What did you do at your reloading bench today?

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  • ironpony

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2013
    7,191
    Davidsonville
    Looks great Bolts!


    I just finished cleaning 2K 9mm brass, waiting for a slow evening. I need to order bullets. 124 gr. Terrible hobby y'all got me into, thanks!
     

    Bolts Rock

    Living in Free America!
    Apr 8, 2012
    6,123
    Northern Alabama

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    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    Loaded about 60 rounds of 9mm today. Session was cut short due to having to get a stuck bullet out of the barrel of my SVI. STI DVC is still running like a sewing machine. Got a 2-gun match on Saturday, need to get the AR out the next two days.
     
    I got frustrated, really effing frustrated.
    My wife bought me a Lee Auto Breech Lock Pro progressive press for Christmas. Once tuned, I can pump out 350-400rph (faster for pistol). The problem is switching calibers. I cannot see how dies can be returned to a "remembered" position in an ABLP. Every time cartridges are changed, the dies needs to be tuned again.
    The best "solution" IMO, is to load everything I have in a particular caliber before switching to another. I will be loading thousands of .300AAC cartridges before I move on to 10mm. I will then load 1000+ before moving on to another cartridge.
    I want to clarify that if loading a single caliber, the ABLP is an incredible dollar to performance press. The huge downside is the hour plus and a dozen or so ruined pieces of brass when it comes time to change calibers.
     

    Bolts Rock

    Living in Free America!
    Apr 8, 2012
    6,123
    Northern Alabama
    Bolts what's with the chip bristle brushes on the cleaning station ?

    Just ended up there as part of sorting stuff in the garage when I built the bench and installed the progressives. A few will stay there as they are handy for cleaning break open shotgun breeches but the rest will go to the woodshop. Also handy for cleaning around press rams, especially the Big boss II I use for decapping most brass prior to wet tumbling. Cheap and disposable.
     

    Bolts Rock

    Living in Free America!
    Apr 8, 2012
    6,123
    Northern Alabama
    I got frustrated, really effing frustrated.
    My wife bought me a Lee Auto Breech Lock Pro progressive press for Christmas. Once tuned, I can pump out 350-400rph (faster for pistol). The problem is switching calibers. I cannot see how dies can be returned to a "remembered" position in an ABLP. Every time cartridges are changed, the dies needs to be tuned again.
    The best "solution" IMO, is to load everything I have in a particular caliber before switching to another. I will be loading thousands of .300AAC cartridges before I move on to 10mm. I will then load 1000+ before moving on to another cartridge.
    I want to clarify that if loading a single caliber, the ABLP is an incredible dollar to performance press. The huge downside is the hour plus and a dozen or so ruined pieces of brass when it comes time to change calibers.

    What lock rings are you using with your dies? I've found the Hornady split ring the best at being able to just spin the die back into the press it was adjusted for and slight extra bit of torque with a Crescent wrench and have it work exactly as it did last time.

    With the LNL AP press I bought extra bushings so I can leave them on the dies for the progressive. I only plan on loading .38spl, .45acp, .45 Colt and .223 plinking ammo on it.
     

    buellsfurn

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 1, 2015
    5,951
    southern end of Maryland
    Just ended up there as part of sorting stuff in the garage when I built the bench and installed the progressives. A few will stay there as they are handy for cleaning break open shotgun breeches but the rest will go to the woodshop. Also handy for cleaning around press rams, especially the Big boss II I use for decapping most brass prior to wet tumbling. Cheap and disposable.

    :thumbsup:
     

    buellsfurn

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 1, 2015
    5,951
    southern end of Maryland
    Kinetic pulled 250 40 cal. 200 grain bullets :sad20: and if that wasn't enough i was bent over a 5 gallon bucket sorting brass until 3 am but i thought id take advantage of the motivation. Done
     
    Last edited:

    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    200 or so rounds of 9mm. I still have to get to the 77gr 223s. Not a fan of doing this on my Dillon, since they're already ready to load, just need to get the primers in and go.
     

    Scottfs

    Member
    Aug 25, 2014
    28
    I purchased a case of 9mm (1,000 rnds) online for 16.5 cents/round -- shipped. I finished reloading my last batch of 500 rnds of copper plated bullets a few months ago, and since we have released ourselves of our last president, it is no longer really practical to reload 9mm for target practice. The best I can do without a serious coupon for copper plated or better is about 14.5 cents/round (with Bullseye powder unopened on my shelf and reused brass). My time for 1,000 rounds is worth a little more than $15 at this point.

    But I am ready to go when the Dark Side takes office again.
     

    Shamr0ck

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 6, 2011
    2,505
    Frederick
    Built some shelves for components, finished the electrical and got the backing board mounted for above the soon to be built bench...

    Now to decide on bench top construction. The carriage design is getting tweaked from a plan I found on YouTube

    Was only able to scavenge a 58”x roughly 20” deep space out of the corner of our storage room for the bench.

    e599949145e631f52f432e563eb7de1b.jpg
    6a19f11b6b138e099abcd977f06ee8f2.jpg



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    K-43

    West of Morning Side
    Oct 20, 2010
    1,881
    PG
    Over the past week I tumbled, resized, and trimmed about 4500 223 once fired cases my buddy and I collected over several years. This was in batches of 400-500 or there abouts, off and on during the day and night.
    I hate trimming. I trimmed on the drill press with a Hornady hand tool. With the Hornady, unlike the Lee, the cutter head/length stop shaft part is in the chuck so you just put the case in the shell holder and slide it up on the rotating cutter shaft. Use the drill press as a fixed rotating motor base, not cranking it down like you are drilling holes.
    Why buy a case trimming station when I have a drill press? And the drill press is faster and easier than a hand drill and way easier than a hand crank RCBS or Forster trimmer.
    Then replace the trimmer with a chamfer tool head made for the motorized trim stations and run the batch through to remove any flash or flares.

    Interesting to note that all once fired Remington commercial cases were longer than max length, all the Winchester were shorter than trim length, and the various LC, PPU, and other foreign stuff were all over the place. Anyway, they are all the same length now and after future firings can be resized in an "X" die to limit growth and may never need trimming again. YAY!
    I hate trimming. Boy do I hate trimming. I hate trimming...
     

    Speed3

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 19, 2011
    7,816
    MD
    Over the past week I tumbled, resized, and trimmed about 4500 223 once fired cases my buddy and I collected over several years. This was in batches of 400-500 or there abouts, off and on during the day and night.
    I hate trimming. I trimmed on the drill press with a Hornady hand tool. With the Hornady, unlike the Lee, the cutter head/length stop shaft part is in the chuck so you just put the case in the shell holder and slide it up on the rotating cutter shaft. Use the drill press as a fixed rotating motor base, not cranking it down like you are drilling holes.
    Why buy a case trimming station when I have a drill press? And the drill press is faster and easier than a hand drill and way easier than a hand crank RCBS or Forster trimmer.
    Then replace the trimmer with a chamfer tool head made for the motorized trim stations and run the batch through to remove any flash or flares.

    Interesting to note that all once fired Remington commercial cases were longer than max length, all the Winchester were shorter than trim length, and the various LC, PPU, and other foreign stuff were all over the place. Anyway, they are all the same length now and after future firings can be resized in an "X" die to limit growth and may never need trimming again. YAY!
    I hate trimming. Boy do I hate trimming. I hate trimming...

    I hate trimming too, so I bought a Giraurad trimmer...trims/chamfers/deburs at same time. 5k pieces of brass is impressive!
     

    K-43

    West of Morning Side
    Oct 20, 2010
    1,881
    PG
    I hate trimming too, so I bought a Giraurad trimmer...trims/chamfers/deburs at same time. 5k pieces of brass is impressive!

    I bought a 3-way trimmer head for my RCBS crank model. I need to get the drill adapter.
     

    Shamr0ck

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 6, 2011
    2,505
    Frederick
    Bench lumber is in the house..

    74167d80978728d193910b9c9569f9f1.jpg


    Starting layout today along with pre-drilling and countersinking holes. Cutting everything to length in the garage given the rain - hope to have this done before the weekend is over


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    Shamr0ck

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 6, 2011
    2,505
    Frederick
    Full day of cutting, laying out, pre-drilling, countersinking and screwing. One battery has died so recharging the remaining one has slowed progress. Should finish up tomorrow

    7da6f264b7765565f23a888ad7b136a2.jpg


    Online fabrication quick change plate will accept both my press and vise.

    58edb702a89dc3d4281f48e9451221db.jpg


    Used adjustable feet on the front legs to aid in leveling the bench

    788b832b9ff39b11e9b568550dba7a43.jpg


    Based loosely on this YouTube design. Will add a middle shelf on the left of the bench to store components.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

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