Abstract:
A container for storing firearm cartridge reloading equipment and supplies. The container has a reinforced shelf that a reloading press can be attached to. The container also includes a mounting location for a powder dispenser and a case trimmer. The container can also have additional storage shelves and can have a door and lid that are openable to allow access and light into the interior of the container.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/570,285 filed Dec. 13, 2011 entitled Portable Ammunition Reloading Safety Cabinet. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to firearm ammunition loading equipment and, in particular, concerns a safety cabinet for storing hand loading and reloading equipment and supplies where the safety cabinet can be portable. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Reloading, otherwise known as handloading, of firearm cartridges is a popular activity among people who recreationally shoot firearms. Typically, this involves placing powder, a primer and a slug or bullet or shot into a cartridge casing. Often, reloading casings results in a cartridge that is cheaper for a shooter to make than purchase a corresponding manufactured cartridge at a retailer. Moreover, reloading cartridges allows the shooter to vary a wide variety of parameters to optimize the performance of the bullet with the individual characteristics of the shooter&#39;s firearm. Parameters like the amount of powder, the depth to which the bullet is seated etc. can be altered or customized to a particular firearm so that the accuracy of the firearm can be improved. 
     Reloading does, however, require a fair amount of specialized equipment. One piece of equipment is a press that is used to resize a previously fired cartridge case into the desired shape and size. When a cartridge is fired, the heat a pressure causes the cartridge casing to deform. The press is used with a resizing die that reforms the cartridge casing into a desired size and shape. Typically, the press also removes the primer in this process. The press is also used to seat the slugs or bullets into a case that has been reprimed and loaded with powder using a bullet seating die instead of a resizing die. As a considerable amount of pressure is exerted on the cartridge casing during resizing and bullet seating, the press is typically securely mounted to a workbench and the like. 
     In addition to the press and dies, there is a considerable amount of additional equipment the reloader has to have. The reloader must also have a scale or powder measuring device to ensure that the correct amount of powder is being placed into the cartridge casing. The reloader must also have a tool for inserting new primers into the casing. The reloader must also have a trimming device that allows the reloading to trim cases that are too long as a result of the resizing process. Moreover, various cleaning and deburring tools as well as calipers, polishing tools and the like are part of a reloader&#39;s reloading kit. 
     Further, the reloading must have dies, bullets, casings, and primers for each caliber of bullet that the reloader intends to reload as well as gun powder. All of this equipment and supplies can take up a considerable amount of room and is difficult to move around. Further, many reloaders prefer to have the equipment and bullet components secured in a secure container due to the inherent dangers of the component parts and supplies. 
     However, there is a lack of adequate storage containers for reloading equipment. Further, most reloaders mount their press on a fixed workbench as the press has to be securely anchored to be able to exert sufficient pressure on the casings to resize the casing and seat the bullets. As such, most reloading kits owned by reloaders are not portable from one location to another which limits the place where the reloader can reload bullets to the location where the press is anchored. 
     From the foregoing it will be appreciated that there is a need for a reloading storage container that is capable of storing the reloading components in useable positions and further includes a mounting surface that the press can be anchored to. There is also a need for the container to be easily secured while still permitting access to allow for the reloading of cartridges. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aforementioned needs are satisfied by the reloading storage container of the present invention which defines an interior space having at least one shelf. The at least one shelf is dimensioned and mounted to the container to permit a reloading press to be anchored to the shelf to permit resizing and bullet seating of dies using the press positioned within the container. The container in one embodiment includes a front door that opens and can be secured closed. The container in one embodiment includes a top surface that can be opened, to permit both access and light into the interior space of the container. The container may also define mounting locations for other reloading components. For example, the container may define a mounting location for a case trimmer on the door of the case. 
     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the reloading container of the present invention provides a container that can contain most, if not all, of the components pieces of equipment and supplies needed to reload firearm cartridges in a secure manner. The container can also be sized so as to be portable from one location to another so that the press can be used to reload shells at different locations. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a reloading ammunition storage container in a closed configuration; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the reloading ammunition storage container in an open configuration and 
         FIGS. 3A-3C  are dimensioned drawings of the components of the reloading ammunition storage container of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , one exemplary embodiment of the storage container  100  is shown. As illustrated, the container  100  includes a floor  102 , two fixed side walls  104   a ,  104   b , a back wall  106 , a movable top  108  and a movable front door  110 . The movable top  108  is preferably hinged at the back wall  106  and the door is preferably hinged at one of the side walls  104   b  so that the top  108  and the front door  110  can be opened allowing access to an interior space  112  of the container  100  in the manner shown in  FIG. 2 . One example of a hinge  164  that could be used to hinge the top  108  to the back wall  106  and the door to one of the side walls  104   b  is shown in  FIG. 3C . 
     As is also shown, various securing mechanisms  111  can be used to secure the door  110  and top  108  of the container in a closed configuration. These securing mechanisms can be clasps and can also accommodate locks to prevent unauthorized access into the interior of the container  100 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the interior space  112  of the container  100  is shown. As shown, in this example, there are two shelves  116   a  and  116   b . The lower shelf  116   a  includes a cut-out region  118  that is recess from the front door  110  of the container to accommodate a press  120 . The press  120  is mounted in a cantilevered fashion and the cut-out  118  has a depth sufficient so that the press  120  can be mounted so that a person can make use of the press in seating bullets and re-sizing shell casings with the door  110  open. However, the cut-out region  118  is sufficiently deep that the press  120  is recessed sufficiently to permit the door  110  to be closed in the manner shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The lower shelf  116   a  can also be configured to store a variety of other reloading equipment  128 ,  129  and supplies. As shown, the shelf accommodates a powder dispenser  128 . As will be discussed below in conjunction with  FIGS. 3A-3C , various mounting holes can be formed in the shelves  116   a ,  116   b  to accommodate a wide variety of different reloading equipment and supplies. 
     The upper shelf  116   b  is generally recessed from the door  110  so that light that enters the container  100  when the movable top  108  is open then illuminates at least a portion of the bottom shelf  116   a . This allows the bottom shelf  116   a  to be used as a workspace for performing tasks such as weighing out powder charges with scales and putting them into the shell casings, inspecting, measuring and deburring shell casings etc. 
     The upper shelf  116   b  can also be used to store components such as bullets, primers, funnels and other cleaning tools. Powder can also be stored on either of the shelves  116   a ,  116   b . Additional supplies and equipment can also be stored on the bottom surface  102  of the container  100 . 
     As is also shown in  FIG. 2 , one or more reinforcing members  130  can extend from the bottom surface  102  to the bottom shelf  116   a . As the press  120  is mounted on the bottom shelf  116   a , there is a considerable amount of force and leverage that is applied to the bottom shelf  116   b  which can require reinforcing of the shelf  116   b  to inhibit buckling or damage to the shelf  116   b  during re-sizing and bullet seating operations of the press  120 . 
     As is also shown in  FIG. 2 , an interior surface  122  of the door  110  can also include a shelf  124  that is sized to receive a case trimmer  126 . The case trimmer  126  generally has an axially extending cutting member and a holder for the shell casing and the shelf  124  can then extend so as to be long in an axial dimension and less wide so that the case trimmer  126  can be positioned on the shelf  124  and the door  110  closed without interfering with the press  120 . 
       FIGS. 3A-3C  are dimensioned drawings of one embodiment of the container  100 . It will be appreciated that the dimensions can, of course, change depending upon the application without departing from either the spirit or scope of the present invention and provide an example of one possible implementation of the container  100 . As shown in  FIG. 3A , the top shelf  116   b  may be equipped with a lip  140  to inhibit items from sliding off of the shelf  116   b . The bottom shelf  116   a  may include holes  142  for mounting of the press  120  and also mounting of the powder dispenser  128 . 
     Feet  147  can also be formed on the bottom surface  102  of the container  100  to facilitate stable mounting and positioning of the container  100 . Moreover, locking members  150   a ,  150   b  can be welded to the side wall  104   a  so that the latch mechanisms can be locked to the locking members  150   a ,  150   b . A shelf  160  with a plurality of holes  162  can also be mounted to the door  110  so that the shelf  160  can accommodate items like re-sizing and bullet seating dies for different bullet calibers. The door  110  and the lid  108  can also be flanged to facilitate more secure closings of the door  110  and lid  108 . 
     In overall dimensions, one example of the container is 14″ deep by 27″ tall by 27″ wide but these dimensions can vary from ½ of these dimensions to up to 3 times these dimensions. Two shelves  116  are shown, but it will be appreciated that a larger number of shelves can also be accommodated without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     It will be appreciated that the container  100  allows for the storage of all reloading related components and supplies. The container also facilitates reloading as the press  120  is securely mounted and all of the needed components and supplies can be positioned nearby in the container  100 . The container  100  can also be used to transport the reloading equipment and supplies from one location to another. This allows the reloading equipment to be used to reload cartridges at many different locations, including at the gun range. 
     It will be appreciated that various changes in the form and use of the described embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Hence, the present invention should not be limited to the foregoing discussion but should be defined by the appended claims.