HANDLOADER 1st timer needs help

[Kimbertarget]

Hello,

I found a handloader in toolbox. I own machinist tools,micrometer,dial/digital calipers "starrett", also a digital gram scale .

What are all the seperate items i will need to safely reload my pistol brass (.38super/.45ACP/9mm)

I would like to start with .45ACP.

What are the most cost effective brands to purchase for me to be able to start reloading?

[Hi-Power Jack]

Depends on the quantity of each caliber you're planning on reloading, and how

much time you have to reload.

I'm not sure what "handloader" you found in the toolbox - is that a Lyman??

You need dies for each caliber and a reloading tool - cheapest I think is Lyman -

wipe fired brass with small amount of lube and a cloth, decap the primer (if

military/crimped ammo - you'll need a special tool to decap and remove the

crimp before you put in a fresh primer.

Weigh powder charge (better to have a powder dispenser (faster, anyway),

seat the bullet, crimp the cartridge, measure OAL for your gun/mags,

and you should be good to go.

I'd start by reading "reloading 9mm" in the old files here for 30 minutes - that

will give you LOTS of good info to get started with.

Vinnie, there are lots of reloaders (shooters who reload) in Volusia County -

they'll be happy to show you how to reload - if you can't find anybody, send

me a pm and we can get together and I'll show you how I use my Square Deal.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Hi-Power Jack

[G17]

Hey Kimber, where in Volusia are you? I'm a new reloader as well and things are going great. Just read as much as you can and if you have any problems you can always ask the experts on here. What kind of press is that you have? I live in Daytona Beach, BTW.

I ordered everything i needed from Brownells in one shot, and went to a reloading shop in Orange city for all my components.

Lee Single Stage

Lee 9mm 4 die set

Lyman Digital Scale

Digial Calipers

I have a few other goodies but those are basically the bare essentials. Going with a single stage is a very time consuming procedure. It honestly takes me close to 3 hours to load 100 rounds. It can be done that way, but i'm going to recommend you skip that step and buy a progressive press or at least one of the turret presses.

If you want the most basic way of reloading check out leeprecision.com and take a look at the single stage type stuff. If you don't have hours and hours to load on a single stage look in brian eno's store at possibly the dillon 650. PM me if you have any questions, i'm not expert, but i may be able to help you in some way.

[swatcop]

Start with one of these or similar. I knew basically nothing when I started. The manual got me cranking out lots of rounds. 10 years later, still don't know anything.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/217655/lyman-reloading-handbook-49th-edition-reloading-manual-softcover

[NuJudge]

The current Lyman manuals are better than the others, but I like old Lyman manuals even better. The older ones list loads which are known to shoot well in virtually all arms of that caliber.

Reloading here in the US virtually always uses an old apothecary system of measurement, grains, which are 7000 to the pound. Count on making mistakes if your scale is in metric grams.

You will need some system of cleaning brass before and after sizing, a sizing lubricant and method of applying it, a press and dies, a scale, and a powder measure. If your press is a bench top model, you will need a bench to bolt it to.

I bought a vibratory brass cleaner 30 years ago, and use ground walnut as its media. You can do it with a paper towel. Ground walnut does a good job of removing dirt and corrosion, especially when impregnated with iron oxide or other abrasive. Ground corn cob is also used.

The very best sizing lubricant is Imperial sizing die wax, and it does not kill primers like many other lubes. I apply it with a lube pad. There are aerosol applied lubes: I don't trust them, and if you do you may need a stuck case remover.

There are some hand tools out there for reloading such as the Lyman 310 tool. They are painfully slow, and usually don't do a good job sizing cases. The major makers bench top presses are all at least decent, as are most dies available. If your size dies are Carbide, you won't need to lube cases as mentioned above. Most presses have a priming attachment, which typically works, but maybe not well ( I prefer a hand priming tool such as the Lee).

Pick a powder which fills more than half of the case, such that if you double charge a case it will be painfully obvious. If you double charge a case with powder and do not notice it, expect a Kaboom when you fire the resulting cartridge.

There are a wide variety of powder measuring tools out there, everything from the Lee dippers to scales that have an integrated scale.