What did you do at your reloading bench today?

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  • toolness1

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 5, 2014
    2,723
    BFE, Missouri
    After working 12 hour night shift, my Lone Wolf .40 cal Glock 22 barrel came in. So, I made a few dummy rounds with my cast PC bullets and checked to see if I was going to have to send it in to get the throat reamed to accept them at a reasonable COL. Thankfully, they pass the "plunk" test at a decent overall length so I don't have to send it in.

    I was expecting to have to get it reamed to accept cast bullets from what I've heard from other people....
     

    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    I took the week off last week and started to organize all of my reloading stuff. Since my daughter moved out, I now have the whole place to myself :party29: I'm realizing that I have a LOT of brass in calibers for which I have ONE firearm. Two 50 cal ammo cans full of 30-06 for my Model of 1917, one 50 cal ammo can and one Costco coffee tin full of 45 ACP brass, for my Springfield Armory Range Officer.

    My primer supply is getting better, as I hit the gun show and picked up 2,000 SRP and 1,500 LPP. I also picked up some Longshot and H322. I need to pick up 8 pounds of Titegroup and Benchmark this month.

    I'm 3/4 of the way through 1,000 45 ACP bullets. The new 45 ACP rounds I loaded up this week work great in the SA Range Officer. I need to finish up the lot so I can switch to small primers and load up the new 9mm and 40 S&W bullets I just got on my Dillon 550.

    I cranked out 427 rounds of .38 Special, and tested them out on my three Colts. The Cobra and I didn't like the 158 or 157 grain bullets, but the two Troopers ate them and asked for more.

    The new barrel in my Para Limited gun is super tight, I got some of my older reloads stuck in the chamber. Seems they're too long (even though they're in spec and fit my 405 revolver). I'm going to need to run the rounds through the press again.

    I got a lot of new 32-20 brass, so I ran them through the resizer and tumbled them. I also tumbled a ton of 45 Colt, 44-40, and various 30 cal rifle brass.
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,499
    God's Country
    Snuck a cookie sheet if wet tumbled brass into, and out of the oven, before the wifee noticed.

    Trying to load 50-100 match rounds before bed.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    DaemonAssassin

    Why should we Free BSD?
    Jun 14, 2012
    23,970
    Political refugee in WV
    Sorted part of a box of mixed brass from the undisclosed location, that I have been to a handful of times. I'm planning on keeping the 9 for a friend, the 40 for me since I am an ammo-sexual, the 45 for a buddy, the 223 for a friend and myself, the LC brass to convert to 300BLK, the 30 carbine for a friend of mine (he was the one that shot the 30 carbine and the lazy bastage wants me to sort his 30 carbine out of the mix....), and the rest will be offered up for trade or sale. Hell, I may as well just give the shotgun hulls away.

    I also have brass and things on a shelving unit now in bins, so that there are no more buckets all over the place.
     

    StickShaker

    Active Member
    Mar 3, 2016
    888
    Montgomery
    Snuck a cookie sheet if wet tumbled brass into, and out of the oven, before the wifee noticed.

    Trying to load 50-100 match rounds before bed.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    :lol: Do you have a dryer with the removable tray for shoes or delicates? That works really well too. Just make sure none of the cases fall off into the rotating drum or you will be busted for sure. :lol2:
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,499
    God's Country
    :lol: Do you have a dryer with the removable tray for shoes or delicates? That works really well too. Just make sure none of the cases fall off into the rotating drum or you will be busted for sure. :lol2:


    Normally I let the air dry for a week, but I wanted to load some tonight. I do have one of those drier shelves I may try that next time.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    GodOfVice

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Played amateur woodworker, I finished this by milling scrap oak firewood into a messOplanks. It's BIG, 51" X 33". NOW I can reload again!
     

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    BUFF7MM

    ☠Buff➐㎣☠
    Mar 4, 2009
    13,576
    Garrett County
    Was afraid of cooking the mold.

    I let it get uncomfortable to the touch.

    How do I gage the heat? First, second, and third degree burn test?

    Fourth degree, what ever works.
    It just looks from the pictures like the mold was sucking the heat from the lead as it filled the cavity.
     

    iH8DemLibz

    When All Else Fails.
    Apr 1, 2013
    25,396
    Libtardistan
    Fourth degree, what ever works.
    It just looks from the pictures like the mold was sucking the heat from the lead as it filled the cavity.

    Thanks for the guidance.

    This is why I should have purchased the 75 dollar steel Lyman instead of the 22 dollar aluminum Lee.

    Steel retains more heat.

    It never ever pays to try and save money.
     

    BUFF7MM

    ☠Buff➐㎣☠
    Mar 4, 2009
    13,576
    Garrett County
    Thanks for the guidance.

    This is why I should have purchased the 75 dollar steel Lyman instead of the 22 dollar aluminum Lee.

    Steel retains more heat.

    It never ever pays to try and save money.

    I use the Lee for all my cast BOOLITS, you need then to dissipate and expell the heat some or the lead will take forever to set. I warm my molds by setting them on the edge of the pot while the lead melts, or I fire up the side burner on my gas grill and put them in the flame for a bit.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    I use all Lee molds.
    Did you dip a corner of the mold for a short bit into the lead to heat it up?
    There should be instructions on dipping it until it won't stick or something like that.
    I dip for about 10-15 seconds then test.

    Did you also clean the mold and smoke it?
     

    iH8DemLibz

    When All Else Fails.
    Apr 1, 2013
    25,396
    Libtardistan
    I use all Lee molds.
    Did you dip a corner of the mold for a short bit into the lead to heat it up?
    There should be instructions on dipping it until it won't stick or something like that.
    I dip for about 10-15 seconds then test.

    Did you also clean the mold and smoke it?

    Did the clean and smoke thing.

    Will be applying more heat next time.

    Dipping sounds like a neat trick.
     

    StickShaker

    Active Member
    Mar 3, 2016
    888
    Montgomery
    How many throwaways did you have at the start? I haven't casted for 50 years and I think it was only a one or two mold steel. They would look like that for a while until the mold heated up enough. Then eventually the mold would get too hot and take a long time for the bullets to solidify and they had a frosted look to them. Just need to play with it for a while and you'll find the right heat.
     

    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    Finished up the 45 ACP last night. I lost about 10 primers due to small primer pockets. 1000 rounds of 45 ACP just about fills up a 50 cal ammo can. I'm switching over to 40 S&W tonight to try out the new coated bullets I got. I'm also lowering the charge of Unique I'm using. I'm getting 1000 fps with 180gr bullets, which is too much recoil for competition loads. I need to get them down to about 950 fps. If my pistol's new barrel likes them, I'm ordering 1000 more.
     

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