What did you do in the reloading room recently?

jpoulette said:
My first reloaded 5 live rounds ever (9mm) ! The amount of LNL set-up and trial & error was a little more than I expected. But, given all that - the process is very repeatable now.

The seating/taper crimp die was the absolute worst - but I think I've got it now.

I don't know whether to frame them or shoot them. Maybe a little anal - but all weight within 0.1 gr, and lengths are 1.150 +/-.001.

OK......where's my participation trophy.......:cool:

View attachment 483221
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Nice!!
Wow those are long but still within spec of course. Have you tried to chamber them in any of your guns/barrels?
 
andrew1220 said:
Nice!!
Wow those are long but still within spec of course. Have you tried to chamber them in any of your guns/barrels?
Click to expand...
Could be the perspective with the camera. This first batch is strictly for revolver, so they're fine - but these 5 do chamber in the P226 also (so far).

I need to make more, and just start recording data on any variances that start to come up. Very pleased with the LNL AP so far. :D
 
jpoulette said:
The amount of LNL set-up and trial & error was a little more than I expected.
Click to expand...
Speaking of trial and error with the single-stage LNL press....avoid the automatic primer feed kit for it. Oh, sure, it's cool enough when it's all adjusted and working, but the fiddling required to get it that way, the ease with which it falls out of adjustment, and the resulting time I've spent collecting spilled primers should each be deal-breakers by themselves. The Frankford Arsenal hand primer was a better upgrade.
 
jpoulette said:
OMG no way ! Not a single burp so far with the tubes. But, I'm in early days..............I'll let you know after a few thousand pulls.......
Click to expand...
I'd like to think there are people out there who never have any problem with it. Good luck. At least I can follow-up with something helpful. Make sure the stem in your primer seating arm stays screwed all the way in. If it loosens, it will hold the primer a little proud inside the spring-loaded sleeve. If that happens, the edge of the primer can catch on something and turn sideways as the arm swings into position to seat the primer. Sideways primers no good. :)
 
Tumbled and sorted about 600 357 mag and 45acp empty cases.

Son is home from college and he asked if he could reload some 357 mag to shoot through his Henry with his friend this week. Ah.....yeah you can make amo lol. Dies and powder measure were still set up from the last batch I made so I just double checked one and turned him loose. Told him make double what your gonna shoot and leave the extra on the bench for me to add to the stockpile. 😂

Hes made ammo with me before so I know he knows what he's doing. It's just my first time turning him loose on the press and walking away. Honestly it's kind of nice that he offered to make it rather than mooch off the stockpile.😁
 
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Loaded up some test rounds of .357 Zero JHPs over N110 in 38 special. Slightly compressed loads. Quickloads is telling me that I'll be under 21K psi, below the 38 special CIP max. Mainly trying to see if this would be a good alternative to light .357 magnum loads with the same bullets over a medium powder like Auto Pistol. It is nice, though, that they wouldn't be unsafe in a modern 38+P revolver on the off chance that one would make it there. I'd loaded up some 38's to about 30K psi for use in my Rossi using Universal, and after awhile I just didn't like the idea of having them around, even though I had labeled them obsessively. A moderately likely outcome with these N110 loads is that velocities be erratic, with accuracy suffering as a result, but I won't know unless I try.
 
meh said:
I'd loaded up some 38's to about 30K psi for use in my Rossi using Universal, and after awhile I just didn't like the idea of having them around, even though I had labeled them obsessively.
Click to expand...

Doubt you'd see that much pressure in a rifle. Remember you have X amount of freebore before it hits the rifling.

N110's some good stuff. Did what I needed it to in .44 mag and spl. Never tried it in .38. Should throw a nice flame.
 
TrashcanDan said:
Doubt you'd see that much pressure in a rifle. Remember you have X amount of freebore before it hits the rifling.

N110's some good stuff. Did what I needed it to in .44 mag and spl. Never tried it in .38. Should throw a nice flame.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it would flash nicely in a revolver. I tried them today in a 20" Henry.

BulletBrassNotesavgsdspchgcoaldate
158gr ZBC JHP38 SpecialLee FCD1218.424.66011.01.4305/17/2021
158gr ZBC JHP38 SpecialRedding Profile Crimp1184.821.95711.01.4305/17/2021
158gr ZBC JHP38 SpecialLee FCD1220.027.46611.21.4305/17/2021
158gr ZBC JHP38 SpecialRedding Profile Crimp1186.0106.526111.21.4305/17/2021

There was no indication of excess pressure. These were kind of fun to plink with, but I think altogether the load is inferior to my 125 grain Hi-Tek coated TCFPs over Auto Pistol, which gives me a couple hundred extra fps and single-digit standard deviations. It was interesting, but as a general rule, magnum powders seem worth it to me if, and only if, I want magnum velocity and pressure, not so much in cases like this. I'm not talking about the cost, rather the overall performance and consistency. This load falls into the category of things you can do if you need to because it's all you've got to work with.

The difference between the two crimps is interesting. I would call the crimp I used with the FCD "heavy" and the crimp I introduced with the Redding die to be "normal" for .38 special. I was a little bit cautious with the latter because the dies are new to me, and while one can go really heavy with the FCD without squatting on the cartridge and ruining it, I don't think the same can be said for the profile crimp. Obviously the heavy crimp made a pretty significant difference. Note that the last data set was kind of bad: 1259,1215,1266,1185,1005.

Anyway, interesting experiment. Personally, I'll reserve N110 for loads with bigger bangs.
 
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andrew1220 said:
Nice!!
Wow those are long but still within spec of course. Have you tried to chamber them in any of your guns/barrels?
Click to expand...
Got me thinking - and it WAS a typo in my notebook.
My OAL is 1.115 +/-.001 (not 1.150). Here is one of my first 5, next to a Blazer at OAL 1.150. The .035 is pretty ease to see.
With the revolvers I suspect it doesn't matter that much - but I arbitrarily chose 1.115 (scaled from Remington FMJ) because they seem to feed well in the P226.

opps.jpg
 
Built up three new AR pistol uppers, 2 7.5 inch and 1 10.5 inch. Two of them ( 7.5 and 10.5 ) on Anderson A3 uppers and one 7.5 inch on a non brass deflector, no ejection port cover upper receiver that I've had hanging around forever.

All with low profile gas blocks, M lock handguards, PSA premium BCGs, standard charging handles, and waiting on some linear comps, forward assists and ejection port cover assemblies. The 7.5s are real flame throwers and LOUD as hell. image.jpeg
 
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xtry51 said:
Here is an example of a defect I will let go, but will likely result in a neck crack in the next 1-2 firings. While not perfectly clear, this mark is not a crack. It is a deep scratch.

View attachment 482803

The above case will likely fail like this case below, which I separated out after Initial cleaning.

View attachment 482819
Click to expand...

That .223 brass has definitely seen better days. The .308 brass might still be good, just check for the bright ring when you resize it.

If your hearing is still good, you can usually tell when there is a split neck in a piece of brass even in a crowd.
 
Klal said:
Anyone use those brass deflector pads on their AR to save the brass?

My 7.5" 300blk pistol really sends the brass flying and dents nearly every case. I used to not care about my brass, but now I scrounge the sand for every one of them.
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I've tried these Havoc Tactical Deflectors for my 300Blk and 5.56 with good success dropping brass very close by. Inexpensive and simple to use
1621381773522.png
 
slap shot said:
All you need is a little piece of Velcro
Click to expand...
BarnBuilder said:
I've tried these Havoc Tactical Deflectors for my 300Blk and 5.56 with good success dropping brass very close by. Inexpensive and simple to use
View attachment 483941
Click to expand...

Good call. I have tons of it. My wife likes to velcro things everywhere around the house, so we have a whole drawer of the stuff. I'll stick velcro on my POS 5.56 and the Havoc deflector on my (slightly) less POS 300 and so a comparison.
 
Klal said:
Anyone use those brass deflector pads on their AR to save the brass?

My 7.5" 300blk pistol really sends the brass flying and dents nearly every case. I used to not care about my brass, but now I scrounge the sand for every one of them.
Click to expand...

I use one that attaches to the rail just above the ejection port. Works great, keeps the brass right next to me/the gun.
 
Got my 550c all setup and made about 300 rounds of 223. Limited by the amount of processed brass I had on hand, plus I have all of my short line ammo already loaded for the season.

Since 2013, I've been doing everything on a single stage press. I will continue using the single stage press for sizing, the 80s I load for 600 and small batches of stuff.
 
jpm said:
I use one that attaches to the rail just above the ejection port. Works great, keeps the brass right next to me/the gun.
Click to expand...
I Wish I could find something like this that works for a mini 14...I have to drive to the next county to pick up brass unless I set up just right so it bounces off the head of the guy 4 bays down and it falls at his feet..
 
jpoulette said:
My first reloaded 5 live rounds ever (9mm) ! The amount of LNL set-up and trial & error was a little more than I expected. But, given all that - the process is very repeatable now.

The seating/taper crimp die was the absolute worst - but I think I've got it now.

I don't know whether to frame them or shoot them. Maybe a little anal - but all weigh within 0.1 gr, and lengths are 1.150 +/-.001.

OK......where's my participation trophy.......:cool:

View attachment 483221
Click to expand...
you get your participation trophies when you pick up your brass.
 

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