Reloading 9mm on a single-stage press

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essayons21

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Anybody do it?

I bought my first 9mm a year ago, pretty much just to have one, and I got a good deal on a Stoeger Cougar. It now is the gfs favorite range gun.

Picked up a set of dies for kicks and giggles, and I finally ran out of the 500rd box of Rem UMC I was using, so I reloaded my first 50 rounds of 9mm today.

I've got to say, even though I enjoy reloading, it totally isn't worth it. I reload many calibers and enjoy the cost savings and accuracy benefits, but it seriously is just not worth taking a few hours to load up 50 rounds that I could go buy at Wally World for 11 bucks. Hell, I'm not even sure if I'm getting any cost savings. Reloading .45 is well worth it, but 9mm seems to be a colossal waste of time.

Anyone else reload 9mm, or even .40 for that matter on a single stage press? If so, why?
 
I do reload 9mm on a single-stage, but I don't consider my time worth much since I retired.

Unlike most other calibers, it is getting harder and harder to justify on cost savings alone when you can buy it for $11.99 at Cabala's.

Still, if it takes you "a few hours to load up 50 rounds", you must be doing several things wrong.

I'd bet I can go to the basement right now and come back with a box of 9mm reloads in way less then an hour.

rc
 
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I reload for my 9mm on my single stage press and have had no problems. For me, it's not about the savings over purchasing ammo, but about the pleasure I enjoy in loading my own and storing/shooting it. If you purchase your supplies in bulk, the savings do add up. You will see even more savings if you purchase your components locally and/or buy lead bullets online. Missouri Bullet Company seems to be a good way to save money.

Buying in bulk and enjoying loading is the biggest key.
 
I reload on a Rock Chucker. Time consuming but I do it for hobby, little cost savings and most important accuracy. I get better groups with my reloads than a cheap box of Wins or RPs. For me I'd rather hit something every time than every other.
 
Yes, I used to. (I usually load it on a progressive press now.) I saved a little bit of money, and I had fun tinkering with the loads. I still use the single-stage press for experimenting.
 
I handloaded everything I shot (including a lot of 9x19mm) on a single stage press for years. I could do 100 rounds an hour, provided I didn't dilly dally. I have since switched to loading 9x19 on a Lee Classic Turret, mostly because I wanted to go slightly faster when I did load it and I don't shoot it enough to justify a progressive. The only thing I load on a progressive is .45 ACP.

As for savings, I shoot all lead bullets that I cast myself, and I end up with about $2.25 in component cost per 50 rounds. Not only is that a significant savings over Wal-Mart, but it also means I don't have to set foot in Wal-Mart, which would be worth it to me even if I wasn't saving any money.
 
I just started reloading 9mm on a RCBS Rock Chucker. I wanted to save as much as possible so I went with some lead bullets from Missouri Bullet. The local Wal-Mart has Winchester White box 9mm 100 round boxes for $20.97 ($22.41 or so w/ tax). But they are almost -never- in stock. I can make 100 rounds of 9mm for $11.76, and that's after all shipping fees and taxes have been added in. That's about 47.5% savings. That's me getting to shoot 2x as much for the same money, not to mention I'm not at the mercy of Wal-mart having it in stock.

I enjoy the process of reloading. I knew going into it that it would be low volume on a single-stage. Is it worth it to me? Absolutely. But only you can decide if it's worth it to you.
 
The whole secret to production with a single-stage is do it in large batches.
Case prep, sizing & and priming in at least 250 round batchs, if not more.

I make my own loading blocks to hold 100 at a time, and powder charge a block full and set bullets in place before seating them all at one setting.

rc
 
single stage 9mm?!, ick!

buy a turret press at least. yes it costs money to buy a new press, but if you figure your spare time is worth $10/hour you only need to save 10 hours to afford a new lee turret press. I'm slow and I can do 100 9mm in an hour 20 or so. if it took you say, 2 hours to load 50, you only have to load what, 400 rounds to pay off the turret press? and progressive presses are much faster and more expensive.

another option is to make her load her own. :)
 
I use an RCBS single stage press. It's all I have. I do it for enjoyment, as the cost savings for 9mm are not as high as rifle ammo.

Still, if it took me a few hours to turn out 50 rounds, I would buy exclusively.

I can turn out 50 rounds in just over 30 minutes. Maybe it's because I do some things in stages.

I will tumble lots of rounds and put them in pails. Then I will deprime and resize 200 or so rounds.

Then when I want 50 rounds, I only need to prime, expand, fill and seat.

When the 200 are gone, I start over.
 
Hey Essay,

If you have to ask why someone would reload any cartridge on any press, I am afraid you will never "get it" about the whole reloading thing. If you have to ask the question, I am afraid your whole personality make up is such that you would never be able to look at reloading as a craft as well as a form or recreation. I do not say these things to put you down in any way; reloading is not for everyone just as golf or anything else you might mention is not going to be for everyone.

On the chance that you might have some of the reloading fever rub off on you, I would suggest first that you re-read what RC said above. I could have written the same words.

I would add that I now reload my 9MM on a Hornady LNL progressive press, but I would guess that I still have reloaded more 9MM on my single stage presses in the many years before I got the progressive press. I wasn't out shooting hundreds of rounds every week, but I often shot 100 rounds a week, and it was no problem to load them on an RCBS RockChucker or RCBS Junior press. I was also casting the bullets I reloaded for my 9MM as well as other calibers. Oh, and by the way, I was working for a living back then when I was reloading on single stage presses.

If you do develop the interest (or fever as some of us have contracted), good luck to you and have fun. If it isn't for you, don't worry about it. There are lots of things in life to interest us all.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile
 
It should not take over an hour per 50 rounds of ammo. Something doesn't make sense. If you prime and size 100, then bell the cases and charge them, then set the bullet and crimp it on a separate step shouldn't take much over 2 hours.
You may want to consider the Lee Classic Turret. This thing will do 150-200 rounds per hour without much effort and is only a 100 dollars, it's well worth it. You'd want the Classic Turret not the old style. Loading for handgun even doing 75 rounds an hour like I used to takes too long. I shoot them in less time than that.
 
Get a turret or progressive press and have your wife load them for you.

I can change the position of the lever from right to left on my Lee Pro 1000 so she gets resistance workout at the same time - sweet! :D

BTW, she enjoys shooting them too.
 
I have not even loaded my first 9mm but I can tell you that a) I am having a great time researching the load, b) I will be casting my own bullets too so I am sure that the cost savings will be something (I live an hour from the nearest ammo.. when they have it... and c) my free time is FREE...

I do not put a price tag on it. My life would suck if I had to worry about wasting time. All of my passions are done on my free time... coaching, volunteer fire, EMS, shooting, hunting, fishing... none of these things are worth worrying about $10 an hour.... as a matter of fact, I am pretty sure in the end... they ALL COST ME money... :)
 
I reload 9mm ... but mainly so that I can -have- it, not as much for the cost savings (although there are some).

I'll generally work off, oh, 1000 rounds in batches by stage. 1000 rounds -really really- clean in the tumbler. 1000 rounds deprime and re-size. 1000 rounds reprime and flare.

Now I've got 1000 rounds ready for powder and bullet, which is a pretty quick process when I want them.

But ... the BIG savings for me are in reloading 45 Colt and 30 Cal carbine.
 
I have a 50 year old 'Lyman Tru-Line Jr'...a Manually rotated, four Station Turret Press.


With modest practice, all stages of process from de-prime to finished Cartridge, for a Box-o-Fifty Handgun Cartridges, takes about 45 minutes...without feeling rushed.

The Press takes up less room than many Single Stage Single Die Presses.

I am very happy with it.


If for Rifle, sure, a Single Stage Single Die Press is probably ideal...but, if I had to load on a Single Die, Single Stage Press for Pistol or Revolver, unless I were at an Arctic Weather Station or Lighthouse Keeper or at Sea, or in some bad Science-fiction-Future frought with privations, I would feel pouty or depressed with it quite soon.

There are many honest good quality, practical Turret Presses of various makes and vintage.


One longish day, or a few stolen-hours a week, and a basic Turret Press, and you can lay up a 1000 rounds and coast a while.
 
What takes the time is the prep work. I load ALL my ammo on a single stage press. If you do all the case prep work ahead of time it will go faster . I keep a bunch of sized, cleaned, flared, and primed brass ready to go. Use a hand primer like the Lee or RCBS and that will go fast also. And do as RC said and do batches I like to fill 100 or so at a time then set bullet on them all then run them through the press all at the same time, inspecting finished product and dropping into an empty ammo can as done. 350 or more an hour is easy as long as brass is cleaned and flared already. Add primed and up that to 400 or so easy. That's if you have all the time saving tools and it helps to have double the brass you regularly use.:cool:
Happy reloadin' Rick
 
FROGO207 said it... prep work.

I ultrasonic clean my brass, then dry in the oven. That step takes an hour. As I said, this was my first time reloading 9mm, so I ran a small batch. I also had to set up all the dies. And the powder measure. I also don't have an auto-prime shellholder for 9mm, so I was priming while belling on the press. Yes, I could probably churn out 100 an hour if everything was set up, and I was running large batches. I do this with .45, .38, and .223 all the time. Even then, I'm not sure its worth it to save $10 an hour.

I do enjoy reloading, almost as much as shooting. I will spend all day making 20 30-06, 308, or .223 rounds to shoot 1/4" groups. I guess I see time spent running off 9mm as not worth it, because I'd rather spend that time loading a caliber with more challenges. Also, I can save $30 bucks everytime I load 20 rounds of match-grade 30-06, versus $10 bucks on 9mm.

Best suggestion in this thread: Make the GF do it :D

She already knows how to load, and will occasionally load .45 or .223 for me. Now that the dies and powder measure is set up, time to put her to work.
 
If your in it to save money the answer is Casting your own bullets. If I reload purchased bullets I pay around 7-$8 per 50 if I cast my own around $2. With a 2 cavity mold I can cast 500 bullets in a couple hours if you get a 6 cavity obviously it wouldn't take long.
 
Unfortunately casting isn't an option for me, living in a condo in the city. I can't move out fast enough, and I would love to get into casting boolits at that time.
 
Put her to work.:D Tell her that she needs to get into the total firearms operation mode. Also remind her who is paying for the components etc. and how she has superior motor skills for precision assembly.
 
I reload everything on single stage presses. Got rid of the Dillon and others - too many problems, especially primer feeds. Not that big of a deal - I do it in batches - de[rime/resize/reprime in one stage, then later flare/charge/seat/crimp in the next
 
I use progressives for my pistol ammo but if I had more time (retired), I would probably just use a single stage.
I like single stage and I enjoy handloading with one. Handgun or rifle. Doesn't matter. I just don't always have the time.
With the blue presses, I can crank out some some serious volume quickly, but I really enjoy using a single stage. And 9mm is really easy to do with a single stage too.

LGB
 
Put her to work. Tell her that she needs to get into the total firearms operation mode. Also remind her who is paying for the components etc. and how she has superior motor skills for precision assembly.
Click to expand...

I tell her she is my SHTF plan B - so she needs to learn all aspects of shooting, especially keeping firearms clean ;):D

Although, I noticed she is getting bigger arms ...:eek:
 
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