Patent ID: 8438962
Filing Date: 2013-05-14
Classification: F42B

Abstract:
1. A hand operated press for reloading metal rifle cartridges of the type each having a first end adapted to receive a primer, a second opposite end, and a generally cylindrical end portion adjacent said second end, said press comprising: a cartridge receptacle adapted to releasably receive and support the first end of a cartridge of a predetermined size and shape; a die having an inner surface defining a cavity adapted to receive the second end portion of the cartridge with a portion of a bullet of a predetermined size and shape closely received within the second end portion and a portion of the bullet projecting from the second end of the cartridge, said inner surface including a forming surface shaped to crimp the second end of the cartridge into engagement with the bullet to retain the bullet in the cartridge when the cartridge is pressed longitudinally into the die; a cartridge support member supporting said cartridge receptacle; a die support member supporting said die; means mounting said cartridge support and die support members for movement between a first relative position with the cartridge receptacle sufficiently spaced from the die to afford manually portioning said cartridge on or removal of said cartridge from the cartridge receptacle, and a second relative position with the second end portion of said cartridge supported on the cartridge receptacle within the die with the second end of the cartridge pressed against the forming surface; a manually operable drive mechanism configured to move said cartridge support and die support members between said first and second positions and for manually applying different forces between the second end of a cartridge on said cartridge receptacle and said forming surface to crimp the second end of the cartridge into engagement with the bullet in the cartridge; and indicating means configured to provide an operator discrete indications of the different forces that can be manually applied through the drive mechanism during use of the press to crimp the second end of a cartridge against a bullet in the cartridge to allow the operator to use one of said indications to manually apply the same force to form essentially the same degree of crimp of the second ends of identical cartridges against identical bullets in the cartridges.