reloading today

Buster,

You ain't done nothing that we reloaders haven't done before. It's so easy to get side tracked for 1 nano second and then you realize what you have done. I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. I have 26 rounds of .45 where the primer protrudes from the head of the casing. I loaded over 500 rounds and didn't stop to feel the head to make sure the primer was properly seated so now I have to tear them apart so I can save the bullet and the casings. And I did this on my Dillon which is supposed to be fool proof. I still prefer to hand primer but the reloading process becomes very tedious that way. Thing to do is take a break every now and then and just sit and have a glass of ice tea before you start over again. No sweat buddy!!!

Tommy

 

An inertial puller will still work, just takes longer.

 

Hey buster, I've accidentally CRUSHED a primer when seating. No kaboom. I don't recommend that of course.
If I find a primer that's not a little below flush with the head of the case I re-seat it.
So far so good.
Wear safety glasses just in case though.

BTW, I use a hand primer, easier to 'get the feel for it'.

 

If Lee was still making the same hand held Lee Auto Prime that they made for many many years I would recommend it. It has a built in primer flipper tray. Easy to do 100 at a time.

The 'new and improved' XR model I bought as a back up is a pain to keep the primers in the correct position.

I'm on my last connecting rod for the original, when it breaks I'll have to shop hand held priming tools.

 

Why would you have to remove the decapping pin?

I like to clean my cases. Then run them through the sizing die and decap. I then clean the primers pockets and trim if necessary and reprime. Flair the case if necessary, charge the case, seat the bullet and crimp.

 

Still having a hard time grasping. You prime before you size?

 

I don't know everyone's theories on the reloading process, but if you go by the rule that cleanliness is a very good thing, Lee offers a 'universal' decapping die. One uses it as step one. the case clearance in the die means the unclean case doesn't mess with the die. Tumbling or otherwise cleaning is step two. Priming is step three. Sizing - with the decapping pin removed - is step four. Then the expand — powder — seat steps as usual.

I usually don't reload that way, but since I use a primer pocket cleaning tool after the decapping/sizing step, there are just as many steps in there. Checking the flash hole opening happens either way.

It's The Rock Chucker Way [secret handshake optional].

 

I use the universal decapper often, but not as much as I used to.

Here is how I do it.

1. clean
2. size and decap
3. inspect case, clean primer pocket, trim if necessary
4. prime
5. expand if necessary
6. charge
7. seat
8. crimp

A lot of times I seat and crimp at the same time

I was just trying to understand why you were sizing after priming and what was the reason for it.

 

That's about the same procedure I use as well.
Only difference is I don't clean primer pockets on plain old practice ammo.
Hunting or doomsday ammo does get the pockets cleaned.

 

Buster, size&decap, then prime, is pretty much SOP. When you size, the case gets, ah, squeezed a little, to get the case body back to 'like new' diameter. That makes it too small for the bullet, especially lead or most plated bullets. That's what the expander die is for.

A light taper crimp won't peel the plating off a plated bullet - Berry's or Rainier's either. Whether you need it or not will be obvious toward the end of the cylinder when shooting.

 

Sounds like you got a handle on it buster. I guess everyone goes about it differently.
I don't have any advice, can tell you my procedure.
Most of the time I load 100 at a time, sometimes 150.

Clean brass in tumbler
Size / decap (Both in same die)
Check length, trim if needed
Mouth flare (Just enough to start bullet)
Prime with hand held priming tool
Throw powder charge using powder measure (Adjust measure w/scale to start)
Seat bullet and *crimp, both at the same time (If a crimp is to be used)

* A roll crimp is used for revolvers and can be done with bullet seating.
* For auto-loaders a taper crimp die is used and is done in a separate step.

 

This is my procedure also.

Only on target ammo, I will clean primer pocket of each case after sizing and decap step.


Jim

 

^^that's what I do except I prime on the press during the flaring stage.

About crimping, on my lee dies (unless I misread) it says that the bullet seating die will perform a taper crimp on the 9mm?