hey progressive loaders?

[btefft]

I use a Lee Universal deprimer to deprime brass that I first tumbled.

Then I, take out my calipers and check case length. Yep, before I resize. I'll deal with these cases the next time I tumble and then Lee deprime them.

I have never had a FTF. So, I'll keep this up until something makes me change.

I load .380Auto, 9mm, 40SW and 45ACP - never had a problem.

I have a LnL and a Classic, both from Hornady

Hack

 

[Idano]

so what's the point of progressives? i don't get it.

I personally find the progressive a fantastic tool for priming and loading prepared brass. Everyone has a different process for reloading. When I go shooting I usually shoot 100-300 rounds or less. Those rounds go in the tumbler(s), if more then one caliber, while I am cleaning my guns. When they are done I de-cap and resize, if they are rifle brass they get tumbled again to remove the lube. Then I measure or gauge, clean the primer pockets, and then toss them in rubber maid containers until I am ready to reload. When I am ready to reload I'll dump 500 or 1000 rounds in case feeder and start loading. Personally it is a waste of my time to really do less then 200 rounds because of the setup time, I really prefer to reload larger batches.

 

[lgbloader]

I'll load my 9mm and 45 acp pistol brass fully progressive: Tumble, Inspect (with a spot light Magnifier) and check case length and specs, LIGHTLY lube with spray on lube and let dry and then load em in the case feeder and away we go as #1 size & deprime, #2 prime, flare and charge, #3 powder check, #4 seat bullet #5 crimp. Then I check all my rounds that drop into the blue bin with a case gage. I don't try to set any records as far as time is concerned and I have plenty of light (including lights mounted on my XL650's) and stop several times over the course of the loading session to spot check any and all the stations to make sure all is in proper specs, weight, and order. I can still bust out some serious rounds in no time. That why I bought the bloody blue machines. Then I shoot them and start the process all over again, again, and again and so on and so forth...

On the other hand, I single stage hand load every rifle caliber I load and shoot including 223 and all my magnum caliber pistols to be more intimate with anything that could become a problem of FUBAR. (I single stage my 38 spcl too but not because I want to.) It is nice to try other methods and to see where people are coming from in terms of their ways and one can always learn and try out different methods. But as long as you practice safety, we all can have our own rituals.

Cheers...

 

[Idano]

Then I check all my rounds that drop into the blue bin with a case gage.

How many of those have you had to pull the bullet because they didn't drop into the gauge any longer or do you only reload your brass a fix number of times and toss them? I ask because I have either reloaded my brass so many times or scrounged used brass that any time I process brass I end up scrapping out 5-10 per 500 that will no long fit in my L.E. Wilson gauge after being resized. I hate pulling bullets so this is why I now process all my brass ahead of time.

By the way this is what I discovered happens if you decide to continue shooting brass that doesn't fit into the guage:

 

[lgbloader]

Isn't it funny how some people pick one sentence in your post to dwell on, decide they have an issue with it, and ignore the rest...

Idano, my friend. This may sting a little.

Maybe you should read the complete post over from begining to end and try to see where I am coming from. Believe me, Mate, you'll find the answers to the questions you asked in there if you give it half a chance. Be sure to read the last two sentences out loud twice. I'll even repost here:

It is nice to try other methods and to see where people are coming from in terms of their ways and one can always learn and try out different methods. But as long as you practice safety, we all can have our own rituals.

By the way, Mate, if that picture is one of your old brass, I am very glad for you (and those around you!!!) that you amended your ways of reloading. I won't ask but I am thinking, "Why on earth would you attemp to shoot a round that doesn't correctly fit in your gauge?" But I am very paranoid about safety so what do I know...

End of discussion.

Cheers, Mate and I apologize to all cc'd but in all fairness, he did call me out.

 

[Rico567]

We are all attached to our particular reloading methods, and it's certainly an eye-opener that there can be so many ways to move from a fired case to a finished round.

Unfortunately, the Internet version of verbal poison ivy tends to creep in. Personally, I read nothing that indicates to me that anyone in this thread is doing something unsafe....which is the point. To start imputing hazardous reloading practices to someone (or to jump defensive) is falling into the "instant communications are not necessarily better communications" error of the Internet. It's very easy and quick to bat out posts on these forums, and slip into engaging in personalities, without giving it much thought.

Think about it this way: read what you've just written before you click on "Post Reply," then ask yourself "Would I say this if this person were standing in front of me / in front of others / a friend of mine / wearing a gun? If the answer is "no," maybe you have just found some food for thought in your mental bag of groceries.

Serious discussions that move beyond a statement of fact on the Internet are rather like trying to win the Olympic 100-meter freestyle in the kiddie pool.

 

[Idano]

lgbloader,

I wasn't trying to be rude or condescending nor was I attempting to dwell on one sentence in your post or call you out like you did with your backhanded comment. I was merely trying to find out if you had a fair share of brass that no longer gauged properly and if not do you using some method to monitor your case life. I said I asked because I have either reloaded my brass so many times or scrounged used brass that anytime I process brass I end up scrapping out 5-10 per 500 that will no long fit in my L.E. Wilson gauge after being resized. I was suspecting you either toss your brass early or you pull some bullets, though you may have deduced using statistics the the average span of your brass and if so what that number would be.

By the way, Mate, if that picture is one of your old brass, I am very glad for you (and those around you!!!) that you amended your ways of reloading. I won't ask but I am thinking, "Why on earth would you attemp to shoot a round that doesn't correctly fit in your gauge?" But I am very paranoid about safety so what do I know...

Just in case you want to lambaste me again I'll let you know I started reloading before those gauges were accessible. When I started there was no Internet, you bought your reloading equipment from a local shop. Yep started out with Speer Number nine and there was no mention of any gauges just the dimensions of the case and no mention of bellied cases either. It wasn't until the Internet and forums like this I learned about the availability of these gauges plus a ton of additonal information such as using Nu Finish to my media, using lanolin case lubeand etc.

 

[MinnMooney]

trinydex has got it !!

I see so many progressive reloaders are going directly from the de-primering/sizing station to the priming - charging - bullet installation stations w/o even worrying about their length of brass!
This should be avoided!! Brass stretches from being fired and sized and will eventually be too long for most chambers. After the sizing process, casings must be mic'd to make sure that they are between the max. lgth. and the "trim to :" lgth. If you are skipping that step then your loads are possibly unsafe and you're a lazy reloader.

Progressives are great but they don't do your work for you entirely so get off your duff and do it right!

 

[MinnMooney]

Safety - Safety - Safety

If there is one thing we can agree on, it's to agree to disagree. As long as you load safe ammo, that's the bottom line.

How can you possibly think that your loaded ammo is safe after you've skipped almost every safety check of your brass?!? :banghead:

 

[lgbloader]