What did you reload today?

[Newberg]

What machine is that? Thinking of going to the dark side.

The machine is called the "Ugly Annealer".

I'm extremely happy with it at this point.

I've done 3k+ cases with no issues.

 

[Mikej]

@Mikej is gonna like this… I resized 9 shy of 1k PMC .223 cases and didn't break a decapping pin (Go Squirrel Daddy). I threw out a bunch that didn't make the cut, I'm picky. Cleaned the Lanolin/Heet line with lacquer thinner and then wet tumbled half (they all wouldn't fit) with SS pins. I'll get a pic of the end product tomorrow.
I'm tired Boss, dog tired.

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Many that don't roll their own don't get it I suppose. There's a special satisfaction in a large pile of freshly processed and cleaned rifle brass. More so than hand gun brass I think. Just finished yesterday the 200 rounds of LC .30-06. There's cleaning, sizing/decapping, cleaning, primer pocket swaging/cleaning, trimming and then deburring.

 

[Bobbygun]

Just finished yesterday the 200 rounds of LC .30-06.

That's A LOT of .30-06! That would last me about 10 years. Maybe more. When I load .30-06, I usually load 20 - 40 rounds.

 

[Mikej]

That's A LOT of .30-06! That would last me about 10 years. Maybe more. When I load .30-06, I usually load 20 - 40 rounds.

Why would I load it? I think it's beautiful just the way it is!!

Nah, I'm the same way. Probably load 40 of them. Or maybe real hot weather will have me loading 80 with nothing to do outside. Forty is max a for a day at the range. I'm not some macho-man that digs that recoil. Most time only shoot 20 and go on to something else.

 

[Caveman Jim]

As promised.

 

[Snip]

@Newberg , What is your Ugly set to for .223/556? Mine was set up for .223 from the last guy that had it.

 

[Newberg]

You'll have to set it up based on time and temperature.

The easy answer, set it to have the blue tip of the flame close to the shoulder but not touching for distance.

Turn off all the lights and point the blue tip of the flame on the joint of the shoulder/ neck of the brass.

If you use a fast setting, no harm in cases getting too little annealing, it just doesn't do anything, so re-run those.

Start too fast and then adjust the speed down until you see a faint orange glow on the inside of the case neck.

Some people will use templilaq but many don't know how to properly use it, and are over/under annealing.

Some people look for the moment just before a little red flame pops out of the neck, indicating its too hot, but this method also has some flaws as debris, or imperfections can burn off the moment the flame touches the brass, and lead to under annealing.

The method I use and find successful is to use the dark room, faint orange glow method. This will drop the case the moment before it gets too hot and you can see the "heat line" just below the shoulder.

Practice on some scrap brass to see what each setting will do, over annealing is easy, under annealing is easy. But you should be able to rerun anything under annealed with no ill results.


The one thing I can't tell you, is the exact setting as it changes with gas pressure usage and as the flame length changes you'll need to adjust dwell time.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Getting ready to trim that PMC brass that I resized and cleaned the other day.
Oppsss, forgot to hit the create post button.

Done!
This is the first time that I have timed my session, I just wanted to see just how long it took.
Edited for missing grammar.

 

[eb in oregon]

Broke the decapping pin on my universal die on the LEE APP... time to try the squirrel daddy brand next.

Also full length sized a few hundred 30 Carbine brass and then wet tumbled to shine them up prior to loading.

You know, today I was decapping a bunch of brass too prepare it for cleaning. A hundred 30-06, 50 .308, and a #10 can full of .45acp brass, using my Lee universal decapping die. Tedious, but important. Did the rifle brass first then the can of pistol. While working on the pistol rounds I found a couple of 9mm cases inside of the .45, so I'd look inside to check if something was hiding. Indeed, about ten .25acp cases. However once in a while I'd forget to look. So one case was real tough (and I should have looked closer) and it pushed the pin/rod up. So I pulled the shell holder out and sure enough the primer didn't punch out and I had to drive the primer out with a punch and leather mallet. Thought I'd check the pin and pulled it out. On the end was a .25acp case of which the pin punched right through it as the primer had nowhere to go.

It took my vice and some serious wiggling to pull that pin out, then I chucked it up and spun it to see if it had bent. Nope, and it didn't break. Pulled the split nut out and cleaned the threads and went back to decapping and I had no other problems. I've found dirt, rocks, and twigs in cases, this was the first time in 50 years I found and missed another case inside after It got to the press. I need to be alert, the world needs more lerts.

 

[oremike]

9mm, I made lots of 124gr Extreme HP's .

 

[JJE76]

Got back on the single stage press today. Loaded 100 .308 168 grain SMK'S with IMR 4064. That powder is harder to find then Varget. Side note curious if it's possible to get match grade ammo from a Dillon 550?

 

[JRuby]

Finished loading 257 roberts and started 8x57 mauser.

 

[gmerkt]

Over the course of the past few days. It takes a while, since I used chemical case cleaner. So, clean cases, rinse and let them dry in the sun. Once dry, they get resized, then another rinse to remove the lube, let dry in the sun. Which doesn't take all that long in this hot weather.

60 rounds of .243 Win., using obsolete Speer 90 FMJ.

100 rounds of .223 Rem., for non-AR rifles with slower twist bbls., with 50 gr. Speer TNT hollow point.

I have a couple thousand .223's prepped and ready, but I had some nickel plated that I wanted to use that weren't ready yet. One of the reasons I like to use nickel plated .223 brass is because I use them exclusively for non-AR loads. The nickel cases make it easy to tell them from from those meant for AR's. Of course data on the box says it all too.

In the meantime, I got the foundation and floor of my barrel house built. And, got my old car ready for the 4th of July parade. Not to mention tree stump detail last week, which I will tell you is real man's work. And cutting blackberry thickets at daughter Bonnie's house.

 

[ageingstudent]

I loaded up some 38 special with some of @Agingstudent coated 125g bullets yesterday.
All I had was 38+ P and 357.

I also got all my speed loaders labeled.

View attachment 1444877 View attachment 1444878

Looking good. Man I'm really loking forward to settling in somewhere by early fall so I can make a run at casting some Kieth style 158s and 170s. After I try a few and make sure they work well I'll send you some to try out. I'm really interested to see If I can size some down to .352 and make the 170s work in my 1907. I have those new Arsenal molds I haven't had time to try yet with all the work travel.

 

[aasbra]

Went out to the range yesterday morning and burned up some subsonic 44 magnum in the Handi Rifle with a suppressor.



Then cleaned some brass in the tumbler, and loaded up some more 44 plinker loads with 240 grain coated SWCs from T&B over American Select powder. Finished off the rest of the pound of powder this evening. 450 or 500 rounds total to replace the 90 or so I expended yesterday.



Ready for next time…

 

[Caveman Jim]

Well the shop finally cooled off so headed out around 9 o'clock. I opened the doors, turned on the big fans got a nice cool breeze flowing and I deprimed over 1,500 9mm, 3 of the yellow containers.
I had a few nesters that snuck up on me.

 

[2ndtimer]

Well the shop finally cooled off so headed out around 9 o'clock. I opened the doors, turned on the big fans got a nice cool breeze flowing and I deprimed over 1,500 9mm, 3 of the yellow containers.
I had a few nesters that snuck up on me.

View attachment 1448424 View attachment 1448425

I like your custom fired primer retention system. Maybe you should apply for a patent. Also nice to see someone with an original RCBS Rockchucker press. Makes my RC II feel like a kid!

 

[Snip]

I like your custom fired primer retention system. Maybe you should apply for a patent. Also nice to see someone with an original RCBS Rockchucker press. Makes my RC II feel like a kid!

I looked at that too. I was tired of trying to figure out which way the spent primer would drop. Here's the Rockchucker catch: RockchuckerCatch

 

[misterarman]

I like your custom fired primer retention system. Maybe you should apply for a patent. Also nice to see someone with an original RCBS Rockchucker press. Makes my RC II feel like a kid!

Is that a Rockchucker?
Or a JR II or III?

 

[Caveman Jim]

I like your custom fired primer retention system. Maybe you should apply for a patent. Also nice to see someone with an original RCBS Rockchucker press. Makes my RC II feel like a kid!

Thanks it took many hours of R&D to come up with that design.
It's actually a Reloader Special, I have the original box also.

I looked at that too. I was tired of trying to figure out which way the spent primer would drop. Here's the Rockchucker catch: RockchuckerCatch

That's the same design just a different color. IMHO, if they raised the front rim 1 1/2" that would eliminate the mess altogether.