Any FFL's or reloaders out there?

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I'm sure some of you do but I was wondering if anyone here reloads their own ammo. I was thinking about investing in and learning to reload my own ammo and was wanting to talk to someone who has some experience with some questions or if someone can point me in the right direction for literature that is good.
Also I was wanting to someone with an FFL pretty much for the same reason (looking into trying to get mine and had some questions)....

Anyone?

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AEubanks wrote:

I'm sure some of you do but I was wondering if anyone here reloads their own ammo. I was thinking about investing in and learning to reload my own ammo and was wanting to talk to someone who has some experience with some questions or if someone can point me in the right direction for literature that is good.
Also I was wanting to someone with an FFL pretty much for the same reason (looking into trying to get mine and had some questions)....

Anyone?

Click to expand...

PM Me before the powers nuke the post:lol:

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Start with a single stage press. Reloading isn't that difficult as long as you can find primers.

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Don't have a FFL but have reloaded for many years.

I concur that you should start with a single stage press. A friend of mine has a Dillon Progressivebut says he cannot get by without the single stage from time to time.

The Lee Hand Press is GREAT! You can sit in a rocking chair and do most of the reloading tasks in front of the TV.

I recently ordered primers and powder from Cabelas and they have most everything in stock. Order all the primers and powder you need at one time as there is a $20 Hazardous Material fee PER ORDER. It would be stupid to buy one 1000 box of primers for $18.00, pay normal freight and then the HazMat fee. The one box would then cost over $40.00.

I likethe Lee Dies. Their locking nuts do not loosen up.

The Lee Starter kit is CRAP...except for thedies. If you buy one of these, you will probably end up re-buying the scale and powder measure from another manufacturer.

Get a whole bunch of loading blocks.

Get a good powder measure and scale.Get agood hand primer seater...the ones provided with the presses are hard to use. I like the RCBS brand.

Reloading data and instructions can now be found on line.

Stick with the basic loadsand then moveon to more exoticones.

I found that a reloaded box of ammo is about 1/5th the cost of factory ammo. The initial outlay of cash is a lot but is more than made up for after shooting about 10 boxes.

It is fun to order a whole bunch of bullets and then watch the UPS man try to walk up your front steps. Lead is dense and a small package is HEAVY!!

Just my opinions.

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I started with a Dillon 550B and it is the only reasonable way to make thousands of rounds. If you do not produce involume, you save very little. Buying powder by the 8 lb jug and primers by the 5000 ct case is where you save your money.

With a non-progressive press, you waste time, which means you are not saving money. There are other reasons to reload, but you did not state them, and a single stage press will not acheive your goals.



It is not hard, just requires research, time and concentration.

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I advised a single stage press as he has indicated no experience reloading. A single stage press will make him think and become familiar about and with every step involved in the process.

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I tooka reloading class with the NRA and I would strongly advise you to do the same.

A single stage press, or a turret press are both good to start with. If you are trying to do a large volume of ammo then you will want to move up to a progressive press at some time in the future.

The only other advice I can give is to buy the best equipment you can afford.

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I have been reloading since the 60s and find it to be both enjoyable and finaically advisable. The other guys are making a good suggestion about using a single stage press . I would also STRONGLY suggest that you get several good reloading manuals. Follow the instructions in the manuals to the letter to stay safe.

If you are ever in the Newport News area you can drop by and I will show you the stuff that I have and give you whatever pointers that I can provide. Take your time. Go slow and easy. Follow the instructions verbatim and you'll do fine.

Consider RCBS presses. You can hardly wear them out in one life time. Send me a PM is you wish.

cheers, and

happy reloading

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Sorry...you are going to be inundated with advice...and I have some more.

First, I agree with the last post about RCBS; their equipment is superb.

Secondly, develop a GOOD system/routine; otherwise you are going to make a goof.

The first time I reloaded, I went to the range and was really enjoying myself. Then, halfway into the second box of ammo, I heard a poof and the cylinder wouldn't turn. I looked and the bullet had stuck halfway between the cylinder and the forcing cone.

I did not have a system down, became distracted during the reloading process, and did not charge that round with any powder. The primer was enough to push the bullet out, barely reaching the grooves. Thank God it did not go halfway up the barrel to be followed by another round...or that I put a double charge of powder in.

When I reload, here is what I do - this procedure is for pistol bullets; you don't expand the neck on rifle bullets and you can't put the cases in the block open end down, so theprocedure will be slightly different. You can refer to the manuals for adjusting the dies; it is not hard:

1. Decap and resize - one operation with decapping and resizing die - the case goes into the loading block (a wooden block with 50 holes drilled in it) open end up.

2. Expand the case neck using neck expander die - the case is put in the block open end down.

3.Clean primer pocket - the case is put in the block open end up (the loosened crud can fall into the loading block).

4. Reprime the case - the case is put in the block open end down.

I have now adjusted the powder measure using the scale; I have double checked the powder measure and tightened the adjusting nuts, then recheck again. Usually I check every 10th round, putting a charge into the powder scale pan; but with the RCBS equipment, nothing has EVER come out of adjustment (I CANNOT say this with the cheap Lee equipment).

5. Charge the case with powder - obviously the case has to be put in the block open end up or all the powder will dump out. After all the cases are charged, I now pick up the loading block and inspect the level of the powder to make sure all the cases are charged and there is no double load (powder levels are the same in all the cases).

6. Seat bullet and crimp - one operation with bullet seating/crimping die - case is put into box.

Use this procedure or not; the important thing is to get a system that you are comfortable with and stick with it.

Happy reloading!!

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Check this for a little info about FFL.

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/view_topic.php?id=39640&forum_id=65&highlight=klh

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Tweaker wrote:

I started with a Dillon 550B and it is the only reasonable way to make thousands of rounds. If you do not produce involume, you save very little. Buying powder by the 8 lb jug and primers by the 5000 ct case is where you save your money.

With a non-progressive press, you waste time, which means you are not saving money. There are other reasons to reload, but you did not state them, and a single stage press will not acheive your goals.



It is not hard, just requires research, time and concentration.

Click to expand...

I too own a Dillon 550B. It is the only press I have ever owned and I am itsthird owner. Both previous owners are friends of mine who took good care of it. The first owner is a competative shooter and he loaded thousands of round on it and I loaded a few thousands practice and match roundsfor him while he owned it and after I bought it.

Just be careful, take your time, read your manuals and don't allow any distractions around youwhile reloading with whatever press you decide on.

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mobeewan wrote:

Tweaker wrote:

I started with a Dillon 550B and it is the only reasonable way to make thousands of rounds. If you do not produce involume, you save very little. Buying powder by the 8 lb jug and primers by the 5000 ct case is where you save your money.

With a non-progressive press, you waste time, which means you are not saving money. There are other reasons to reload, but you did not state them, and a single stage press will not acheive your goals.



It is not hard, just requires research, time and concentration.

Click to expand...

I too own a Dillon 550B. It is the only press I have ever owned and I am itsthird owner. Both previous owners are friends of mine who took good care of it. The first owner is a competative shooter and he loaded thousands of round on it and I loaded a few thousands practice and match roundsfor him while he owned it and after I bought it.

Just be careful, take your time, read your manuals and don't allow any distractions around youwhile reloading with whatever press you decide on.

Click to expand...

I too started out with a Dillion as my first reloader, and took to it with ease. All the advice given is good and true ( not too sure of the Lee Press though). My piece of advice is take your time and look around before you buy. You can probably find reloaders on Ebay or Craigslist. Look around at your local gun shop and see if they have anything on consignment sale, that's how I lucked out and got mine. A Dillion 550B with 7 die sets (9 calibers), spare parts, extra powder tube all for $300; less than a new 550B. Only item I bought new was my scale, I also got my brass cleaner on consignment.

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Infidel wrote:

mobeewan wrote:

Tweaker wrote:

I started with a Dillon 550B and it is the only reasonable way to make thousands of rounds. If you do not produce involume, you save very little. Buying powder by the 8 lb jug and primers by the 5000 ct case is where you save your money.

With a non-progressive press, you waste time, which means you are not saving money. There are other reasons to reload, but you did not state them, and a single stage press will not acheive your goals.



It is not hard, just requires research, time and concentration.

Click to expand...

I too own a Dillon 550B. It is the only press I have ever owned and I am itsthird owner. Both previous owners are friends of mine who took good care of it. The first owner is a competative shooter and he loaded thousands of round on it and I loaded a few thousands practice and match roundsfor him while he owned it and after I bought it.

Just be careful, take your time, read your manuals and don't allow any distractions around youwhile reloading with whatever press you decide on.

Click to expand...

I too started out with a Dillion as my first reloader, and took to it with ease. All the advice given is good and true ( not too sure of the Lee Press though). My piece of advice is take your time and look around before you buy. You can probably find reloaders on Ebay or Craigslist. Look around at your local gun shop and see if they have anything on consignment sale, that's how I lucked out and got mine. A Dillion 550B with 7 die sets (9 calibers), spare parts, extra powder tube all for $300; less than a new 550B. Only item I bought new was my scale, I also got my brass cleaner on consignment.

Click to expand...

The Lee presses run from cheapies to great. I have 6 different ones. The cast classic and the turret are my favorites and I use them for most things. I save the Herters for long heavy cartridges, the Rockchucker for swaging and the other Lee's sit on the shelf most of the time.

If I had to recommend just one press to someone, it'd be the cast classic (Lee).

RCBS quality control and manufacturing standards have slipped some in recent years.
My Rockchucker isn't up to the same standards of my old Herters but I'd match my Lee Cast Classic against mt Rockchucker any day.

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Lee makes some good equipment, but their lowest priced stuff is NOT good. You will wind up rebuying the cheap items, powder measure and scale in particular, as they are hard to adjust and don't stay adjusted.

The Lee carbide dies are great, although I did break one of their "unbreakable" decapping pins once and had to buy a new die. I like the locking nuts on these dies; they are easy to tighten and don't slip out of adjustment.

I recently bought a Lee Hand Press as I did not feel like sitting in the basement for long periods of time. With this press, I am now able to sit upstairs, converse with the family and basically do all reloading tasks, except for charging the cases with powder, anywhere I want. It is great. It even catches the spent primers in a little chamber so they don't fall all over the floor (make sure you empty this chamber every 10th round or so). Now, I am reloading pistol cartridges that don't require a lot of force to resize; I am not sure how this press would do with long rifle cartridges.

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If you decide to go with a single stage to start, that Hornady Lock-and-Load model looks very nice.Set the die once, and then just use a locking cam to swap them out.

For progressives, I have a Dillon 550B. I like it, but the die progression on the Dillons isn't the same as the bulk of the other brands, which makes using other brands of dies a little cumbersome. I've read some reviews of various progressives, and the Dillon 550B and the Hornady Lock-and-Load progressive come up being very comparible in price and ease of use.

My biggest suggestion would be to start with something like 9mm, since it's impossible to double charge on accident. Well, you can double-stroke the powder feed. But there's barely enough room for a max charge, so you'll just make a mess. But that beats a kaboom.

.40 is not a good place to start, since there are a lot more complications with it. Hotter round, and there's a lot of .40 fired from Glocks floating around on the floor at my range, and the .40 Glock factory barrels don't fully support the round when it's fired. The pregnant guppy look from the reused .40 brass can be an eye opener.

http://frankwjames.blogspot.com/2009/04/advisory-for-40-s-reloaders.html

http://frankwjames.blogspot.com/2009/04/revisiting-my-40-s-advisory.html

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From what I have HEARD and I don't know if it is true, is that you cannot reload .40 cals or 10mm cases (I forgot which one) if they have been fired from a Glock. There is something about their chamber that distorts the cases.

From what I understand, these are fairly high pressure rounds.

I reload .45ACP and there are no problems. It is afairly low pressure round.

I invite others to chime in as I could be way offbase.

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rugerdon wrote:

From what I have HEARD and I don't know if it is true, is that you cannot reload .40 cals or 10mm cases (I forgot which one) if they have been fired from a Glock. There is something about their chamber that distorts the cases.

From what I understand, these are fairly high pressure rounds.

I reload .45ACP and there are no problems. It is afairly low pressure round.

I invite others to chime in as I could be way offbase.

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You can load them but the case life is short.
I don't have a 40 but pick up the cases to use as .45 jackets.

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The first link in my last post contains a link to a product called theRedding G-Rxpush-through die. Ifyou suspect that the brass is from a Glock .40 with a factory barrel (the first part is easy to tell. the second not as much), you run the brass through that die to remove any deformities from that. However, that results in case hardening which, as peter mentioned, reduces the life span of the brass.

I just stick with 9mm and .45 ACP for semi-autos so I don't have toworryabout.

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So is it Glocks in general or are other calibers from a Glock fine to re load? So would 9mm be fine from a Glock? Or what about .45?

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I HEARD it is only the .40 cals and/or 10mms in Glock. Something about the configuration of the chamber and the pressure of this (these)round(s).

I don't think it applies to .45 ACP or 9mm in Glock as these are fairly low pressure rounds.

Again, someone else chime in as I may be off base.