ck1
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Posts posted by ck1
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1 hour ago, Dirtchevy841 said:
My guess would be copyright issues. Plus I’d want mine to look different also
i can tell you this black coating is slick as whale s$&t.
I spoke to SSI briefly the other day and they said it’s longer in order to change the timing of the powder drop a bit.Mine showed up this morning and you’re right about the coating, it is slick as s**t lol. Overall the part is perfectly machined and clean. It also seems to be hard as s**t too, which is what the gentleman at SSI pointed out when we spoke; he said one of the main things they were trying to improve upon is the overall durability of the funnel, as high volume loaders tend to wear out softer funnels like the MBF funnel and that makes them behave worse over time... this isn’t something I have any personal experience with at this point because I’ve just started my reloading journey, but is something I’m sure guys who’ve been pumping out thousands and thousands of rounds and wearing out funnels will appreciate.
That said, I hate to be “that guy”, but after setting it up in my press (XL750) I ended up pulling it right out and reinstalled my still-new MBF funnel... In my press, backing off the die-body 5 full turns as per the instructions (9/38 funnel) from where I had the MBF funnel wasn’t real close; I had to turn the die-body back down about 3 full turns from there to get in the ballpark of where I’d had my MBF funnel set. Then I had to come back down a bit more from there to get it to where there was enough flare to accept bullets without having them topple (ending up with a flare around .382-.385 depending on the case, about the same flare setting I was running the MBF funnel). Thing is, and this might just be me being unlucky and/or my specific press, but this had the Alpha Dropper sticking down further than where the MBF funnel would sit and actually below where my sizing/decap die rides, so with an empty shell-plate while sizing a single case the Alpha Dropper would actuate the powder measure a little bit... With a full shell-plate in the middle of a run I doubt this would be a big deal, but I just didn’t like the look/feel of it and there’s a chance it might add to my powder measure leaking powder when running single cases now and then (and I haven’t been at this long, but I can already see that the Dillon powder measure doesn’t need any help leaking as it’s already pretty good at doing that on it’s own lol). Also, and I only had the Alpha Dropper in my press for like 5 minutes so take that into account, I only ran about 10 or so cases through it once I had it adjusted down enough to flare correctly and still experienced a few cases sticking just as they would with the MBF funnel... YMMV.
So, long story short, doesn’t look like it’s going to work for me. I contacted SSI about doing a return because seriously the thing doesn’t even look like I took it out of the package, but if they won’t except it, you’ll probably see it in the classifieds section...
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1 hour ago, Solsand said:
Man, this is just me but I love the way the 147gr Syntech shoots and feels! If I could figure out how to reproduce that load that would be awesome but I haven’t found any info on what powder they use.
I read on a thread I found on here that a few guys were saying the powder used in the Syntech rounds is bulk Alliant Sport Pistol.
I'm new to reloading myself too, and coming from shooting a bunch of the Syntech "Action Pistol" 150gr stuff over the past year, I can attest that the load I'm using: Blue 135gr .356 TC's + 3.5gr Sport Pistol feels nearly identical when shot back to back with it (except my load's groups are half the size out of my gun as compared to the Syntech, which is a lucky/awesome side-effect). Supposedly Sport Pistol is just a recipe that's trying to duplicate the more expensive and elusive Vihtavuori N320, and plays nice-nice with coated bullets.
Again as a new reloader, I've been following the thread... and I applaud and appreciate your honesty after catching the double-charges. We all learn plenty of things the hard way, and the gun can be replaced/fixed, glad you weren't injured.
I'll say this though (again as a new reloader), I was worried it was a double-charge from the moment I read your first post and read that you'd decided to induce a bunch of extra manually-done "human" operations (like taking the cases off the press to measure the powder every single time)... I'm a pretty OCD guy when it comes to equipment and such, but there's no way I'd trust myself with even a manually-indexed press right now because there's too much "manual/human" involved, especially if trying to load in any kind of volume; life is just full of too many distractions IMHO. For me, I tend to look at it as more than half of the safety margin for me is built in to the press auto-indexing and making sure I have to almost do something on purpose in order to double-charge a case... I'm sure your head will be on straight from now on considering what happened, but at the same time you sound like you were pretty squared away and it still happened, so hope the powder cop ends up working for you, but maybe just try to trust your process more without adding any more "human" steps (that can get messed up) than needed...?
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I’m having issues where I think some of the holes in my Hundo are tighter than others...
I’m finding with 99% of my rounds that are at first sticking up a bit, I can move them around to different holes and they fit fine... anyone else experienced this..?
From reading the thread sounds like I might need to contact the Hundo dudes... or is this just how they are sometimes..?(sorry, mine is in 9mm, but found this thread instead of starting a new one...)
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6 minutes ago, HOGRIDER said:
A visual comparison for the 1050/1100 users.............
I’ll be using it on a 750 (shouldn’t really matter)... Can totally see that the “nose/mouth” is a different shape which is what I hope helps, but kinda wondering why they made it so much longer? -
12 hours ago, chevrofreak said:
I have the same bench and it is pretty nice, but it rocks pretty good when sizing anything on the Lyman turret that is mounted to it.
Yeah, it’s pretty skinny (24”) for mounting a press right on the edge, bolting to a wall would pretty much be a requirement. -
3 hours ago, Sarge said:
Because people won’t try adjusting technique before just throwing money at it. As I have told many who complain of the problem,” just power through it”. Generally the response is that it works! I had my neighbor over and he wanted try reloading. First thing he said was,”I think I broke it”, when it stuck. I told him power through up stroke just like downstroke. Within a few pulls he said he really didn’t notice it anymore.
I hear ya on the “just power through it” mantra, that holds true in many aspects of life, not just reloading lol
But, at the same time, at least for me, I’m not just throwing money at a problem either... I’ve only been reloading for like a week and it’s already become apparent that some tools are better for the job than others; a perfect example is the MBF funnel compared to the stock Dillon funnel: I don’t know much, but it only took me about 5 minutes to see that the MBF funnel works way better and is a superior design...
Now judging by all the threads floating around about cases getting hung up and/or stuck on the funnels (whether Dillon or MBF) and what I’ve seen for myself in a short time, if the dudes at SSI have really come up with a further developed design that improves on the MBF funnel, and it works, then I’m alright with taking the small bet on it.
It might suck, I don’t know yet, but I’m all about using the best/latest design if I can. I mean I’m pretty sure they didn’t design it to stick any more, at least I hope hahaha
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I’m super new to reloading, but already the cases getting stuck on the funnel is annoying me. On the suggestion of a member in another thread I ordered an Alpha Dropper... I know it might not cure it completely, but if it even noticeably helps while still belling and allowing bullets to drop onto cases the same, it will be worth it...
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1 hour ago, Jim Watson said:
I have a U die but I seldom use it for anything but 115 gr jacketed bullets, the regular sizing die is fine with longer, heavier bullets, commonly coated these days.
This is why I went with the standard die vs u-die (so far so good)... kept finding this coming up over and over. Seems in 9mm most of the standard sizing dies seem to do well enough, the standard Lee die sizes down low enough on the case (even lower than the u-die according to some) to take care of any bulges or most issues... Seems in .40 I would reach for the u-die first though, to not only fix case inconsistencies but to get added neck tension, seems the same things would help with lighter weight 9mm-projectiles too...
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1 hour ago, Boomstick303 said:
I did the same with the brackets. My issue is by bench top is too thin. I either need to replace the bench top or get a new bench. Thanks for the info on the adjustable legs, I was hesitant to get that type of bench because of the uncertainty. Where did you get the bench from? Cost?
Sam's Club. Around $200 (cheaper than I could build one as solid for probably).
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23 minutes ago, Boomstick303 said:
Questions about your work bench you are using for loading. Due to the fact your legs seem to be adjustable to you can adjust your work bench height. Do those type of legs create wiggle in the work bench when you are operating the press due to slop in the adjustment mechanism? Or do the tighten up enough where the workbench does not move?
Bench is really solid, even though the legs adjust, once tightened up there’s no real wiggle coming from there. My floor was a different story, there might have been a hint of wiggle still in the bench due to the tiniest amount of give/flex in the the flooring, but I moved the bench over a bit to square it up on a couple studs and bolted the top to the wall/studs with 4” L-brackets and it’s all really solid now. -
Just now, mveto said:
For me YES!! When I was using the MBF and Using One Shot lube I’d get the occasional stuck case, sometimes it would require a bit of force to unstick it, with the Alpha dropper it’s running so much smoother, not saying cases won’t stick but it won’t be nearly as bad. They seem to just release with a lot less effort now and it seems to be a more consistent bell on the cases.Ok, worth a try, ordered one. Seems when mine stick, they STICK, and I have to pop it free with enough force sometimes where I toss powder all over...fak that. All of this stuff is so new to me that throwing in a new variable won't bother me too much...
Besides, I'm learning fast that little things can be huge when it comes to this... found out the hard way that my XL750 absolutely requires the upside-down .45acp case + bullet jammed in it as a weight on the primer feed rod or else it barely even works, after wrecking a bunch of components, cussing a lot, and generally making a mess, I double checked everything I was doing and was at a loss... then tried the .45 trick and hallelujah, loaded 100rds in like 10mins lol!
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4 minutes ago, mveto said:
Was previously using the MBF powder funnel but prefer the alpha dropper I thinks it’s a much better design.
Well so far so good for me as far as die choices... though I've only loaded 400rds hahaha!
Really though, with credit due mostly to all the threads I've read around here, things have been going pretty good. I shot 300rds today at a few different OAL's for testing purposes and my Blue 135gr TC's w/ 3.5gr Sport Pistol at around 1.110-1.115 feels almost identical to the Federal Syntech 150gr "Action Pistol" stuff I've been shooting for a while, except, the groups with my load were easily half the size! Not bad for a newb lol...
That said, just 400rds into this, I'm already growing tired of cases sticking/popping with the MBF funnel... I can totally see how this annoys people. I'm using case lube, enough were the press definitely runs better, but not so much that the rounds end up all tacky/sticky, seems like the right amount. But, while it doesn't happen a bunch, maybe every 25-50rds or so a case will get stuck on the funnel... is the Alpha Dropper really THAT much better..?
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1 hour ago, MemphisMechanic said:
Overall you’re well sorted out.
Thanks to you and all the other guys around here, and all I've gleaned from threads/posts, some going back years...
I must've read seriously over 50+ different posts on here regarding presses/equipment, bullets/powder, etc there's no way I would've jumped into this if it wasn't for the benos forum
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5 minutes ago, George16 said:
Very nice and clean table you got there. I’ll be installing the u-die on my 1100 once it gets here. It’ll be a month and a half tomorrow. I was promised 3-4 weeks since I ordered without dies but that didn’t happen. I called and asked for an update on the one month time frame and was told 1- 1/2 week but nothing.
Oh well, it’ll get here when it gets here. I’ll continue on loading on my 650 and 550 until then.
Thanks.I hear ya on the wait time... waiting sucks
I actually paid Ben Steoger Pro Shop a little extra to snag the last 750 they had because Dillon said I’d be waiting at least a month or so if I was lucky... I also decided to go with Inline Fabrication’s Ultramount and Ergo handle over the Dillon Strong Mount/Dillon handle, and bought a MBF after I’d ordered the Dillon bullet tray... had to ship back a box of stuff to Dillon and the only thing I ended up keeping was the set of plastic shellsorters... with shipping back and forth to Dillon (because I didn’t really know better ordering stuff first and finding better stuff after) I now own the world’s most expensive shellsorter set lol
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1 hour ago, George16 said:
Brass are all sorted by head stamp. I got too much time in my hands after retiring
Lol, it’s funny, I’m still so new to this that I’ve only tumbled/cleaned one batch of brass, and I can already see why guys decide to just take the extra step to sort by headstamp... I was dialing in my bell/funnel and found out quick that the brass can vary wildly (plus I found a .38 supercomp that got through).I’m pretty much there, almost ready to go, just waiting on my Redding Competition Seating Die to show up (decided buy once, cry once... has to be a reason it was sold-out everywhere and tricky to track down).
For dies:
1. Lee standard resize
2. MBF powder
3. MBF
4. Redding Comp seat
5. Lee taper crimp
I have the Lee U-die and FCD on the shelf in case I need them... if I have to go that way I plan to try the U-die first, and if all else fails try the FCD (though, I’ll be loading .356 Blue’s, and according to my calipers the carbide ring just inside of the mouth of my FCD is sized to .378, so there’s a high possibility of me swaging bullets with it...). Time will tell...
Bench is looking good though, getting pumped to make ammo
My only regret is I wish I passed on the Dillon wrench set and just got a nice set of T-handle hex wrenches for the bench instead. The 750 with where the powder measure is located and MBF plumbing is really cramped for space and I’ve decided to go all Lee Ultimate lock rings over standard rings because, with the close confines, the 1” Dillon wrench would really only be useful for rounding off rings if I could even get at dies with it lol...
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...was having issues setting up a new MBF today too. Found this thread. ...at least Dillon included a couple rubber bands with the press lol
Thanks benos
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Thanks guys, all helpful info.
Think I’m overthinking it and just need to get up and running and see how it goes for me... I might be jumping the gun thinking I’ll have problems before I’ve even loaded a single round lol.
Think I’ll try “normal” die choices and keep the U-die and FCD on the shelf until if/when I need to try them depending on what I get...
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(probably should have put this in the 9mm section... mods, if you see this, please move it, thx)
Finally getting my press (XL750) set up this week after thinking about it for only like 10 years or so...
Wondering what die recipe(s) guys are running in 9mm for bombproof/trouble-free performance using average range pick-up brass and coated lead (like Blue's, Acme, etc)..?
I've done the searches, I've read the threads, but stuff is all over the place, so...
Hoping to stick to dies, I'm not looking to get lost in the weeds about how case gauges are evil and just a ploy to take our money or how there's no point in even reloading any rounds if you don't first choose only the finest brass, sorted by headstamp, dumped into the hopper only after it's been pre-processed twice on your extra single-stage before then being roll-sized...
I'm just concerned with keeping it simple for now and trying to put together the best setup to collect brass > tumble it > pump out rounds that work. For major matches and such, I'm totally all about sorting and doing all the extra steps for loading really good functioning ammo, but here I'm just asking about dies for making good/decent functioning practice/local match type ammo.
Just wondering about die setups that make good reliable ammo that'll run in relatively tight chambered guns (CZ) and pretty much everything else... good, but not too fussy... I'm going to case gauge them all, but would prefer not to be making a whole lot of rejects and would like a low case gauge fail rate. I plan to dial in a load that runs in all my 9mm's then leave it there for 10k rounds or so... shooting is my hobby, NOT reloading lol.
From what I've gleaned searching/reading all the old info around here I've bought a handful of dies and sort of have a plan, but nothing is set in stone which is why I'm inquiring.
I've got the following dies and here's my plan so far:
1. Lee standard size/decap (bought a Lee U-die too in case I need it, think I'm going to try the standard die first)
2. MBF powder funnel die
3. MBF
4. Hornady Custom New Dimension seating die w/ micrometer (Redding Comp die was sold out everywhere and the Hornady has the same floating alignment sleeve type of deal, I know I don't need it but mic just seems easier to adjust "just so"... I'll buy the Redding Comp seat die if it's really better?)
5. Lee Factory Crimp Die (the purist's choice obviously
, but might get a standard taper crimp die (which ?), I'll ditch the FCD if I see it harming the bullets and/or if I see evidence of it doing too much, switch to the U-die in station #1 + standard taper crimp die in #5 )
Thoughts? What are you guys using?
Thanks.
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On 7/7/2020 at 11:14 AM, Nalle2491 said:
I have an extra space on my 750 since I dont have a Bullet feeder, and thought about using a powder check in the mean time until I decide to put a mr. Bullet feeder on my machine. Has anyone used the DAA magnetic powder check or the is Dillon the way to go?
On 7/7/2020 at 12:47 PM, Sarge said:Actually, the way to go is mount a light and look at each case as it indexes from powder drop. I see into each case clearly just as I lower the ram to drop a bullet from MBF. Once you get MBF that’s what you’ll have to do anyway. Save the money for MBF!
I agree with Sarge, put your $$$ towards Mr. Bullet Feeder. Skip the powder check and get a $15 magnetic sewing machine LED off Amazon.
That said, I can see how one might look hard at a powder check as extra insurance or whatever, and I was leaning that way myself for a while. I was considering using a 2-in-1 seat/crimp die so I could have both the MBF and powder check... but thing is, when it comes down to it, you're/we're going to be in front of the press anyways... we're the monkeys who pull the handle (at least until we're ready to drop $2000+ on an autodrive system), and since a smooth pull matters, and we're not just yanking away, might as well just keep on eye on what we're doing in order to be safe and make better ammo...
IMHO the DAA powder check does look like the best option out there if one wanted to get one, but fact is, all of the 2-in-1 dies currently available are a compromise, and while there seems to be a few guys out there who manage to get it to work, part of the cost of using that station on a powder check is getting ammo that more than likely isn't as good as could be made with separate seat and crimp dies/stations.
For what it costs for the press + accessories + components + time; might as well try to make the best ammo we can instead of choosing to trade some quality for being less attentive.
If I ever hit the lottery and buy a $10k+ full-auto Mark 7 with like 10 stations, I'll probably feel differently, it'll have a powder check lol.
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Thanks guys, your input has been very helpful.
Think I've got my issues worked out due to finding the right bench and a "Plan B"...
First, found a heavy duty 6ft workbench at Sam's for cheaper than I could probably build a decent one for... and it's height adjustable in 1.5" increments from 28.5"-42". So, I'll be able to raise/lower the whole bench (with press) to as high as I can get away with or as low as needed if I decide to use the strong mount.
Second, decided I'm going to put the press in a small office I have in my house that's already for all intent and purpose my "gun room", and I should be way better off on height since it has 8-foot ceilings!
I really wanted to put the press in my garage, but after thinking it over a bunch and trying to find a suitable workaround for the height/clearance issue; at the end of the day, I guess I just don't have the "right" garage for it. My house is a full-remodel/redesign done not even 2 years ago, and while everything was completely redone and is now very modern, some of it's 1960's-era building dimensions show up here and there (like the 7-foot ceiling height in the attached garage). The garage is really small by todays standards, and I've been planning on adding a pole-barn or steel building on the property for that reason. The press/reloading room will just have to live in the house until I add one.
Plus, that said, Tennessee weather is all over the place and can be pretty brutal (hot/humid in the summer, cold and rainy in the winter), and while my garage is nicer than a lot of them, it's not on central-air/heat like the office... I think the press, me, and my soon-to-be-made ammo will be much happier in the office
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1 hour ago, AHI said:
this may help https://inlinefabrication.com/collections/ultramounts/products/micro-ultramount-4-riser
Suggest you wait till you have press in hand . temporary clamp it to a board and try a few different heights.
Cool, this helps too. Missed that when I was ordering some other Inline Fab stuff... Thanks.
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5 hours ago, stick said:
This might help you. I have a 650XL with strong mount and Case feeder. I have attached a picture for reference. My bench is 34" high. It measures just over 75" My ceilings are 8' I was holding the phone and the tape measure, so the angle looks like I have 7' ceilings. From my experiences, I think you'll be ok with 7' ceilings if you drop your bench to 34" You'll have room to add cases to the case feeder.
Thanks! This helps a lot!
Is that the regular 8" strong mount or the shorter 650/750-only 6ish" version..?
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After thinking about it, I think I’ll be ok using a normal 36” height bench... it’s just going to be a question about whether if I can use the strong mount or not..? And this is only because I’m not worried about changing the case feeder shell plate.
Thing is, I keep finding all kinds of different measurements out there on the actual height of a 750/650 + case feeder + “650/750-only” strong mount (6ish inch version, NOT the 8ish inch version)..?
From Dillon’s site they say 45”, but above SteelCityShooter said his measured at 41”, and I’ve found various different measurements all over the internet.....?
If it’s 41” I’ll have 7” clearance using the strong mount, which will probably suck and obviously not be great, but is doable, and having the strong mount might be a little better on my back when running the press. If it’s 45”, then the strong mount will be a no-go, but I should be ok on clearance for my needs.
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I may go with a lower bench, but I’d rather stay at 36” if I can just deal with not having much clearance... Standard desk height is 30”, but I kinda feel like going that low will have a lot of draw backs as a “workbench” in order to get another 6”.
I ordered an Inline Fabrication Ergo handle, so maybe with that installed a lower bench might work... won’t be able to tell until the press shows up and that’ll probably be another 3-4 weeks, was hoping to get my bench situated before it shows up, but I might be stuck on pause until I get it and see...
Just an idea, and not ideal, but in the interest of thinking outside the box, what if I were to try mounting the press to something like this (keeping my workbench separate)..?
https://www.harborfreight.com/29-inch-heavy-duty-tool-stand-95128.html
9mm 1911 help, newbie
in 1911-style Pistols
Posted
Nobody's mags are going to run if your extractor tension isn't right, so you should probably check that first... if it's too tight (which many of them are from the factory because almost all of the manufactures error on the side of stiff rather than weak) then that might be most/all of your problem.
An extractor in a 1911 doesn't just extract, it also affects feeding a great deal, there's a "window of operation": extractor set too weak = won't extract reliably, extractor set too tight = won't feed reliably... and that "window" is smaller with 9mm 1911's than with .45's.