also, does in increase the value to have both pieces?

Yes, it puts in a new primer...after taking out the old primer and resizing the brass case. (But most of these tools are missing the decapping pin used to punch out the old primer. It was a separate piece that usually got misplaced.)
A set of tools should be easier to sell.

[Kimmienemo]

Rauville - I THINK the decapping pin is still in the first tool that .  I posted picts of.  It is housed inside the handle.  I took it all apart and rubbed it down with WD40 and am now looking for a proper storage tin for them both. . . thanks to your advice.

[jondar]

Kim - the second piece you show is a mould (with a U) and appears to be a Lyman, at least the handles are and probably the mould block also. Lyman equipment  is sought after on Ebay.  38-55, tho an obsolete cartridge, was one used in the old Schutezen (sp?) rifles and there are some clubs around that still enjoy them.  Wish you had the rifle these accouterments went with.

[Kimmienemo]

Jondar - you said that the second piece might be a Lyman.  Is that the name of the actual tool.   I am trying to learn all about these family heirlooms that have been entrusted to me.   I had heard the term "bullet mold" used.  I do know that it was made by the Winchester Arms Co.  (The stamp is very clear).

[jondar]

Kim - Lyman was/is a company that originally made reloading equipment and a few other sporting products, and its my understanding that they made some reloading equipment for the gun makers who stamped them with their brand sometimes.  When the Model 1994 Winchester came out it was in .32-40, .38-55, then in 1900 came out with the famous .30-30 and there are two other calibers which I can't bring to mind at this time but will look it up if you like. These old rifles bring lots of bucks and the accouterments do also if they are stamped with the gun manufacturer's name.
More than likely your grandfather bought the tools at the time he bought the rifle.  I have one Lyman mould and handles that I use a lot.
It is identical to the one you show in the pics.  I'm not familiar at all with the loading tool, it doesn't look at all like the Lyman tool I have.

[jondar]

Here's one for sale on the Net for $105.00 + S&H, it is minus the decapping pin as noted above.  Maybe I overlooked it but are there any manufacturer's marking on the bullet mould?  I see that some of the old Winchester reloading equipment are stamped with a patent number so they apparently did make some of them.

[Kimmienemo]

Jondar - I looked everywhere on the bullet mold, but the only marks I found was the Winchester stamp that is shown in the picture.  I did not remove the wooden handles to check under them.  I might do that this weekend.

I am also including another picture of the other tool that we have been talking about with the other part that I found inside the handle as I was wiping it down with WD40.  Is this the decapping pin that you have been talking about?  It looks as though the very small end might have been used to punch out the used primer. . . just a guess.  It has been a very long time since I helped my dad do any reloading.

[jondar]

Kim - That certainly appears to be a decapping pin.  It may be designed to reverse its position in the tool to seat the new primer.  As I mentioned, I'm not familiar with it.  My first reloading tool was a Lyman "nutcracker" or tong tool which came with five dies for the purpose of ejecting the old primer, seating a new primer, constricting the mouth of the case, "belling out" the mouth of the case to the proper diameter and finally inserting a bullet (projectile) and seating it.  Sounds complicated but isn't. If you'd like a picture would be glad to oblige.

It certainly appears that both the loading tool and the mould was made by Winchester and not by Lyman as I thought.  FWIW Lyman started in business as the Lyman Gunsight Company way back when and then branched out to making other items.  That would be great to use that old tool to load some cartridges again.  I think .38-55 brass is still available.