New to reloading

[tinbum]

But for the plague, we would today be heading up from La tranche sur mer with the tintent on our way to near pont chateau. I would have been able to get you a press set up, teach you to reload, drop you off a nice leather badger bag and a bp box. And maybe convinced the missus that a place in France would be just right for us.

Damn the plague.

There's lots of Summer left

[JB101]

Yes, I size and deprime before US cleaning. I don't think the cleaner would get to the primer pockets if the primer were still in place.

I load 50 neck down into the plastic brick thingy found inside most boxes of cartridges (make sure that they are open at the bottom - some are closed and this will stop the vibrations getting into the case) drop the brick into the basket and zap for (I think) 6 minutes - it's the longest setting on my bath. Then I carefully lift out the brick and basket together, remove the basket and invert it on to the brick, then holding the brick in place turn the whole thing the right way up so now you have the cases neck down in the basket - put it all back in the cleaner and zap it for another 6 minutes. As I said before do not let the cases sit in the bath for long after it has finished - the fine crud will settle out on to the cases and it is very hard to get off again. I set a kitchen timer 'cos it is very easy to get engrossed in sometihng else and forget and I certainly cannot stand and watch it for 6 minutes. I usually then just give it a blow to get most of the drops off and sit it on a radiator overnight to dry. If I am in a hurry then I dry then in an oven (not in the brick!) but I usually have plenty of dry ones from earlier sessions to use.

Now is a good time to inspect the cases. IME when they are past it they develop cracks in the case mouth (that part gets worked each time you flare and crimp it). It is not particularly dangerous if a case is split and you miss it. It is supported during firing by the chamber wall but the crimp tension will not be so good. If it gets really bad there is a possibility of a piece of the case getting into the barrel but I have never had this, even with a case which ended up split from mouth to almost touching the rim (case material gets thicker towards the base). I bin them when they get a visible split.

To prolong case life use the smallest amount of mouth flare and the smallest amount of crimp possible. You can barely detect the flare on mine and I crimp only enough to leave the mouth parallel (i.e. remove the flare) but no more. Care setting this up is invested because it rarely needs to be adjusted again unless changing to a different brand of case which is a slightly different length.

I do not use case lube. I think it is more important on necked rifle cartridges than on straight pistol cartridges but others may know better.

Case lube not required for straight wall pistol cases if carbide dies are being used
Years ago guns & ammo did a reload test one 38 special case reloaded 150 times ,it had split almost all the way down to the rim .The test gun was a revolver so no feed issues which could happen in a semi and the cylinder sides supported the case.

[aris]

If you like a good read and some fascinating insights into the development of various powders and projectiles, along with a great range of reloading data for both pistol and rifle, then Philip Sharpe's "Complete Guide to Handloading" is worth getting hold of. First published in 1937 it includes data for propellants which are still available today. I downloaded a copy from the internet...…. booksellers also have them but buying from the USA will incur significant postage charges!

I think postage is the least of your worries. A used hardcover version of this book costs £300+ on Amazon.

[severnsider]

I think postage is the least of your worries. A used hardcover version of this book costs £300+ on Amazon.

That's just bonkers. I've seen a few for $40 on AbeBooks and similar..... It IS lurking on the internet but at 400+ pages it will be costly to print off. I have a .PDF copy that I could send you if you are interested?

[aris]

That's just bonkers. I've seen a few for $40 on AbeBooks and similar..... It IS lurking on the internet but at 400+ pages it will be costly to print off. I have a .PDF copy that I could send you if you are interested?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Gu...dp/0935632646/

I have a large collection of PDF's and other shooting/reloading ebooks and this one is included (the 1937 one). Bit of research shows the author died in 1961 - and copyright in the UK expires 70 years after the authors death so 2031. Technically - breach of copyright, but seeing as how the book is out of print, I personally would have no qualms distributing it.

To be honest, you don't really need a book to get started. Just some basic instruction from an experienced reloader, common sense, an eye for detail, and some reliable load data.

[tacfoley]

I do not use case lube. I think it is more important on necked rifle cartridges than on straight pistol cartridges but others may know better.

I'd echo jb101's post - a carbide sizing die for your straight-sided pistol calibre cases won't need clean cases. I've been shooting the same 1000 or so .357 Magnum nickel cases since 2002 in my Ruger Super Redhawk from Sabre Defence Systems. Over that time they have ALL been reloaded at least five times with the same load of 6.5gr of Bullseye in a calibre-dedicated Lee turret press.

The only time I don't shoot reloads is when our LGS has a freeby day to try out different brands - then I might buy some FMJ full-house loads to use to 'clean out' the barrel after a decent number of lead rounds have gone through.

[tinbum]

Just powder to go!

[IMG][/IMG]

[loiner1965]

Just powder to go!

[IMG][/IMG]

great......can you buy a dedicated crimp die ?
you can use the seating die but better if you had a separate crimp

[DedIdick]

He's already got one for 9mmP.

[tinbum]

He's already got one for 9mmP.

I have indeed! I am reading everything ever written now, I may be quite some time..

[JB101]

You will need a kinetic hammer to take apart rounds (that is if you don’t already have one
You should now be able to set everything up and make some dummy rounds to get used to the press (don’t bother priming them).
The newer lee dies may well taper crimp as well I’ve not looked it up , but read it somewhere.

[tinbum]

As well as powder, I also need to find a suitable worktop. Mrs Bum is being unreasonable again and won't let me drill holes in her kitchen table.

[DedIdick]

As well as powder, I also need to find a suitable worktop. Mrs Bum is being unreasonable again and won't let me drill holes in her kitchen table.

Lee make a portable stand; have a good look at one, then get somebody to copy it for you, if you can't do it yourself.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=le...alu_EfWutPKVFM

[clueless]

As well as powder, I also need to find a suitable worktop. Mrs Bum is being unreasonable again and won't let me drill holes in her kitchen table.

Women are weird that way, I made my bench from some trestle table legs liberated from a skip and a length of oak kitchen worktop, very stable platform for a press and dirt cheap as well

Always a bonus..Andy

[tacfoley]

Just powder to go!

[IMG][/IMG]

You might care to offload the S&B primers onto some unsuspecting noob [just kidding]. IME of almost 55 years reloading they are nigh-on total shite. CCI are THE primers - if you have access to them.