Looking to buy a Patriot machine. Any comments?

[JeffP]

Hi All
I'm looking at buying a new machine and found a Patriot available. Can't seem to find any others where I don't have to wait many months for delivery.
Anyway, I'm interested in any comments regards the Patriot machine.
Thanks

[Aussie Sapphire]

Sorry - have not seen a Patriot so cannot give any advice.  Hopefully others can assist.

From memory, they may have used an odd size dop and spare dops were difficult to source.   Most will will use quarter inch brass (or occasionally aluminium) to make dops with a variety of keying methods but I just have a feeling that Patriot/Omni used a weird size for some reason.  If you have a more standard size, then often dops from another machine may fit - they can often can be used no problem or can easily be manufactured if you have or know someone with a lathe.
 Probably not a deal breaker but maybe check on that before making the final decision.

Slow supply is definitely a big problem for just about all the manufacturers - seems impossible to get machines in a timely fashion.  Probably the main reason why we gave up on stocking them - was just too frustrating for both us and customers.

[Gearloose]

About 2 years ago I got talked into making dops for someone with one of these. I don't even enjoy making them for MYSELF any more. But anyway, I did it to help the guy out.  The dops were 7.6mm (.300 Inches.).  I don't know whay tyey chose this size,,Maybe they got a deal on that rod size? You can't buy it at stockists. 7.62 X 39 is what an AK47 takes.

[Ghost]

Hi Gearloose,
Great to hear from you again.
7.62mm is the size that the Australian made Hall X-tra uses.
The Patriot, Tom-Thumb, and Hall X-tra were all designed by Laurie Hall when he retired from manufacturing machines himself.
Extra dops may be available from the manufacturer of the X-tra, however, whilst these machines use the same calibre dops, they may have different keys for rotational orientation.
A Tom-Thumb owned by a member of our club has been sleeved down to 1/4 Inch so that it can use common Gemmasta dops.
Again, however, Gemmasta in South Australia has recently gone out of business and whilst Gemcuts in Qld has not yet recommenced production, they may be able to supple 1/4 inch dops.
Hope these ramblings help.
Regards,  Ghost.

[Gearloose]

Yeah, I tried talking a few owners into rebushing them to 1/4 Inch, or reaming them to 5/16 because at least we had a few manufacturers making that size.  So at last I know where that dimension came from because those are Hall heads. The heads are well respected and proven, but people have bitched about the rest of the machines, the bases. that were made here.

[FlashGP]

Hi Ghost,

Bunnings sells 1/4 inch aluminium rod in metre lengths for abt $6.

At a pinch your club member msy be able to make his/her own dops u ntil they can source brass ones.

The Hall dops are the perfect size for making bullets for 303 rifles as they are about a thou under the bore size.   

I have been thinking of making some 25cal concave cutter mandrels from the aluminium as I don't have a lathe, but it should be relatively uniform in diameter.  Being soft it should take a good charge, but may need to be recharged after a couple of stones.

Any thoughts?

Regards
Flash