I was poking around ebay and found Herters 38 Spc Seater & Sizer Dies, for like $10. My Dad didn't shoot .38 Special and I figure if I do get around to trying reloading, it will be for .38 Special to start. Outside of the two dies, for Sizing and Seating, what other dies does one need? to have a complete set for any given caliber?
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Yes, there are supposed to be two handles...a vertical one and a horizontal one.
The one in your picture is the horizontal one for rotating the turret. There should be another one to operate the ram (in your picture the top of the ram inside the plastic hopper with the shell holder atop it). You can see, in the picture, where the vertical handle would thread into the arm/pivot (next to the shiny/white nut below the level of the bench)
There can be a lot to explain, but it can be confusing as you aren't familiar with the process.
The easiest way to address this would be to read the books you already have on hand. Come back with questions of parts you don't understand after getting familiar with the process.
TikkaShooter
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You're as the Brits say "spot on."
I have an old Herter's C press. Shell holders are not easy to find today. OTOH, it was the press I learned how to reload from my father. Basically to me, it is a family heirloom kind of thing; it is worth a lot more to me than it is to anyone here.
I also have a RCBS Junior (if anyone remembers that one.
) and a RCBS Senior. On a personal note. When my grandson looked inside the safes and reloading gear; he asked which were family? It was right then and there, I realized he gets what so many of us are about..
think I'll also need a #6 threaded shell holder. I figure just to narrow things down, I'll study to learn how to load .38 Special on the old Herter's. that should simplify what I'm trying to take it - to a relatively narrow scope. think my Dad would have had 1, 2, 5, and 23 someplace. at least I'm starting to get some idea of what pieces I should be looking for an how to organize and label this stuff.
FROGO207
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I think that CH4D makes an adapter that converts the press to a standard snap in shell holder. This would be my first purchase. I can see you will be reloading shortly.
rocirish
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If you read the front part of those manuals you have, you will have a pretty good idea what else you need and how to use it. I would think that if you do enough searching you will find almost everything you need to get started. You will probably have to get a set of dies for the .38 though.
I started out loading many years ago on dad's Herters super model 3. I still have it and I use it every once in a while. It still does the job, real well. It's a real solid press.
I started out loading many years ago on dad's Herters super model 3. I still have it and I use it every once in a while. It still does the job, real well. It's a real solid press.
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WestKentucky
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The tools are purpose built. There is really no specific order or “right” way to do it, but there are a lot of wrong ways. Coming from empty brass at the range, the brass needs to go through a few steps before it can be shot again. Some folks reorganize this list a bit but I do it the most logical way. I will hit the basics...
1 clean the brass. You have a vibratory tumbler for this process. Run the brass for a couple hours and let the corncob or walnut media break down the crud for you. Do this first so that said crud never gets into your reloading tools.
2 deprime. Gotta get the old primer out. There’s a stem that is in one of the dies that does this. It has a long narrow rod on it that goes through the flash hole and shoves the old primer out. It’s usually on the sizing die which simplifies things.
3 sizing the case. When fired the case swells a bit and has to be put back to original size. The resizing die does this. This often also bells the case, but that may be a separate step in some die sets. But it’s what it sounds like, you want a slight bell shape on the top of the case so that when you put a bullet in that it doesn’t get cut or crush the brass.
4 prime. Need a new primer to set things off when you go to shoot. Priming on the press is common, but so are separate tools. If you see something that looks like it takes a shell holder but has a tray on the side and is a kinda wierd shaped spring loaded grip thingamabob that’s probably it. I see at least 1 press mounted primer arm so I assume that is what your dad was doing.
5. Charge. Gunpowder is not EXPLOSIVE but it is a a very fast burning propellant. Different powders burn differently and have to be measured very precisely and then metered out just as precisely to make sure it’s repeated properly. This is the most important step because doing it wrong either way presents dangerous conditions. Too light of a charge can let a bullet stick in the barrel (squib) and the next bullet being obstructed can blow up a gun. Too heavy of a charge can blow the gun up as well. Gotta know what powder your using and follow the books.
6 Bullet. The bullet has to be shoved down into the case. Again, this is one of those consistency things. Often times this step also crimps which is the point of removing that bell you put on the case earlier.
7, crimp. Crimping can actually bite down into the bullet a bit to help hold it in place so that it doesn’t get pulled out by recoil or shoved into the chamber during loading in a semiauto, but again, the purpose is to remove the bell and hold the bullet in place.
Most dies are cartridge specific. Every now and then you will find something that works in multiple ways, or on multiple things. Universal depriming dies are one example, which essentially it’s just using using the depriming stem without any kind of resizing operation.
1 clean the brass. You have a vibratory tumbler for this process. Run the brass for a couple hours and let the corncob or walnut media break down the crud for you. Do this first so that said crud never gets into your reloading tools.
2 deprime. Gotta get the old primer out. There’s a stem that is in one of the dies that does this. It has a long narrow rod on it that goes through the flash hole and shoves the old primer out. It’s usually on the sizing die which simplifies things.
3 sizing the case. When fired the case swells a bit and has to be put back to original size. The resizing die does this. This often also bells the case, but that may be a separate step in some die sets. But it’s what it sounds like, you want a slight bell shape on the top of the case so that when you put a bullet in that it doesn’t get cut or crush the brass.
4 prime. Need a new primer to set things off when you go to shoot. Priming on the press is common, but so are separate tools. If you see something that looks like it takes a shell holder but has a tray on the side and is a kinda wierd shaped spring loaded grip thingamabob that’s probably it. I see at least 1 press mounted primer arm so I assume that is what your dad was doing.
5. Charge. Gunpowder is not EXPLOSIVE but it is a a very fast burning propellant. Different powders burn differently and have to be measured very precisely and then metered out just as precisely to make sure it’s repeated properly. This is the most important step because doing it wrong either way presents dangerous conditions. Too light of a charge can let a bullet stick in the barrel (squib) and the next bullet being obstructed can blow up a gun. Too heavy of a charge can blow the gun up as well. Gotta know what powder your using and follow the books.
6 Bullet. The bullet has to be shoved down into the case. Again, this is one of those consistency things. Often times this step also crimps which is the point of removing that bell you put on the case earlier.
7, crimp. Crimping can actually bite down into the bullet a bit to help hold it in place so that it doesn’t get pulled out by recoil or shoved into the chamber during loading in a semiauto, but again, the purpose is to remove the bell and hold the bullet in place.
Most dies are cartridge specific. Every now and then you will find something that works in multiple ways, or on multiple things. Universal depriming dies are one example, which essentially it’s just using using the depriming stem without any kind of resizing operation.
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