Belding and Mull hopper extension

[Luke]

Loading some BP .50-70 rounds this weekend, using my B&M measure (my dedicated BP measure) and a drop tube. 50 rounds for a steel plate combat match. Emptying the last of a bottle of Olde Eynsford into that little hopper . . . Hmmmm, that's damn close. Wiggle it around a bit. Real close. A few strokes of a file on the bottle threads, yep, it snugs firmly in. I got a box cutter on the loading bench. Cut off the bottom of the bottle. It's a touch larger than the body, makes a nice cap. Fill it up maybe a third of the way, and go to loading.

This was too easy. There's something wrong with this . . . right?

(Got this one off Ebay, run it without the spring, thanks to someone for the shoe polish tip)

[SSShooter]

Also a B&M user. Got tired of the smallish hopper. Threw the vernier on the hopper-tube and found that the dimension was almost perfect to allow the use of a piece of thin-wall copper pipe to slip over nicely to increase the volume. Is a tight enough fit that no powder slips down between the tubes and the 12" long piece allows me to go thru a full loading session with only one refill. Doesn't quite hold the full pound of a bottle of powder, but that could be easily solved with a couple of inch longer piece of pipe.

Craig - the match director at the Ridgway, PA matches, provided the shoe polish tip several years ago. I've found that cordavan works best.

[trapper]

I also use a B&M measurer from time to time. May I ask what the shoe polish trick might be?

Trapper

[Luke]

Kiwi shoe polish makes a great lubricant for the sliding block.

[trapper]

Thanks Luke.

Trapper

[DeadEye]

If you are loading with Swiss and you know you will use all that's in the bottle all you need do is turn it upside down in the hopper. Works like a chicken feeder. The key is using all that's in the bottle. I suppose if you had a spare bottle you could just stroke it until the transfer was done. I load in blocks of 100 rounds and at 69 grains per round I know I will use it all. The Olde 'E' mouth on the bottle is too big to do this without modification as described by the OP.

Paul

[SSShooter]

If I tried to 'balance' an opened bottle of powder upside-down in my B&M there would soon be half-a-bottle's worth of powder scattered around on the loading bench and floor.

[Woody]

Glenn,

Tape it on with two strips of painters masking tape. I do.

Woody

[DeadEye]

Glen,

I learned long ago never to say never but in 12 years and thousands of rounds it hasn't happened YET!

Paul