Copyright 1997, Belvoir Publications, inc, All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is strickly prohibited. Reproduced with permission.
Here are a number of tips and recommendations on reloading equipment and procedures to make reloading safer, easier and more fun.
In previous issues, we have evaluated different types of reloading equipment and accessories. So, we decided it was time to cover various aspects of reloading equipment, safety and procedures. Although we will be discussing metallic cartridge reloading, some of this information is also applicable to shotshell reloading.
Due to the continuing rise in the cost of ammunition, reloading as a hobby has steadily increased in popularity. Also, many new bullet designs are not available in commercially-loaded ammunition, so the only way to use them is to handload them yourself.
With reasonable caution, following a set of safety rules and a basic understanding of the measurement and assembly methods needed, handloading can be one of the safest and most rewarding parts of shooting. The tools now available for this hobby are the best ever. The majority are accurate, rugged and reliable. Treated with care, most of them will last a lifetime.
Many informative books are available to guide the reloader. As time goes on and one becomes experienced, habits are formed that could be either good or bad. Sometimes we do not realize a habit is bad until something happens. Upon examination, we find that how we were doing something was not the best or the safest way.
Reloading safety is not something to just be preached, it should be practiced in strict accordance with the laws of common sense founded on the book of good judgment. In most cases, he who pays the price for the violation of these laws will be the reloader and/or those around him. Reloading is best practiced alone or only in the company of one other person. With too many people around to distract you, mistakes can and will be made. If you are not self-disciplined, stick with factory ammunition.
Reloading is not something you have to do, it is something you must want to do. Each step in the process is something to savor, not just something to hurry through so you can progress to the next step. The success of each step in the process is dependent not only on itself, but also on the steps prior to it. Finding a defect in a case or a bullet early in the game helps keep costs to a minimum and guarantees the quality and the safety of the final product.
Take nothing for granted. If you are not sure of something you are doing, stop. If you are not sure you did something right earlier, stop. Don't be embarrassed to admit to yourself you did something wrong. Embarrassment is just a modification of the state of mind, but reloading mistakes can cause a modification of the state of the body.
The following information has been developed by over twenty years of reloading experience and some personal likes and dislikes. The second portion of this two-part article will be in the next issue.
We will assume that you have purchased one of the fine books on the market that offers a step by step procedure for reloading. Lyman, RCBS and others publish such books. We find the Lyman series of books to be the most informative. They seem to have a larger range of loads for just about any type of cartridge, powder, and bullet combination. We suggest that before even thinking of starting, you read one of these books from cover to cover so you are aware of the basic steps of reloading.
At this point, it is important to point out that some terms can be used interchangeably and basically mean the same thing. The terms reloading or handloading are, in our opinion, one in the same. The terms shell and case are usually the same. The term cartridge usually defines the point where a shell has had something inserted or loaded into it, but some texts will use it as a substitute for case or shell.
Next, we will assume that you have purchased the basic reloading tools of the trade; a scale, a press, lube pads, dies, neck brushes, primer pocket cleaner, brass cleaning accessories, brass trimmer, shell holders, etc. There are several kits on the market that bundle together many of these items at a reasonable cost and can get you started almost right away.
Items such as shell holders and trimmer pilots are best purchased in a bundled package. You will end up with some items you might never use. But, the final cost per item is so reasonable that you end up ahead, especially if you reload several calibers and types of ammunition.
For the beginner, choosing the kind of die set is usually the hardest decision. For handgun or rifle, we think the novice should buy a three-die set. These sets include a sizing die (and primer decapper), a neck expanding die (to expand out the neck to the proper dimension after sizing) and a seating/ crimping die for bullet placement and some form of crimping.
Experienced reloaders will benefit from using a fourth die, which crimps the mouth of a case separately. This is a worthwhile addition if you are loading for semiautomatics. Specialty seating dies, usually for rifles, are offered. But, in most cases, the average reloader has little need for them. They are for loading benchrest and match-grade ammunition.
For straight-wall revolver cartridges, such as .38 Special and .357 Magnum, we use only carbide sizing dies. This type of die eliminates the need to lubricate the cases, which is needed with a non-carbide die to keep cases from sticking in the die during the sizing operation. It also slightly polishes the case. While this type of die is a little more expensive, we think it is definitely worth the extra money. When it comes to buying dies, try to stick with the same manufacturer. By doing this, setup, feel, adjustment and some parts are the same.
Several companies now make a decapping-only die that is used to just deprime spent shells. This is an extremely handy tool if you have several calibers and types of shells to deprime. It is fast and easy to use. We use this die to decap the shells before tumbling. The danger with this process is that you now have a bunch of clean, unsized shells that could be mistaken for sized shells at a future date. After cleaning, it is best to size them immediately to avoid any future confusion.
If you decide not to size them, then these shells need to be stored in clearly-marked boxs or bags so you don't accidentally try to load them. Remember, when it comes to rifle or other taper-walled cases, you have to go through an extra step of cleaning all the lubricant off after sizing. If you size, wipe and then tumble, the tumbler media will take care of removing the small amount of remaining lube on the cases.
We think a tumbler is a necessary item for the reloader. Tumbled brass is cleaner and nicer looking then the so-called chemically cleaned brass. When the brass is polished, splits and other case flaws are much easier to spot. Regardless of which method you use, it is important to clean brass before any type of sizing operation. Dirt and residue can destroy a sizing die, not to mention making a deep scratch in your brass. We like tumbling-type cleaning machines instead of vibrating ones because they are quieter and less distracting.
We use only a dry media (crushed walnut shells) and occasionally recharge the media with a polishing compound. If you have deprimed your brass before tumbling, which is recommended, make sure you check each primer pocket for stuck media in the flash hole while doing your follow-up brass inspection for flaws. An initial inspection should be done before any sizing or depriming operation.
Another important reloading item is a scale to check bullet weights and the accuracy of the powder charge thrown by your powder dispenser. Scales used for reloading are calibrated in grains and typically have a maximum capacity of 500 or 1,000 grains. Some form of check weights should also be considered to assure yourself of the ongoing accuracy of your scale.
Beginners might be tempted to buy an electronic scale, but we recommend a less costly mechanical scale. They are accurate and rugged. If you plan to reload mostly medium-caliber rifle or handgun ammunition, the 500-grain scale is more than enough. For big-bore magnum rifles, you better opt for the 1,000-grain scale. Electronic scales are expensive and are best suited for the more advanced reloader. The extra hassle of checking, zeroing and calibrating the scale often can be a distracting nuisance to the beginner. When the time comes for an electronic scale, you will know it.
The heart of the reloading system is the press. Presses come in several styles. For the beginning reloader, the manual O-type press is a good choice. This press holds a single die for one operation. When another operation is called for, the die must be removed and replaced with another one.
The C-type press is similar in appearance to the O-type press, but we do not recommend it. This type of press is subject to being sprung if a large amount of force is applied while using it. This usually occurs when doing a swaging type operation or working with a magnum rifle cartridge. We have not seen this type of press on the market lately, but used ones are still around.
Another type of press is the automatic or progressive press. We don't think they are suitable for the beginner, regardless of what advertisers say. They are somewhat complicated to set up. Also, unless one is thoroughly aware of the various stages of reloading, things could happen or go unnoticed that can create a potentially hazardous situation. For the person who only loads several hundred rounds a year, we don't think this type of press is worth the extra money.
Some consider the Lyman T-Mag turret-type press to be the best overall. With this press, you set up a complete set of dies and a powder dispenser on the turret head. With the die lock rings in place, setup only takes a few minutes and each stage of the sizing, charging and seating operation is as close as a turn of the turret
Final on the list of needed items are measuring and trimming tools. A must is a six-inch dial caliper for measuring. Electronic ones are fairly inexpensive, but a dial version (accurate to 0.001 inch) is even cheaper and a better choice for the beginner. This tool is needed to check dimensions to make sure all are within specifications. We use it mostly for measuring case length to determine when a case needs to be trimmed. Several companies make a case length gauge, but the caliper is a much better tool for this and can be used for many other purposes.
Whether a cartridge is reloaded once or several times, it will lengthen. Within certain parameters, this causes little problem. But, at some point, the case will need to be trimmed back to its proper length. Several varieties of trimmers are on the market, ranging from a file-die trimmer to a bench-mounted machine with a hand crank or an electric motor. After trying several types, we have found the hand cranked type to be the best. When fitted with a carbide cutter, these tools are fast and accurate. If you have problems with your hands, the motor driven type is a good choice. Remember, most trimmers need various pilots and/or shell holders
The small items we use in reloading are as necessary as the big items. The list can vary some, but necessary things are cotton gloves, various picks and probes, a magnifying glass, safety glasses or a face shield, mineral oil, dish washing detergent, alcohol, case neck brushes, primer pocket cleaning tools, a chamfering and deburring tool, a loading block, a kinetic bullet puller, rags and toothpicks.
It will go without saying that you have your reloading equipment set up and ready to go. You have read a book on reloading procedures, and have selected the powder, primers and the bullets that you are planning to use based on current published information.
About a day before use, you should wash any plastic components in a liquid dish detergent and water. The detergent will form a film on the plastic and greatly reduce any potential for static buildup. When working with primers and gun powder, a static discharge could be very hazardous. This condition is especially prevalent in the winter with the dry house air and the tendency to wear heavier clothes that can generate a considerable amount of static if brushed against any plastic. This process will usually not completely stop static electricity, but it can greatly reduce some of the conditions for generating static.
Before starting, put on a pair of lightweight cotton gloves. The use of these gloves will not only help keep fingerprints off the brass, it will also keep lead residue and fragments from entering your body. Lead stays in the body, paving the way for a possible lead poisoning problem.
Spent shells should first be sorted by manufacturer. If you have purchased new, boxed shells make sure you keep them by themselves. Since they are of the same lot number, they should always be treated as a group. If you plan to start with new shells from the very beginning, purchase plenty with the same lot number. This will help track the condition of the brass at each reloading session. When some of the shells start to split or deteriorate, the whole batch should be carefully examined since they will all eventually have similar problems.
Purchasing bulk once-fired brass is generally OK, but it is really hard to know for sure what you are truly getting. Bulk packed new brass of one brand is a good way to start. Most are from a consistent lot, but sometimes they are leftovers of several lots repackaged 200-1000 per bag.
Whenever brass is handled, either empty or loaded, you should constantly check it for any form of deteriorated condition. You should always be on the lookout for splits, cracks, large dents, unusual wear, bulges and rim and base condition. At a minimum, we think brass should be inspected:
While this may seem excessive, we can not emphasize enough that you can't inspect your brass and ammunition too many times. A missed defect in the wrong place can cause you problems you wished you never had. If you find a problem with a piece of brass, crush it so it cannot be reloaded. If you find a problem with a loaded cartridge, bring it home, disassemble it and then crush it. Remember: "The brass keeps the high pressure stuff from the gun; any weakness or problem will quickly end the fun." It is worth noting that there are recycling companies that will accept brass and pay you for it.
New brass should be fully sized, expanded (widen the case mouth/ neck to the correct diameter) and then measured and trimmed to the exact same length. All new brass will have some mouth and length irregularities that need to be corrected. Before expanding, it is important to use graphite or some form of acceptable dry powder lubricant in the case neck or on the expander rod. This reduces friction and prevents wear and scratching of the brass or expander.
In our opinion, the first thing you should do with old brass is deprime, if you have a separate universal depriming die, and clean it. Never size old brass without cleaning it. If you don't have a deprimer, go ahead and clean the brass first, then size and deprime, expand the mouth, measure and trim to the correct length.
If you have cartridges that did not fire, and thus are still loaded, use a kinetic bullet puller to remove the bullet. Dump the powder into a paper cup and dispose of it in your garden. It is mostly nitrogen and makes a great fertilizer. You can attempt to fire the primer in your gun, but it probably won't go off. After all, it did not fire the first time. The safest way to handle a live primer is to place a drop of mineral oil into the primer from inside the case and let stand for a while. The oil will render the primer pellet inert and allow you to safely deprime the case.
After cleaning and tumbling, check the brass for problems. If the primer was removed earlier, inspect the primer pocket flash hole for any obstructions. At this time, you should use a primer pocket cleaning tool to remove any remaining crud from the primer pocket. If there is an obstruction in the flash hole that can't be removed, crush the shell and discard into your recycle box.
The next operation is to size the case and then expand its mouth. If you are using a carbide pistol die, run the case into the die and then insert it mouth down in your loading block. If you are using a standard steel die, it is necessary to lubricate the case before sizing.
We feel a lube pad and a liquid lubricant is best for this operation. A lube pad is nothing more then a large stamp ink pad. Sizing lubricant is applied to the pad until a thin film is deposited when a cartridge is lightly rolled across it. Too much lubricant and you can end up with lube dents on shells. After about 50 cases, it is important to clean the inside of the sizing die to get rid of any lubricant stuck to the walls of the die. A cotton swab and alcohol will usually clean it off.
When you are finished sizing, clean all the lubricant off the cases using alcohol and a rag. This is extremely important for two reasons. First, the lubricant can attract dirt and contaminants, subjecting your firearm's chamber to a damaging condition. Secondly, since it is a lubricant, it will cause the shell to move in the firearm chamber when fired. This can cause extreme pressure and force to be applied to the bolt face and lead to damage of the firearm.
At this point is necessary to inspect all sized cases. As before, we look for any splits, cracks, dents, scratches, etc. Weeding out the bad cases at this point will save some unnecessary work on cases that will be rejected anyway. Any cases found to be defective should be crushed and placed in your recycle box.
As we stated at the beginning, the second part of this article will be in the next issue.