More antique shotgun reloading equipment...and a question?

[The Saint]

I love this kind of stuff, so naturally when a big box of it rolled through the door I had to pick it up. It wasn't looking like this when I got it, most things had about 80years of basement dust/surface rust; but cleaned up great. The guy was very reasonable with his price, so I can't complain...but what in the world IS that tool in the bottom of my 2nd picture? I know what the rest of it is, how it works, etc...but can't for the life of me figure out the official name of that clamp looking monster. It's old as dirt, older than most of these roll crimpers and scoops (minus the brass James Dixon&Sons 1106 which goes back a ways).

Anyway, it looks like a crimper, and clamps to the bench just like one, hinges open like you'd expect, and it accommodates a 2 1/2" brass shotgun shell just about perfectly. This tool definitely dates to when brass hulls were the standard...so what exactly is its purpose? Crimp? Resize? Maybe some of your more eclectic folk will recognize it. I'm stumped and can't find anything that looks like it via google or whatever else searches looking for antique shotgun equipment.

 

[slsc98]

A buddy down here in Western Carolina (who is a retired small shop proprietor, hisself) is guessing a brass casing Resizer? Much like todays pex plumbing ring crimpers…

All I can say is, “Wow.” And, lots for me to reflect upon next time I’m grumbling about making an adjustment to one of my MEC’s!

 

[The Saint]

A buddy down here in Western Carolina (who is a retired small shop proprietor, hisself) is guessing a brass casing Resizer? Much like todays pex plumbing ring crimpers…

All I can say is, “Wow.” And, lots for me to reflect upon next time I’m grumbling about making an adjustment to one of my MEC’s!

Yeah, I load BP shotshells, so this stuff naturally appeals to me. This was this guy's great grandfather's loading equipment according to him, and the man died around 1931 or so...so it's all at least that old, most of it much older. I have a MEC for .410; but for 12 I do it the old way on old gear. I figure it was a resizer or some sort, but I also figured it could be a way to taper crimp brass cases with one nice clamp. Usually it's pretty easy to find big lots of old equipment to ID what's what...but I've yet to see another one like this anywhere on the net. They clearly existed, and doesn't look like anything hand-made...so there has to be something out there like it for documentation. The only maker mark it has is an "S" on the head on the clamp bolt at the bottom.

 

[rseymorejr]

You always find the most interesting things.

Have you changed the shop hours at all or are they still the same? Just wondering. I have a picture of the sign with the hours on my phone! LOL!

 

[Doco Overboard]

If I didn't know any better I would say its a tool for crimping/firming up paper hulls up to the brass.
When double based progressive powders came about the paper tubes separating form the brass became a problem until the the brass was lengthened to accommodate the higher pressures.
Whats the inside of it look like?
Is it knurled or just smooth?

 

[The Saint]

If I didn't know any better I would say its a tool for crimping/firming up paper hulls up to the brass.
When double based progressive powders came about the paper tubes separating form the brass became a problem until the the brass was lengthened to accommodate the higher pressures.
Whats the inside of it look like?
Is it knurled or just smooth?

It's just smooth. I'll get some better pics when I'm back in the shop, tomorrow. This thing is neat, but simple.

 

[Doco Overboard]

I would check it against one of the wad card pushers you have there. One of them looks to be brass and could be the mandrel for supporting the hull.
Another thing I'm thinking is the opening of the tool itself.
Because the opening is horizontal to the lever, if it was a few degrees higher leverage could be lost and allow some of the leverage to be lost by working against the weight of the work bench /table top when its pulled.
But for what I'm suggesting, with the tool opening being horizontal it would be cause for one to think what that would do for roundness.
Unless a greater amount of leverage was needed for what the real intended purpose of the tool is.
Like resizing a balloon case's head in an era of manufacturer inconsistencies.

 

[The Saint]

Those are all just wooden mandrels/pushers for the other equipment as far as I know. I matched up the 20ga stuff, 12ga stuff, and 10ga stuff since...and it all seems to pair up pretty evenly. This clamp thing is the outlier.