Just getting back into reloading

[Vodoun da Vinci]

OK...I have been out of reloading for 35 years. I wanna spend the Winter working up loads for .32 ACP. Found my old press and got her all spruced, cleaned and lubed and then went shopping for all the stuff I need. Check weights, shell holder, powder, primers, bullets, new calipers, ammo boxes. Everything. I have all the peripheral stuff I need coming tomorrow from various places like Midway and Rim Rock bullets but found out today the stuff that "stops the show" is *all* on back order from RCBS and everywhere else as well.

I ordered it from RCBS and got an order confirmation but no shipping/tracking number so I emailed and asked them. I was told it's all on back order....every piece. That would be my die set, my ram primer tool, and the collet for the press mounted bullet puller. I didn't get nasty but told RCBS that it would have been nice if they would have told me it was not gonna be delivered when I ordered it. Every other place on the 'Net tells you up front it is on back order.

So, I'm dead in the water for "4 to 6 weeks" according to RCBS but I have a little bell ringing in my head that tells me that in 6 weeks I'll be told it's on back order and it'll be available in "4 to 6 weeks"...Midway and other major retailers all list the stuff as out of stock and available (expected) middle of October but I suspect they got told that by the same lady at RCBS that told me "4 to 6 weeks".

Having been out of it for so long I gotta ask - is this normal? How do you guys get the dies and stuff you need? Is this just bad luck or should I expect to be waiting for some time for necessary reloading stuff in the 21st century?

Thanks in advance.

VooDoo

 

[mljdeckard]

Why was it you had to order straight from RCBS instead of someone like Midway?

I open three windows, one to Midway, Cabela's, Brownell's, and sometimes one to Amazon. I complete the order on each of them, and proceed to checkout. Whichever one has the most in stock, with the best price and shipping gets my order.

 

[BYJO4]

These days many items are out of stock with the option to backorder. I just got an order that was placed 8 months ago. Most places try to give you an approximate date but very often it end ups being a longer wait. You can leave your order with RCBS and cancel it if you find your items elsewhere. I look at the websites for the major suppliers on a daily basis. By the way, I think a kinetic bullet puller is better for pistol rounds. Good luck.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

I ordered dies and the ram primer direct from RCBS because *everywhere* else was out of stock...I felt duped that RCBS makes a buyer jump thru hoops to find out an item is not in stock.

I'd think (and I told 'em at RCBS..) that when you got the order confirmation via email it would *say* "out of stock" but that is apparently not the case.

VooDoo

 

[Lost Sheep]

Welcome back and thanks for asking our advice

Welcome back and thanks for asking our advice.

You found your old press and spruced it up? What else do you need? Load data is available online until you can get your manuals' library updated. Do you not have dies, shell holder and scale? (Please forgive me if I have made some unwarranted assumptions based on my limited knowledge of your history.)

Everything else can be improvised, done without (at least temporarily) or substitutions found. Or maybe found on the used market - here on THR perhaps?

Yes, backorder policies of various retailers can be irritating. I sometimes feel as if I appear untrusting of my online retailers when I ask for specific answers to specific questions ad nauseum, but I have been burned by assumptions, so beg their forbearance and nail down every detail of my order, shipping schedule and even their suppliers' schedules, too. (My advice: Takes notes and names while you are on the phone. Then, when the order arrives, you know who to thank or to gripe to.)

Good luck.

Lost Sheep

 

[Jesse Heywood]

VooDoo

Since the last election, all phases of firearms have been victimized by panic buying. Doesn't seem to matter much if it's guns, ammo, reloading supplies. People have been buying anything on the shelves. The good news is that the manufacturers are starting to catch up. The bad news is that there is another election next year.

What many of us do is to use the notify option on the retailers' websites. It doesn't cost you anything, just set up an account and click notify me. You will get an e-mail when the product is in stock. You can then order it or not.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

@ Lost Sheep:

I have recently decided to begin loading .32 ACP which is the whole reason for me wanting to get back into reloading. I do not have .32 dies which is the hang up.

Everything else is ready to rock...I have scale, check weights, case prep, bullets, powder, primer and all. All I need are frickin' dies and I'm rockin' again! Till then I only have 38 special, 9mm and .45 dies and I already have 600 rounds of each of those.

VooDoo

 

[Reefinmike]

Fsreloading has lee 32 dies in stock https://fsreloading.com/lee-precision-carbide-3-die-set-.32-acp-90622.html You don't have to stick with brand name of your press

 

[Ranger Roberts]

Are there any local gun shops in your area? I'm in Pennsylvania and it seems the panic didn't hit our reloading components (by components I mean hardware like dies, stuff like primers and powders disappeared) as badly as it did elsewhere. Even some of the big box stores (Cabelas, Bass Pro and Gander Mountain) generally have reloading dies available. If you buy from a local guy you may pay a little more, but if you're an instant gratification type of guy you will be up and running asap!

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I spotted the Lee .32 dies but I'm *really* wanting the RCBS....mostly because I have used most major brands in the past and simply prefer RCBS and, specifically, the RCBS comes stock with a taper crimp in the seating die.

The Lee dies feel that a crimp is not needed because they don't flare the case mouth too much and this eliminates the need for a tapered crimp. I disagree with this.

I have tried locally but .32 ACP is pretty much obscure on the best of days. I'm still searching but it's looking like I'm gonna have to wait 4 weeks and cross my fingers. I *do* have a line on a single resize die and that would at least let me process the cases I have to knocking out the primer and resizing, cleaning, etc.

I'm just not a happy camper but I guess I'll have to get over it...my biggest disappointment was that they confirmed the order and said not a word about "back ordered" or "not in stock" and that bugs me. I feel that it is dis honest to some degree not to tell folks up front that the product is not available for weeks.

VooDoo

 

[KansasSasquatch]

The Lee 3 die sets I've used will crimp in the seater die. Just adjust the crimp carefully like you should with any dies. http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shoo...=SBC;MMcat104792580;cat104761080;cat104516280

 

[Walkalong]

I could not get acceptable results with my Lee .32 ACP die set. I ended up buying an RCBS set and the problems were solved. Mainly neck tension issues. I have some other Lee dies, and they work just fine, but I could not get my Lee .32 sizers (One from my .32 Long/Mag set and one from my .32 ACP set, which are the same sizers) to size enough to get satisfactory neck tension. Not even with a home made expander which only expanded the very start of the case mouth to get bullets started.

Good luck getting what you need, this was just a bad time to get re-started reloading. The good news is it was ten times worse a few months ago, so it is getting better.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Thanks, Walkalong. I have communicated with other .32 ACP aficionados that reload and this is exactly why I prefer the RCBS. The Lee is fine and I have .357 mag Lee dies and love them.

I am very "touchy feely" bout ammo and reloading for performance and I think the RCBS die *for this particular caliber* is the way I wanna begin. If the RCBS is unavailable after 6 weeks or I can't find the individual dies I need I'll buy a Lee set and get on with it.

VooDoo