What did you do in the reloading room recently?

wjsmall97 said:
Yes, I was asking about different brands, and thank you meh for info on the Winchester primers.
Thanks
Bill
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It's generally advised to rework your load when changing components. I've seen anywhere from 5 to 10%.

I think a lot also depends on where you are within the range of the powder, as well as the span between minimum and maximum load of the powder.
 
drgrant said:
Low brass prices are good it keeps shitstain brass rats from hovering around at gun clubs. [laugh]
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oh no it doesn't sometimes I have them waiting around for me to leave because they hear me shoot so much and notice that I'm not picking up brass. Then the look on their faces is priceless when they realize they were waiting for me to leave to pick up nothing but steel case wolf/brown bear/tula 9mm lol I stacked that crap deep when it was under $100/case.
 
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Mudflap621 said:
Step 1 of Dillon 550 upgrades was to polish new 223 shellplate. Took a peice of glass and about ten minutes later it’s like a mirror.
Step 2 was getting the Armonov free floating toolheads
Step 3 I’m waiting on a new inline fab mount and some comparator gauges to show up and than I’m gonna start some precision load development on the progressive 😉
Step 4 will be fine tuning primer seating depth if needed I won’t know till I run a few cases.
My plan is to try few different methods. First I’m going to size on the MEC than I can process the brass. From here I’ll have a toolhead setup
Station 1 Expander Mandrel with turning mandrel
Station 2 powder drop with funnel. Will be dropping charges on a chargemaster lite I bought myself for Christmas.
station 3 seating.
I’ll run a batch like this than might try doing two toolheads with sizing and mandrel on first than charging and seating on the second.
I’ve got Lace City brass and Sierra Match king 69 and 77 gr. Also varget and 8208 hoping I can find something with these.
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Does this improve function?
 
drgrant said:
Low brass prices are good it keeps shitstain brass rats from hovering around at gun clubs. [laugh]
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nah , they pick it up no matter the price and just put in the 55g bucket at home until prices go up.

The real scrap guys hold onto scrap until the price gets high and get to that ton mark.

Only the real junky scrap steel gets turned in often as its not worth sitting on.

last check brass ammo cases $1.29/#
Spring 2019 i got $1.74/#
 
mac1911 said:
Does this improve function?
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Hopefully. I’ve not started setting up the 223 yet but I have noticed that my 9mm shellplate is very temperamental about how much you tighten it down and noticed it’ll bind in a cpl places very easily. I noticed once started sanding there was definately some high spots on the shellplate. Seems like honing the bottom of the shellplate is pretty common practice for the precision guys and once I get installed I’ll report back my findings.
 
Mudflap621 said:
Hopefully. I’ve not started setting up the 223 yet but I have noticed that my 9mm shellplate is very temperamental about how much you tighten it down and noticed it’ll bind in a cpl places very easily. I noticed once started sanding there was definately some high spots on the shellplate. Seems like honing the bottom of the shellplate is pretty common practice for the precision guys and once I get installed I’ll report back my findings.
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How much does the plate contact any other flat surface?
Does it not ride on the ball detent?
 
mac1911 said:
How much does the plate contact any other flat surface?
Does it not ride on the ball detent?
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Don’t know what alls contacting where. When I take it apart I’ll try to remember to take some pictures but the goal it to eliminate as much wobble in the shellplate as possible. I have noticed that it’s very sensitive. If I tighten down a lil to much I can definately feel spots were it’s binding.
 
mac1911 said:
How much does the plate contact any other flat surface?
Does it not ride on the ball detent?
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Here is my 9mm shellplate. Hard to take picture but it does show some wear. I noticed when I put the polished shellplate on I could get it to rotate freely with less slop in the shellplate. Will it make a difference 🤷
 

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Mudflap621 said:
I guess I gotta order a stuck case remover now recommendations? Looks like the rcbs one has good reviews from Larry.
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@xtry51 has a good way to remove it. This is close to what I've had to do in the past.

xtry51 said:
I'm using the Lee die. If I get a stuck case I hammer it out using a lead hammer to minimize damage to the top of pin. I place the brass rim in a vice. Then I use a 1/2" wood chisel to slice the case down from the mouth to about 3/4 down the length. The chisel goes thru it like butter. Small screw driver to pry the shell open and its off. Takes me well under a minute.
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Mudflap621 said:
Thanks but it’s a Redding die
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Well there's your problem. And the solution to your problem comes in a Lee box 🤣

Here's a YouTube video. But seriously, throw that die away and buy the Lee. I have no idea why people would suffer through the ridiculous pain that these other dies force you into.


View: https://youtu.be/Cy6szJJIMiQ
 
xtry51 said:
Well there's your problem. And the solution to your problem comes in a Lee box 🤣

Here's a YouTube video. But seriously, throw that die away and buy the Lee. I have no idea why people would suffer through the ridiculous pain that these other dies force you into.


View: https://youtu.be/Cy6szJJIMiQ
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He made that look like a lot of work
 
reassembled the pistol, added a new sear. It hasnt seen the light of day in 20+ years. Trigger as good as i remember. ~3” at 10 yards all day long. Used two blue bins Sat., filled one blue bin today.
 
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All of those methods work for removing a stuck case, but when an expander ball is involved (most .223 Remington dies), you will have to work around the stem and the expander. A one piece stem/expander, like Lee dies have might be adequate to bang the stuck case out, but most other brands will bend, if used as a punch. At the very least, you'll likely damage the expander plug.
The multi-piece stems can be unscrewed or moved away from the case base to provide enough room to drill. and be tapped. The stem and expander will be removed through the drilled hole (being larger than the expander diameter, of course). You can then screw in a bolt , reverse the die in the vice and then use a pin punch of proper diameter to bang or press, if available, the case out. This method should spare any damage to the stem and expander.
 
Interesting lesson yesterday. Came across a box of 38 in the safe. It was from the first ammo I loaded 10 years ago. It was done on a lee press. I also took a box of 38 that I had just loaded on my Dillon. The old stuff was lead that I had cast with alox lube. The new was xtreem plated. I benched the revolver and fired off the lead rounds. Smokey, stinky and grouped 2” left of center. I then did the same with the new rounds. Grouped dead center, clean and smokeless. Amazing how a little experience and better equipment makes in bullet production.
 

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