Oftentimes we think of a new product in the sense that it has to be something big. It has to revolutionize the world or change the nature of how we do things. This is not that product. In fact, it is so simple that I honestly did not think I had much of anything. The idea came about while sitting in my boss’s office. He tossed me a gadget, something you would get as swag at a trade show.
It was a multitool not unlike the tool I’ve modeled to the left. So ambiguous that if you tried to find one through google it would be hard to search for it. What do you put in for a description? A radial hex bit holder? I tried to find a picture but nothing came up so I spent about ten minutes and modeled it in CAD.
Anyone worth their salt will tell you these tools are pretty much useless. If you need to make a quick adjustment on a sight and the screw is not too tight you might get by with a tool like this but no one is going to do serious work with these tools. However, I started to play with in my hands and realized there might be something here, not as a screwdriver but as a bit holder that could be used for brass prep.
Before we discuss the tool itself there are a few things you ought to know:
- What may surprise you is some of the standards, written or unwritten, that reloading company seem to follow. Well, known is the 7/8-14 size for reloading dies. That and the T-Slot that shell holders that work in just about any brand press regardless of who makes the shell holder or the press. Brass prep tools all seem to share a common theme as well. They are all threaded 8-32. In fact, it’s not just brass prep tools, a lot of your cleaning tools such as brushes, jags, and the like are threaded 8-32.
- Brass is a very soft metal, is takes very little force when using a sharp tool to cut. Infact I find that most people tend to over do it when it comes to prepping their brass, they tend to take off too much materials because they use more force then is needed. This is especially true when a deburring a very light touch is all that is required.
- I have spent many, many days sitting back in a lazy boy doing my brass prep watching my favorite TV show. This means often I did not have a power trimmer or prep station nearby.
So keeping the aforementioned points in mind, I think you begin to see where my mind went. A combination tool that allowed me to screw in the bits I needed to prep brass very quickly. This is how “The Puck” was born. Four radial holes threaded 8-32 with a center hole likewise threaded 8-32. I can screw in an OD deburr, an ID Deburr, a primer pocket cleaner, and a crimp cutter all on a tool that fits in the palm of my hand. Then it is a matter of picking up a piece of brass, holding the Puck between my thumb and fore finger and I can process that brass very quickly.
Does it replace the power prep stations on the market? Not at all. However, for the guy who has all of the brass prep tools, each on a dedicated handle, it does make things a bit easier keeping things right there at your fingertips. Unlike the hex bit holder, this is something that is a functional tool with real use. It has surprised me, what you can do with it. I have screwed in a flash hole deburring tool in the center hole and done a few cases with no problem at all. I own several RCBS, Lyman, and other brands of tool handles and I can say with a fair bit of confidence this is just as useful.
As part of the design process, I wanted this tool to last a lifetime of use, and to actually have it as a functional tool. This is one of the reasons I made it out of 416 Stainless Steel. You are unlikely to wear out the threads, it’s not going to rust on you, and it has a bit of heft to it. It feels comfortable in the hand. It’s also magnetic, which most people will find odd since it is stainless steel. However stick a magnet on your press, and you can stick this right to it and have it ready to do a bit of touch-up work as you are reloading.
This also becomes a bit of a handy tool for firearm cleaning. Since any 8-32 threaded cleaning rod, brush, or jag will thread into any of the holes you can toss it in your cleaning kit and it becomes a handy little handle to screw bushes or picks into. We found the picks offer by Breakthrough Clean to work pretty darn well. They also offer an 8-32 threaded punch, and some short sections of cleaning rod. It does not take much to assemble a cleaning kit for a pistol using this puck a section of 4in cleaning rod, a brush, a jag, and a few patches. If you prefer a pull-through cable for your field cleaning kit, The Puck acts as a nice pull handle. Just screw it on and pull.
As I started off, sometimes a new product is simple. It is not as sexy as a new press, or as memorizing as a powder trickier but can make your life a bit easier. This is that type of product, a simple little tool that is meant to be convenient and functional. Especially for the new handloader looking to start out on a budget. These are for sale at Creedmoor Sports.com. They are 100% made in the USA. If you get a moment check them out, and then let me know your thoughts. Click the link here to be taken to the product page