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All feedback (106)
- mikes_milsurps (260)- Feedback left by buyer.More than a year agoVerified purchaseA+++++++++ Buyer I look forward to doing business with you again!
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Reviews (14)
Apr 08, 2017
Great for TEOTWAWKI
I love black powder firearms.
I bought this tap in order to add to my long-term survival gear. I use commercial caps, but wanted a product to be able to use when the grid goes down type of situation.
I make my own black powder from scratch (no need to buy it when you can make it), but one thing that is tough to make are percussion caps if you don't have this tap and die!
It works best with strong aluminum pie pans (the throw-away kind) and regular aluminum cans as a second choice. The pie pans provide strong enough aluminum that is not too hard (which will create misfires if your hammer spring is not strong enough).
Use thick aluminum foil/pie pans instead of soda-pop cans.
This product is worth having if you are one who wants the ability to continue firing your cap and ball black powder weapons after percussion caps are no longer available.
Keep on hand several unopened "paper cap" rolls and the disposable pie pans in your survival gear.
I would recommend learning how to make your own caps a few times just to know how this system operates. I have had NO misfires when using 3Fg powder. I use the wet method of making my own BP and ball-mill it to 3Fg size. When using commercial 3Fg, I have not had a problem with ignition.
Overall... if you shoot BP and/or have a BP percussion fired weapons in your survival gear, this tap and die (with needed paper caps and aluminum) will keep your smokepole firing long after commercial supplies have dried up!
May 27, 2018
Better than expected!
For the price of this little single burner plate, I was expecting moderate performance.
I tested all the settings (high, medium and low) to "burn off newness" as instructed (it smoked a little due to it being new, just as any appliance needs a minute to "season" itself). The plate got up to VERY hot temperatures in a mere minute from turning it on. After a few seconds, the factory newness smoke had burned away and the plate retained the heat output - warning, the base gets very hot, too!
The controls are far too simple. Turn the dial from off to the setting you need it, the light comes on and within a minute, even high temperature is reached. Cleaning is simple once the unit has cooled down, but do not use a harsh scraper to clean the burner plate (I did and scratched a small tiny portion of the coating off the plate) - totally my fault due to the knife I used to clean off burnt-on noodles!
Even with the hairline scratch to the plate, it still performs cooking as it is supposed to... just use a soft towel to wipe it clean.
Sep 23, 2016
Minie Balls cheap!
1 of 1 found this helpful PROS:
The cost of this Lee .58 mold (500 grain) is less than one box of store-bought Minie Balls in a 50 count box.
Far too simple to use! Follow the direction that come with the mold and with no practice, I was able to create perfect Minie Balls of my own... as long as I have pure lead, I have bullets for my reproduction 1861 Springfield Rifle Musket.
The wood handle keeps the heat off your hands, but since you work with molten lead, it's just wise to use leather gloves (I used simple welders gloves).
The bullets this mold makes are far superior to using patched round balls. No patches required with Minie balls and the balls this makes are perfectly uniform in shape. The mold locks up tight and I have not had to hand file/cut with razor knife any mold markings.
CONS:
Single cavity... one pour, one bullet. It takes a while to make 200 Minie balls, but the cost savings over buying boxes of 50 are worth the price and time.
500 grains... in my opinion, I could have gone with a lighter bullet. 500 grains eats up 5 pounds of lead pretty quick (still makes a lot of bullets, but unless you truly need a 500 grain bullet, I would recommend going for a lighter weight mold cavity).
No other "cons" about this mold. As you can see, the "cons" that I listed are not really bad at all. You can SEE that it is a single cavity, so you know what you're getting anyway... and if you need a 500 grain, hard-hitting Minie ball, that's what you get!
Overall, this is an outstanding investment. No more hunting through supply stores asking "Do you carry any .58 Minie balls?" just to hear "Nope". With this mold, you always have access to the .58 Minie Balls!