Start the pin, put a case in there and hold the bolt and case with one hand, one little tap on the pin and you should be able to release the case then lay the bolt down and put the pin in the rest of the way
That's exactly what I ended up doing ... no need to remove the pin all the way, actually. Just got hard to hold onto the bolt (or secure it on the bench), the case holding down the plunger, the punch and the hammer all at the same time.
That would certainly make things easier, but when I saw it it reminded me of using an abacus instead of a calculator!
I will blow it out with compressed air and try it again.
I didn't make the one in the original post. Mine was fashioned out of a BFA. $0.00 invested, just some time.
Yes, sometimes it seems you need a third hand. In the past, I have driven a nail with a large head into the side of my loading bench. Pushing against the ejector with the nail head, I finish by softly tapping the pin the rest of the way. I have also drilled a hole in the side of the bench and driven an old case into the hole. Then proceed as with the nail. Using the case works best for me. The nail also works except the round head of the ejector is prone to slipping off the nail head. I've done it this way for many years and it takes less than a minute to complete the procedure with just 2 hands!
I like the idea of the BFA ..... simple and definitely would make things more manageable. Great idea!
You can put an old case in a vise and do it pretty easy too. I made a tool similar to the sinclair one with multiple boltface inserts
I have these and find them useful for so many things. I also use the Brownells tool to depress the ejector.
Not a bad idea for calibers where brass is plentiful
probably should have tried that!
