doublegunshop.com - home Forums Thread Like Summary - wad loading tools

Is there any type of wad loading tool or guide that can be used as a stand-alone tool when hand loading shells at the bench with scoop and scale? I'm loading 2" paper 12 gauges with fiber wads and the wads are beating up the leading edge of the hull. I think Ideal may have made something like this year ago, but I don't know what it's called (so I can sic a search for it on Ebay).

I was thinking of something like this Ideal Straight Line reloader.



I think GLS uses something similar but with a Francaphone accent.

Brent, here's the Ideal tool you mentioned above. Problem with it as it comes unmodified, the brass finger wad guides don't reach down deep enough for a 2" shell as it is designed for 2.75". Your depicted advertisement showing the tool with a cutaway drawing makes it clearer as to what I mean. The bottom of the lighter colored tube in my photo would need .75" shortening with more metal work to allow it to refit into the base. The gunmetal colored parts of the tool are steel. The lighter colored are aluminum. Old reloading kits included a funnel device with a long tube that encases the hull. The ID of the "funnel" is slightly smaller than the ID of the hull. I believe that would allow a slight compression of the fiber wad which would eliminate snagging of the fiber wad. The NC is easier to manipulate past the hull mouth. I don't have as much problem with fiber wad insertion on freshly cut down paper as I do with once fired cut down paper hulls. Once fired meaning fired one time in 2", not 2 3/4" length before cutting down for 2". My tapered wooden ramming tool does help reshape the mouth tighter. A simpler Straightline device could be easily made from maple stock on a lathe. The brass or plastic wad fingers are easily found on ebay, etc. Gil

Lot 16 in next week’s Southams Gun Sale.

You can’t see the interiors but I believe that the three brass tubes on the left of the picture taper internally to a step that matches the thickness of a paper case, compressing the wad so it entered the case smoothly.

Firm pressure on the plunger should then re-expand it to fill the case snugly.

I have a 20 ga.lyman easy loader it works

Brent, look at this and skip to 3mins. 30 secs and you will see the object I mean. Easy to shorten one if required if one can be sourced. I'm looking for a spare that I think I must have somewhere. Lagopus.....