aluminum powder funnels - 12/19/02
All of us who grew up in this game using aluminum powder funnels deplore and despise the plastic junkers that's all there is today. Over on That Other Board, a GOB yearned thus:
<br>"wish I could still find small Aluminum powder funnels. No static cling like the plastic ones."
<br>
<br>Thought maybe my answer there would interest some here as well, FWIW:
<br>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
<br>
<br>Aluminum funnels are still available as cookware accessories -- with spouts too big for use as-is for powder. But fret thee ne'er, for there's an easy do-it-yourself fix.
<br>
<br>SOLUTION:
<br>Cut the head off a cartridge case that's big enough to fit over (or wedge tight inside) the funnel spout, with a neck small enough to fit loosely into the mouths of the cases that you're loading. In some instances, you may have to use two case bodies, one inside the other -- one ('06 or Magnum) to reduce the size of the funnel spout, the other (.17 Remington, for example) to fit inside the mouths of the cases that you're loading (.220, say). Tumble-polish both case-body adapters until they're gleaming-slick inside and out.
<br>
<br>If the slip-over fit is such that the case body has to fit INside the funnel spout, chamfer the upper edge of the case body to leave as small an annular ledge there as possible. Ditto if the smaller case body must go INside the larger. It's better, of course, to have the smaller (lower) step-down fit OVER the upper, but fitting the smaller one inside the larger one seems to work OK without letting any powder hang-up inside.
<br>
<br>In any event, GOODBYE static-electric charges that make powder granules stick to plastic funnels.
<br>
<br>I have two "kitchen" funnels fitted like this with the bodies, shoulders, and necks of cut-off cases, and I have two additional operations to do on 'em -- (a) swaging the funnel spouts down a bit smaller in a sizing die ('06 maybe) and (b) necking a .223 case to .17 Remington before I cut it off, for loading .22 Hornet, .223, .22-.250, and .220 Howell. The smallest adapter I now have is the upper part of a .223 case with a neck big enough to feed powder well, small enough to fit inside the mouth of any case from about .257, .264, or .270 on up. (I haven't tried it in anything smaller than a .338 yet.)
<br>
<br>Also, you can dispense with the funnel altogether for throwing charges directly into your cases with a powder measure. Adapt a cut-off case (as above) to fit inside the bottom feeder tube of the powder measure, either inside or instead of the removable, interchangeable drop tube in the bottom of the measure's base casting. (Some of these are now plastic too.)
<br>
<br>I'll have photos of these modifications in magazine articles and a couple of my books, eventually. Until then, I hope the above description will be enough to make it easy for you to see and do the same for your own loading set-up.
<br>"wish I could still find small Aluminum powder funnels. No static cling like the plastic ones."
<br>
<br>Thought maybe my answer there would interest some here as well, FWIW:
<br>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
<br>
<br>Aluminum funnels are still available as cookware accessories -- with spouts too big for use as-is for powder. But fret thee ne'er, for there's an easy do-it-yourself fix.
<br>
<br>SOLUTION:
<br>Cut the head off a cartridge case that's big enough to fit over (or wedge tight inside) the funnel spout, with a neck small enough to fit loosely into the mouths of the cases that you're loading. In some instances, you may have to use two case bodies, one inside the other -- one ('06 or Magnum) to reduce the size of the funnel spout, the other (.17 Remington, for example) to fit inside the mouths of the cases that you're loading (.220, say). Tumble-polish both case-body adapters until they're gleaming-slick inside and out.
<br>
<br>If the slip-over fit is such that the case body has to fit INside the funnel spout, chamfer the upper edge of the case body to leave as small an annular ledge there as possible. Ditto if the smaller case body must go INside the larger. It's better, of course, to have the smaller (lower) step-down fit OVER the upper, but fitting the smaller one inside the larger one seems to work OK without letting any powder hang-up inside.
<br>
<br>In any event, GOODBYE static-electric charges that make powder granules stick to plastic funnels.
<br>
<br>I have two "kitchen" funnels fitted like this with the bodies, shoulders, and necks of cut-off cases, and I have two additional operations to do on 'em -- (a) swaging the funnel spouts down a bit smaller in a sizing die ('06 maybe) and (b) necking a .223 case to .17 Remington before I cut it off, for loading .22 Hornet, .223, .22-.250, and .220 Howell. The smallest adapter I now have is the upper part of a .223 case with a neck big enough to feed powder well, small enough to fit inside the mouth of any case from about .257, .264, or .270 on up. (I haven't tried it in anything smaller than a .338 yet.)
<br>
<br>Also, you can dispense with the funnel altogether for throwing charges directly into your cases with a powder measure. Adapt a cut-off case (as above) to fit inside the bottom feeder tube of the powder measure, either inside or instead of the removable, interchangeable drop tube in the bottom of the measure's base casting. (Some of these are now plastic too.)
<br>
<br>I'll have photos of these modifications in magazine articles and a couple of my books, eventually. Until then, I hope the above description will be enough to make it easy for you to see and do the same for your own loading set-up.