Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters aluminum powder funnels

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."
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<br>Thought maybe my answer there would interest some here as well, FWIW:
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<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.
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<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.
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<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.
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<br>In any event, GOODBYE static-electric charges that make powder granules stick to plastic funnels.
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<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.)
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<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.)
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<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.

You can get machined aluminum powder funnels from Sinclair. www.sinclairintl.com They are made by Saunders, and the various models cover .17 through .45 cal. I have one, and it is of excellent quality.
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<br>Jeff

Thanks for the tip, Jeff!
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<br>I was vaguely aware that Sinclair had somebody's aluminum funnels -- but I'm a fossil relic of the days when "make your own" and "improvise" were cardinal rules by necessity, long before the current assumption that if you can't find it for sale somewhere, you'll have to do without. So that vague hearsay awareness that I could get new "store-boughten" aluminum funnels from Sinclair was easy to forget.

Many, many years ago we made a reloading set that fit in the bench top drill press in the Optical shop of the USS ***** ****** (name withheld for legal reasons) My buddy made a brass trickler and funnel. I still have both and plan to die with them. For those who are blessed with a home lathe, try making your own. You will never part with them.

Scott, I'd take it as a GREAT favor if you'd lend me that brass trickler and funnel long enough to photograph 'em for a special section in a couple of my books. I'll return 'em ASAP, with lasting gratitude.
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<br>I agree that a good lathe is one of the best "loading tools" a handloader can have. My Myford Super 7B long-bed is in storage in Colorado, and wonderful will be the day when it's in a permanent new home in the Powley Center shop.

When I dig them out I will contact you. We are living in a canyo in Central OR. No power or water into the house and no phone lines. I only get to visit here when spending time with on of my married kids. Much of our stuff is packed away out of reach until we build a real cabin. I will keep you in mind. If I can get a little lathe time while on this visit I may just be able to make a set for you. On the house. We will see.

You're quite welcome, Ken. I too, believe in improvised solutions. I will have a lathe some day. My list of things I would make, if I had one, is getting too long.
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<br>Jeff

Both of my old aluminum funnels are simple spun metal, and they were sold by Hornady. Maybe contacting Hornady would result in their return.

Ken; Precision Reloading offers small anodized aluminum funnels both caliber specific and universal. They also have them in pint and fraction of pint sizes. They are a bit pricy but of good quality.

www.precisionreloading.com
1-800-223-0900

I`m not afiliated with them but have used their funnels for ~10yrs now and have been happy with them.