What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Discussions covering the components and techniques of reloading for your handgun.
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by Ben Nelson »

Finished off the 9mm, 124-gr Hornady stock . . . Need to clean and lube the press a bit and move on to 45 auto. . .

Question for you veteran .45 reloaders: Have seen any performance issues when loading with small pistol primer cases?
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by mr surveyor »

Fortunately, I have more than enough "normal" .45 acp brass and haven't resorted to even keeping the stuff with small primer holes


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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by mr surveyor »

I didn't need to .... I just wanted to. Having a bit of spare time and the components sitting there begging to be used ... I went ahead and loaded some .357 mag and some .45 acp. It suddenly became apparent though that the component supply is running low but the pile of finished stuff has seemed to multiply. With the daylight hours getting longer now there will be a lot more opportunities for range time and reducing that pile of "roll your owns" :)


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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by Ranch Dog »

mr surveyor wrote:With the daylight hours getting longer now there will be a lot more opportunities for range time and reducing that pile of "roll your owns" :)
Same here. The additional light and better weather adds another delay for me, prepping the land for spring and summer.
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by horseman »

Ranch Dog wrote:
mr surveyor wrote:With the daylight hours getting longer now there will be a lot more opportunities for range time and reducing that pile of "roll your owns" :)

Same here. The additional light and better weather adds another delay for me, prepping the land for spring and summer.


Yeah, me too. I'll start shooting as soon as I won't lose my brass in the snow...spring and summer, lets see, I think we have that the last week of July and first three weeks of August, usually, some years later.... :D
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by mr surveyor »

I don't understand what the problem could be with the weather in Washington state. I remember on a trip to Alaska having a layover at the Seattle airport in 2013 and the weather was really nice .... oh yeah .... that was in the last week of July. But, it was a nice change from the 100° temps and humidity we have here in Stumpwater, Texas in June, July, August ... :)

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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by GasGuzzler »

mr surveyor wrote:...But, it was a nice change from the 100° temps and humidity we have here in Stumpwater, Texas in June, July, August ..,
Don't forget May and September.
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by Fyodor »

Did some 450 .45Auto yesterday evening. I don't like reloading that cartridge, that's why I usually procrastinate it until I can't wait any longer. Had 6 flipped primers, two crushed cases, dozens of "failure to feed" the empty cases (only one upside down case, though), one case split in the crimping die (just because you can't reuse any of the components then), and four canted bullets. Why isn't there a 1911 in .44-40? That's the cartridge I like reloading the most.
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by mr surveyor »

Fyodor .... you're saying that .45 acp (.45 Auto) is a problem to load? Of the few (only 6) different cartridges I load for, the .45 acp is really the easiest, most relaxing to load. But, I reload on a Lee Breach Lock Hand Press, standard Lee dies, and a Lee Ram Prime .... slow, but steady (and relaxing). Since it's all "hands on" in my case, those big fat cases, big fat bullets, and large primers are a good combination for my early stages of "manual dexterity".

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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by Fyodor »

I can't really tell why it make so much trouble to me. It is the only cartridge, where the cases regularly tip over or miss the shellplate when using the case feeder. Sizing force is very inconsistent, but relatively high. The primers need a lot of force to insert most of the time, and then occasionally there's a case where it goes in so easy you think you missed a primer at all. Even if I only apply the slightest flare to be able to hand place a bullet, the flaring die usually gets stuck in the case mouth so hard, the powder measure resets before the chain pulls it down. Regularly a bullet is canted while seated, even if it sat square when the cartridge entered the seating die. And the finished rounds get stuck when ejecting in a way I have to remove them from the chute by hand, to not crush them when the ram goes up again.

I thought this might be a problem with that specific press body or shellplate carrier, so I switched presses. The problems stay with the cartridge.
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