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Illegal unless you are licensed. Insurance would make it unprofitable unless you can crank out 1000's of rounds a day.

From ATF:

Is a person who reloads ammunition required to be licensed as a manufacturer?

Yes, if the person engages in the business of selling or distributing reloads for the purpose of livelihood and profit.
No, if the person reloads only for personal use.
[18 U.S.C. 922(a) and 923(a); 27 CFR 478.41]
Ok then.....there goes that idea. See why I joined this forum? To avoid jail for not knowing things like this.
 
One last thought on reloading else I'll look like I'm spamming this thread -- also, wanting to not sound smug and "ha ha got mine."

1) You can all the equipment you need to get started for a few hundred bucks. It's good stuff too -- I bought my first press and die set in 1995 and this stuff will last beyond my lifetime. When you buy reloading stuff, you are getting some of the most durable goods made.

2) You don't need to get all caught up in the expense and complexity of progressive presses -- I've been loading on single stage presses all my life and while I can't crank out 500 rds in an hour, I can do at least 100 rds of pistol per hour without breaking a sweat on a single stage. It may not sound like a ton of ammo but over the course of a whole week, it's not that hard to find a couple hours.

3) Components are still reasonably priced. Still available (though specific wants may be harder to find):
instock.png

4) You can do some test groups of your expensive $1/rd self-defense ammo, and make a reload that groups the same way giving you cheap practice ammo that aims exactly like your SD ammo. Or you could make reloads that shoot more accurately out of your gun than anything you can buy off the shelf.

5) All the endless discussion about whether it is cheaper or not after calculating time, is pretty much a waste of space -- you can't buy what isn't available.

6) This is the place where people who cast their own bullets need to continue the conversation because if you can do that (I haven't gone that far yet), all you need is a berm to mine.

7) This is where the flintlock people can take things up for when primers are scarce.

8) This space is for those who make their own black powder and find their own flint.

9) This is where bowhunters might want to chime in.
 
One last thought on reloading else I'll look like I'm spamming this thread -- also, wanting to not sound smug and "ha ha got mine."

1) You can all the equipment you need to get started for a few hundred bucks. It's good stuff too -- I bought my first press and die set in 1995 and this stuff will last beyond my lifetime. When you buy reloading stuff, you are getting some of the most durable goods made.

2) You don't need to get all caught up in the expense and complexity of progressive presses -- I've been loading on single stage presses all my life and while I can't crank out 500 rds in an hour, I can do at least 100 rds of pistol per hour without breaking a sweat on a single stage. It may not sound like a ton of ammo but over the course of a whole week, it's not that hard to find a couple hours.

3) Components are still reasonably priced. Still available (though specific wants may be harder to find):
View attachment 719476

4) You can do some test groups of your expensive $1/rd self-defense ammo, and make a reload that groups the same way giving you cheap practice ammo that aims exactly like your SD ammo. Or you could make reloads that shoot more accurately out of your gun than anything you can buy off the shelf.

5) All the endless discussion about whether it is cheaper or not after calculating time, is pretty much a waste of space -- you can't buy what isn't available.

6) This is the place where people who cast their own bullets need to continue the conversation because if you can do that (I haven't gone that far yet), all you need is a berm to mine.

7) This is where the flintlock people can take things up for when primers are scarce.

8) This space is for those who make their own black powder and find their own flint.

9) This is where bowhunters might want to chime in.
I would love to learn to reload so this is good stuff. thanks
 
I would love to learn to reload so this is good stuff. thanks

I learned to reload pistol in 1995 in my basement reading a book. Pistol is a good place to start too -- it's easier and there are fewer extraneous case prep tools to get distracted by and spend money on. And with youtube now, there's literally nothing standing in the way.

This guy does a good overview of setting up a set of pistol dies (the caliber doesn't matter -- they all work the same with the exception of the crimp -- semi-auto such as 9mm would get a taper crimp instead of a roll crimp but the dies you buy will come with the right type of crimp). Once you have the decapping and case mouth flaring dies set up, you aren't likely to change the settings unless you change presses. Each different bullet shape needs the bullet seating die to be reset but once you find a bullet you like, just stick with it and the die doesn't need to be reset if you lock the lock ring in place on the die -- just checked when you reinstall on the press that the setting hasn't gotten knocked off somehow. In other words, you don't go through these steps every time if you use the set screw to lock the lock ring. You also don't do cartridges one at a time and switch dies -- do a couple hundred cases with the decapping die, then run that lot through the mouth flare, then run that lot through bullet seating/crimping step.

I've skipped over the usual blah blah in the beginning, but I do think he does a nice job explaining what each die does and how to get it setup. I wish he talked about locking the locking ring on the bullet seating die, but you can see the set screw on the side of the ring. For the decapper and flaring dies, its less of an issue because you set those up to touch the shell holder:
 
I learned to reload pistol in 1995 in my basement reading a book. Pistol is a good place to start too -- it's easier and there are fewer extraneous case prep tools to get distracted by and spend money on. And with youtube now, there's literally nothing standing in the way.

This guy does a good overview of setting up a set of pistol dies (the caliber doesn't matter -- they all work the same with the exception of the crimp -- semi-auto such as 9mm would get a taper crimp instead of a roll crimp but the dies you buy will come with the right type of crimp). Once you have the decapping and case mouth flaring dies set up, you aren't likely to change the settings unless you change presses. Each different bullet shape needs the bullet seating die to be reset but once you find a bullet you like, just stick with it and the die doesn't need to be reset if you lock the lock ring in place on the die -- just checked when you reinstall on the press that the setting hasn't gotten knocked off somehow. In other words, you don't go through these steps every time if you use the set screw to lock the lock ring. You also don't do cartridges one at a time and switch dies -- do a couple hundred cases with the decapping die, then run that lot through the mouth flare, then run that lot through bullet seating/crimping step.

I've skipped over the usual blah blah in the beginning, but I do think he does a nice job explaining what each die does and how to get it setup. I wish he talked about locking the locking ring on the bullet seating die, but you can see the set screw on the side of the ring. For the decapper and flaring dies, its less of an issue because you set those up to touch the shell holder:
Good video and advice @awshoot
Not all semi-auto die sets come with a taper crimp die and some revolver calibers used in a semi-auto should have a taper crimp added. Case in point, my .41 AE die set from Hornady did not come with a taper crimp die because it is also used for .41 Magnum. Luckily, I found a .41 AE die set from LEE.
You can use a roll crimp die to simulate a taper crimp, but not well. You can put a roll crimp on a bullet that doesn't have a cannelure, but you can also put a cannelure on such a bullet yourself.
I guess this is the exception that proves the rule. Now that the new to reloading members are totally confused - it will become clear when you get deeper into reloading.
OK, that is the depth of my reloading knowledge - have fun. Some youtube videos and most all handloading books are your best friend when reloading unless you can find an oldtimer to reloading to spend several days helping you. I had my Dad.
 
Good video and advice @awshoot
... Case in point, my .41 AE die set from Hornady did not come with a taper crimp die because it is also used for .41 Magnum. ...

Yeah - I like his explanations. He's clear, to the point, and explains well how the tools work. I like his Bob Ross energy too.

Interesting about that Hornady die set -- I have one Hornady die set: .380 ACP and I swear the bullet seating die has a roll crimp. I was so frustrated with it I eventually replaced it with an RCBS die set. I do like the bullet guide sleeve in the Hornady bullet seating die and since I have it, I seat with the Hornady die and then in an extra step, taper crimp with the RCBS die.

That said, OP mentioned 9mm -- I can't imagine something as popular as 9mm would be problematic, so I was trying to minimize the caveats.

EDIT: I've been trying to be tool agnostic here but I will say, my RCBS pistol dies have always had the right sort of crimp out of the box.
 
Primers are the weak link now. I stocked up a bit last year and have around 5-6k in various flavors. I tried finding CCI small pistol or large pistol primers the other day and they are gone everywhere I looked online. Grabbed some CCI large rifle primers I found at Walmart the other day. There were six boxes left, so I grabbed four and left some for the next guy.

I have about 30lbs of lead, which isn't much, but it's still available. Time to get a mold for 9mm now as I never bothered with it before.

Yes, 9mm was not worth reloading a few months ago as I could buy a 100-round bulk pack of Federal Brass 115gr FMJs for $33 at Walmart, or the same amount in Remington UMC 115gr JHPs for $39. By the time you factored in the cost of primers, powder, decent bullets, and how much time it took to crank out 100 rounds on a single stage press, it absolutely wasn't worth it.

Now that Walmart stopped selling and 9mm is impossible to find, reloading is the only option I have if I want to shoot.
 
This "shortage" looks to be the one that finally pushes me into reloading. I have a feeling this time is going to stress my supply moreso than in times past just due to the unique circumstances of it: massive influx of new buyers vs panic buying due to political threats. This "shortage" seems likely to last longer and taper-off slower because the threats are less defined and less likely to end abruptly with political action.

I'll hold off until I get moved east, I don't need MORE stuff to move and everything would just stay boxed-up til then anyway. I hope that little bit of pre-planning/laziness doesn't bite me in the azz.

I've made ammo before, played at it with friends' presses but never set up my own. I found it relaxing, especially when things got tumultuous with the ex. Added bonus: AMMO!
 
Primers are the weak link now. I stocked up a bit last year and have around 5-6k in various flavors. I tried finding CCI small pistol or large pistol primers the other day and they are gone everywhere I looked online. Grabbed some CCI large rifle primers I found at Walmart the other day. There were six boxes left, so I grabbed four and left some for the next guy.

I have about 30lbs of lead, which isn't much, but it's still available. Time to get a mold for 9mm now as I never bothered with it before.

Yes, 9mm was not worth reloading a few months ago as I could buy a 100-round bulk pack of Federal Brass 115gr FMJs for $33 at Walmart, or the same amount in Remington UMC 115gr JHPs for $39. By the time you factored in the cost of primers, powder, decent bullets, and how much time it took to crank out 100 rounds on a single stage press, it absolutely wasn't worth it.

Now that Walmart stopped selling and 9mm is impossible to find, reloading is the only option I have if I want to shoot.
Don't forget, you can still buy lead. lol. I know a guy that's selling 6000 lbs of pure for $1/lb. Spot lead is around $.80/lb right now.
No idea what the scrap yards are charging.
 
I have a couple of local suppliers of pre-mixed lead that I use. It's spendy at $2.50 a pound, but it works great for my needs and is easy to use. It's basically a copy of Lyman #2 and has a BN of around 16.
 
Don't forget, you can still buy lead. lol. I know a guy that's selling 6000 lbs of pure for $1/lb. Spot lead is around $.80/lb right now.
No idea what the scrap yards are charging.
Don't forget the tin and antimony. I got some pure 20 - 40 lb lead bricks from nuclear power used for shielding that is pure lead - very soft. I gave them to my Dad since he was really into casting. That is why I still have over 2000 rounds of .38 Special Wad-cutters sealed in ammo cans that are 30 - 40 years old and still shoot great. I should have saved a couple of bricks for me.:(

He also used wheel weights, harder to find lead ones anymore, and battery plates. He even got into hard cast bullets - great penetration, but low expansion. He dabbled in mercury encasement for a short time - not recommended. It is amazing that he didn't get brain poisoning, but was still sharp as a tack at 82 when he passed.
 
Don't forget the tin and antimony. I got some pure 20 - 40 lb lead bricks from nuclear power used for shielding that is pure lead - very soft. I gave them to my Dad since he was really into casting. That is why I still have over 2000 rounds of .38 Special Wad-cutters sealed in ammo cans that are 30 - 40 years old and still shoot great. I should have saved a couple of bricks for me.:(

He also used wheel weights, harder to find lead ones anymore, and battery plates. He even got into hard cast bullets - great penetration, but low expansion. He dabbled in mercury encasement for a short time - not recommended. It is amazing that he didn't get brain poisoning, but was still sharp as a tack at 82 when he passed.
Yep, this is pure shielding lead so you've gotta add antimony to harden it and maybe some tin if it's not sharp. I harden to WW level with the right dose of hardened birdshot I currently have on hand. 8 oz of tin ($8/lb) brings 25lbs up to ww content though I only add it if the mold isn't filling out. I don't heat treat or water quench for pistol as it's hard enough.
If it's berm mined lead I just cast and shoot it.
 
This "shortage" looks to be the one that finally pushes me into reloading. I have a feeling this time is going to stress my supply moreso than in times past just due to the unique circumstances of it: massive influx of new buyers vs panic buying due to political threats. This "shortage" seems likely to last longer and taper-off slower because the threats are less defined and less likely to end abruptly with political action.

I'll hold off until I get moved east, I don't need MORE stuff to move and everything would just stay boxed-up til then anyway. I hope that little bit of pre-planning/laziness doesn't bite me in the azz.

I've made ammo before, played at it with friends' presses but never set up my own. I found it relaxing, especially when things got tumultuous with the ex. Added bonus: AMMO!

If you are serious about it, you might want to pre-buy primers. Last night after posting how easy it is to find 9mm bullets, I did an inventory of primers, discovered I only have 750 small rifle primers and decided to buy some. It took -- no joke -- two hours of devoted internet searching to track some down and even then, I was limited to just one box (1000). Primers are light -- 1000 is probably a pound? Maybe two? But if you don't have them, it's a bad thing.
 
My neighbor came over today because he'd ordered a 45acp from Bi-mart a while ago and then there was the Background check wait. What I'm saying is some time had passed since his purchase. He wanted to go shoot it today but had no ammo. I gave him 5 rounds.
Couldn't even spare a full mag worth??? That's pretty funny
 
Couldn't even spare a full mag worth??? That's pretty funny
I have around 400-500 rounds of .45 ACP and don't even own one anymore. I have no plans to own one, either. But I just can't sell it since it seems like it might be a good idea to keep it on hand just in case.

I had a coworker lamenting the fact that he couldn't find any ammo for his .40 S&W M&P and was nearly completely out. I gave him a box of 50.

Then two days later, he posted some anti-Trump BLM crap on Facebook. No more ammo for him.
 

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