A New Handloading Setup, and Some Questions

[WolverineFury]

Apparently we all don't know. Cause as far as I knew 9mm were straight walled... Oh well, I guess it will be explained in the reloading manual.

 

[Hondo 60]

ljnowell says don't buy the 4 die set, I say YES do buy it.

The 4th die serves 2 purposes.
First it's a crimp die, this allows you to seat & crimp in 2 steps.
I've found it MUCH easier to adjust the dies seating & crimping in 2 steps.

the 2nd is that it has a carbide ring that helps take out any "bulges" in a round of ammo.
If the dies are seated properly there won't be any bulges, but I still prefer to seat & crimp in 2 steps.
(rather than seat & crimp with one die)

For many, 9mm is lumped in with straight-walled cases, but technically it's tapered just a bit.
Using a calipers, measure the width at the rim, middle & bullet end, you'll see it's tapered a bit.

 

[ljnowell]

ljnowell says don't buy the 4 die set, I say YES do buy it.

The 4th die serves 2 purposes.
First it's a crimp die, this allows you to seat & crimp in 2 steps.
I've found it MUCH easier to adjust the dies seating & crimping in 2 steps.

the 2nd is that it has a carbide ring that helps take out any "bulges" in a round of ammo.
If the dies are seated properly there won't be any bulges, but I still prefer to seat & crimp in 2 steps.
(rather than seat & crimp with one die)

For many, 9mm is lumped in with straight-walled cases, but technically it's tapered just a bit.
Using a calipers, measure the width at the rim, middle & bullet end, you'll see it's tapered a bit

Thats why I said to buy a 3 die set and purchase a second seat/crimp die. Serves the exact same purpose, you just unscrew the seating stem from it. It becomes a crimp only die.

I made the mistake of buying a few FCD. I got tired of the chunka-chunka of thick brass cases hitting the dies. It was a real PITA. The rounds werent out of spec either, they would drop right in a case gauge, but still hit the carbide ring in the die and made it require extra effort that became a PITA after about 300 rounds in a sitting.

 

[tyeo098]

FCD will swage your cast lead bullets undersize and give you horrible leading. It will. Try it.

Only use it for jacketed stuff.

 

[ljnowell]

FCD will swage your cast lead bullets undersize and give you horrible leading. It will. Try it.

None of the three I own did. Tried it. Worked fine. Loaded 10s of thousands of rounds, all lead, with them. No leading, no undersizing bullets. I even pulled bullets and measured them once to prove someone else who said the same thing wrong.

If you were to get an undersized defective die, it could do that however.

 

[cfullgraf]

Thats why I said to buy a 3 die set and purchase a second seat/crimp die. Serves the exact same purpose, you just unscrew the seating stem from it. It becomes a crimp only die.

Many of the die manufacturing companies, including Lee, offer crimp only dies that do not include a seating stem.

If you want to crimp in a separate step, there is no need to buy a seater die and strip out the stem.

Frequently, the crimp only dies are a little less expensive than a seater die.

Also, you can pop the carbide ring out of a Lee FCD die and have a crimp only die.

 

[WolverineFury]

Great info guys! With this in mind it looks like I'll be going with the cheaper option.

 

[sexybeast]

Wolverine; You asked a good question about which equipment to start out with, mentioned you had a glock, and then got to sit back and watch an argument about glocks. Welcome to the world of internet gun forums!
I use alot of Lee products, they are great for the price but there is better. I think the turret press will get old for you real fast but it is a good press and great for learning on. I use a Lee Loadmaster every week so I am not Anti-Lee like so many others are!
Right now I think you should buy some FMJ bullets, they are easier to load [read above again] and you will have success sooner. Then move on to lead when you think you are ready and have educated you self to a higher level.
Enjoy! Also put a good reloading book in the bathroom and open it up everytime you sit down!

 

[Potatohead]

^What hondo and SexyBeast said.

And I cant believe i just wrote Sexybeast

 

[WolverineFury]

Well, the reason I decided to go for the Turret press was that it wasn't too much more than the single stage, and I don't anticipate ever loading more than 1000 rounds at a time. The reason being, I'm still a minor and am also saving for a car, other guns, etc.. But if I ever do get tired of it you will get to say, "I told you so!"

 

[Potatohead]

The LCT rocks unless your wantin' to turn out a gazillion rds per hour, itll serve you well. I kind of like moving somewhat slow anyhow. Not that it is slow.

 

[sexybeast]

OMG!!!!! "1000 rounds at a time"!!!! On a turret press, I think you are in for awakening!
Like I said its a good press for a beginner! After you load bullet #1000 update this thread and let us know how it went. I think after a thousand rounds at a time you will have learned opinion of the turret press. I look forward to hearing about this!


Lets see, I picked the name "Sexybeast", you picked the name "potatohead",,,,,,,hmmmmmm

 

[Potatohead]

Guess I should read the whole thread, it looked long Yes, your back and arm will be quite sore after it takes you 3 days to do 1000 rds.


No offense intended , Sexy.

 

[sexybeast]

No offense intended , Sexy.

I know, me neither.

 

[WolverineFury]

Haha, I probably should have said 1000 rounds over the course of several days! I can't shoot much (cause of cost), but I want to be able to do more than just dry fire training. I figure that If I put $10 into components a week, it will start adding up, and I'll be able to have more "fulfilling" training sessions during the spring-summer. At any rate. If I did 200 rounds a day (which would take what? 1-2 hours?) I dare say that it wouldn't be horrible.

But like you say, won't know how it is 'till I try it!

 

[Potatohead]

200 rds a day wouldnt be impossible once you get everything setup, but I think 150 is probably the max I would want to put out in a day with my LCT. I've probably done about 12 sessions and Im up to about a hundred per sitting. I dont think I want to go much faster because I really enjoy it (and dont want to use up all of my components also). .

The cost really starts plummeting after you get over your start up costs. At first I was like "how is this going to save me any dough" but I can really see how it will now. Its really dirt cheap once you get moving. PH

 

[sexybeast]

Don't worry about how long it takes. Your first loading session probably will be frustrating dialing in the press and checking the powder. Check the powder often, get in the habit of watching the powder drop cycle forward and back, and look at your brass each time you put it in the shell holder and when you take it out. Look for little dark lines that could be cracks. And start out with light loads. If you get confused and think you may have dropped a double charge just pull all of them. I have personally seen four guns blow up on the firing line. The glock was the only one that WAS NOT destroyed! But he did need a new barrel!
In the beginning you have to pay attention to detail!
I think you should start out with 50 rounds, case gauge them all, do the drop test into the barrel of your glock, and then try them out.

 

[ljnowell]

200 rds a day wouldnt be impossible once you get everything setup, but I think 150 is probably the max I would want to put out in a day with my LCT. I've probably done about 12 sessions and Im up to about a hundred per sitting. I dont think I want to go much faster because I really enjoy it (and dont want to use up all of my components also). .

I can do that much in an hour on mine. I load minimum of 500 rounds a week on mine, usually in two reloading sessions. I take my time and load about 150 an hour. If I really push it I can break 200rds an hour without a problem.