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Tooling
list to maintain the Hornady 366:
Minimum
tools:
You
can get by with a 6” (150mm)
and 12” (300mm) crescent wrench, but the 7/8”
(22mm) open
end
wrench is a must for
access to the Taper-Loc bushing nut. This is the one that
tightens up against the die head casting. You'll also want a 9" (23mm)
long 3/16" (5mm) tip screwdriver to adjust the final crimp plunger and
removing dropped shot out
from the index plate.
Essential
tools:
(The 366 uses US SAE standard sizes. The metric
dimensions are only approximate.)
9" (23mm)
long 3/16" (5mm) tip screwdriver. Easily reaches in and gets shot out
from under the shell plate ring.
Also used when changing between gauges
and usable for final
crimp adjustment as well as changing
pre-fold dies from 8-fold to 6-fold
(prevents shaft from turning by jamming nut
or shaft, depending on the age of your dies). Can also be
used for adjusting wad guide height.
Needle-nosed
pliers; a smaller size is better. Pulls wads out of hulls and shot out
of the priming
station,
plus a myriad of other uses. Suggest Xcelite SN55 / Klein
D221-5½ or
equivalent.
9/16”
(15mm)
for die head hold
down bolts, final crimp
station lock nut and wad ram nut.
3/4" (19mm)
open end wrench;
used for
primer drop station lock nut and index plate hold down nut.
7/8" (22mm)
open end wrench; used for
primer seating
ram, the pre-fold die, and the Taper-Loc die lock nut.
A crescent
wrench is usable in place of the above, but
it won't reach in for the Taper-Loc die lock nut. Crescent wrenches
also have a way of damaging nut surfaces, particularly at the corners.
Occasional
tools:
1
1/4” (32mm) open ended wrench used for deprime
station, primer seating station and final crimp lock nuts.
5/32”
(4mm)
allen wrench for
primer seating station.
3/32" (2 mm) allen wrench for 28 and 410 flaring sleeve
3/8”
(8mm)
wrench primer
seating station.
9/16 (15mm)
deep socket and ratchet wrench
for under support bar tightening.
1/2”/13mm
used for operating
handle holding nut (older machines).
7/16”
(11mm)
for charge bar cam
and clevis rod (primer knockout linkage).
5/8”
(16mm) for platen
drive
bolts.
Long
shaft 5/16" (8mm)
nut
driver: Xcelite #L10 with a 6" (150mm) shaft. Ratchet sets tend be
wobbly with an extension. Used for setting the height of
the wad guide. Adjust the height to 2.6" (66 mm) from
the index plate.
This height pretty
much works well with all 2 3/4" (70mm) length 12, 20 and 28
gauge hulls. Set the 2 1/2" 410's height to 2 3/16"
(55mm).
Small
hammer for drive
link roll pins and to tap out the occasional stuck hull
from the
resize station. A flat head punch guilds the lily for the
latter job.
6”
(150mm)
steel
rule. To re-set
dies after an adjustment. Assumes you've pre-measured die
heights first...
Large
slip joint pliers. I
use 8” (200mm) size. Sometimes things just don't screw into
the
die head casting easily, even with thread cleaning
and a drop or two of
oil. A little electrical tape helps prevent marring.
If
a case mouth gets jammed in the final crimp die (due to insufficient or
defective pre-fold crimp) a protected-jaw bench vise may be
useful to take the
final
crimp die apart. Brass pulling off the hull will also force a
crimp die dis-assembly. Neither event happens very often.
If
the primer drop tube
gets
badly mis-adjusted, the
mouth can develop a burr preventing primers from dropping. A
small 1/2" (13mm) hand reamer judiciously applied works well to remove
the burr. A small 1/2 round file could be carefully used, as well.
Other
tools of use:
7”
(180mm) hull saver from
Precision Reloading, model MMHS7.
Shell
cutter to take apart
those shells that come out with BB losing crimps
(An alternative is
to drip candle wax on the crimp. Be careful with the open
candle flame! The dripped wax sealant -- use plenty -- usually
will
hold to the
range.). Yes, single edge razor blades and knives work, but the
potential for a mess is high. A shell
cutter helps with the
housekeeping, assuring the
loading area stays powder and shot
free by eliminating
spillage. Ballistic Products
and Precision Reloading both offer one and they are
often seen elsewhere. As on www.trapshooters.com.
Small
screwdriver with a hook bent into it. An
Xcelite R3322 is one model. Used to pull
open closed crimps and save
valuable hulls.
Inexpensive
micrometer
to use if you're curious about
shot size. Measure at least 25 to get a sense;
measure at least 300 if want definitive
answer (thanx to Larry Nailon
of Clearview products). Make several
measurements of each pellet
and average because shot is
not round (0.002" is very
good as these things go: I've seen +/- 0.008" and worse.) Putting the
measurements into a spread sheet and sorting
the values will also
allow you to assess grading quality. Make sure wash
your hands completely when
you are done.
You may
find a car radiator-fill size funnel useful for filling the shot and
powder
tubes and for returning powder to the keg.
Finally,
perhaps
a magnet with a long flexible
extension handle for picking
up primers and other parts
that somehow manage to get
into the darnedest, hardest-to-reach
spaces.
Link
to Part II
Link
to Part III
Thanx
to
Chuck
Dietl
for reviewing
and sharing his comments to make this
article better.
Appreciation
is extended to Ryan Vijil
for the
inspiration to write this series.
As
always in America in these times, use of
the
information above is at your own risk.
A
final
note of appreciation and a big thanks to Hornady
for
keeping
this
press in production and parts easily available!
Revised 5/16/2011
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