Let’s Get Started
Let us assume that you have your work area set
up and have the dies that you need for the particular caliber that will be
loaded. We will start with a rimless straight case that is commonly found in
modern auto pistols. They would include the 380, 9 mm, 40 auto, 10 mm and the
45 ACP. You should have a there die set which includes the sizer, belling die
and bullet seating die. Also don’t forget the shell holder. Your dies should be
tungsten carbide as they last a lot longer and are only a few dollars
more. Also it isn’t usually necessary to
lubricate the cases as you would with a typical steel set. Several companies
offer these dies at reasonable prices.
Before you start to load all of you brass
should be inspected. If they have been shot then you could have splits in a few
of them especially after a few firings. Cases need to be sorted by caliber and to
make sure that you don’t have any thing in the cases such as a smaller one or a
pebble. If you try and decap a case with something else inside then you will
break your decapping pin which is annoying. Always have some spares just in
case. If you are loading general target
loads it isn’t necessary to sort by brand. As long as they are quality cases in
good shape brand purity isn’t that important. Competition and other specialized
ammo is different. If the brass is
grungy then you might consider cleaning it.
There are a couple of ways to do that. I like a vibrator type of tumbler
with some crushed walnut and cleaning solution. An hour or two will make them
look like new as well as making them easier to inspect.
Once they are cleaned and inspected then you
are ready to start. You put your shell holder in the ram making sure it is all
the way in. Next your bring your handle
all the way down and screw your sizing die in until it touches the shell
holder. You then slip your case into the shell holder and bring the handle all
the way down. That sizes the case as well as takes out the spent primer. You
should feel a little resistance, which is normal, but if it is excessive or too
easy then there is a problem. You would need to stop and find out what is going
on. If you can’t figure it out chances are the answer lies on one of the reloading
manuals you bought. You did buy a couple didn’t you? The sizing is necessary because a case
expands upon firing and won’t hold a bullet unless properly sized. You can
perform this on all of your empty cases prior to going to the next step. Once
you get the rhythm it goes fairly quickly even with a single stage press.
Single stage press with die set
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To the Board of Directors,
Gentlemen I`am writing to present you with an idea that i think you may possibly find advantageous to your company. As i`am sure you are aware there is a great interest in whats called "Cowboy Action" shooting in this country and more and more guns of yesteryear are being resurected by the companies that make reproduction firearms.
The sport is growing constantly and the gun makers are constantly looking for ways to take even more advantage of this ever growing market. Guns like the Henry rifle,Spencer carbine, Colt and Remington conversion revolvers and the Colt 1872 Open Top and others are on the market and doudtless other guns of history will be made in the future.
The arms makers try to be as authenic as possible in their copies but one thing keeps them from being "true" copies.The majority of these guns are being made in calibers that the original guns were never made in.The Henry, Spencer,the majority of early Colts were made in rimfire calibers. Ammunition that has`nt been made by American companies since the 1920`s and early 30`s.But with the resurgence in interest in the old guns of our history and boost in ammo sales that go along with it i think it is time to resurect the original ammo these guns used as well. I ask you to think about it and concider this.
The new guns are generally offered in 2 and sometimes 3 caliber options, none of which were ever used in the originals to begin with. If the original rimfire calibers were offered as an addtional caliber option and the ammo for those calibers were available i believe both the guns and ammo sales would skyrocket.
Authenticity is what it is all about with the cowboy action crowd and the collectors and other shooters of these guns.What could be more "authenic" that having a repro in it`s original
chambering rather than a caliber that never was used in the original? Not to mention the fact that if ammo were available once again people that own originals like myself would love to be able to shoot them as well.
i believe that if arrangements could be reached between the gun makers and your company in that they would make the guns with their original calibers as options and you in turn make the ammo available i think it would be a boost in sales for both. I ask both of you to do this.
The gun makers offer the guns in their original calibers as a limited trial. You in turn make a limited run of the ammo. you both market the availablity of guns and ammo and see how it works. I believe you will find a gold mine has been discovered.
About 20 yrs ago i wrote a letter to your company asking that you concider making various rimfire ammo available again for people like myself who own antiques and would love to shoot them if ammo were available.My letter made it into the hands of someone { can`t recall who}
but he was a higher up in the company at the time.
He wrote me back saying he personally thought i had a good idea and he had presented my idea before the board and they turned it down saying they did`nt believe there was enouht of a market out there
Well things have changed quite a lot since then and i think that my idea might be worth concideration once again. I hope you agree as well.
Sincerely,
Robert Heins