Method and tool for reconditioning expended shotshells

A hand tool for reconditioning an expended shotshell including a hollow tubular portion composed of thermoplastic material and a closed end base portion, said tubular portion having an opened mouth portion at the opposite end thereof, said mouth portion being crimped axially, comprising:

• an elongated body member having a rear handle portion terminating at its front end in a conductive tip portion, said handle being adapted to be held in the hand of the user, the outer surface of said tip portion being adapted to be heated by an external source of heat to a high temperature in a range between 275 degrees Fahrenheit and about 325 degrees Fahrenheit sufficient to melt the thermoplastic material of the shotshell tubular portion and to be inserted into the tubular portion of the shotshell to smooth out the axially extending crimps for reshaping purposes, said body member having an intermediate reduced diameter portion disposed adjacent to and rearwardly of the tip portion of the body member to retard greatly the axial rearward transfer of heat therethrough, and said body member having a generally cylindrical larger diameter shell conditioning portion disposed adjacent and rearwardly of the reduced diameter portion to maintain said shell conditioning portion at a lower temperature relative to the hot tip portion, said shell conditioning portion for receiving the melted mouth portion of the tubular portion of the shotshell and for permitting it to cool slightly to maintain its circular cross-sectional shape as the heated tip portion advances manually in an axial direction toward the end portion of the tubular portion, wherein said reduced diameter portion and said conditioning portion each has substantially the same diameter and each is axially tapered increasing in cross-sectional area from the tip end portion rearwardly to facilitate the entering of the interior of the shotshell tubular portion, said handle portion being disposed in an axial rearward direction of said shell conditioning portion to be maintained at a lower temperature to permit the grasping thereof by the hand of the user.