sskp1 Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 hello all, Long time lurker here who registered a short time ago i'm wanting to get into reloading but here is my problem. I drive a truck over the road so space kills me rather than time. I am planning on getting a 650 with all the bells and whistles from brian when i get the money saved up. I am the only one working out of a family of 4 so money is tight in the budget for practice and match ammo My other half keeps saying i am going to blow a hand off. So my question is this if i am wanting to reload using a hand press could anyone reccommend one for a 45 I am wondering if this would be feasible for me to do out on the road ( i understand the dot requirements and can work with that), this would also give me the ability to get the tumbler and other things that are required for reloading a piece at a time which would help to keep the sticker shop at a minimum. I'm not so much worried about the other half's worry about my hand as i am doing it right. Is this feasible and what would be your opinion on the required items that i need to have on hand with me in the truck thanks for your help kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 (edited) Part of answering your question depends on just how many rounds you need to reload. If you're talking about a few hundred rounds a month or more (typical for the action shooting games) reloading becomes a good way to shoot more for the same money as opposed to buying loaded ammo. I think you are talking about reloading on the road, right? First bit of advice is not to do anything while moving. It might be possible to hand prime and/or load cases while driving, but I wouldn't try it. Too much risk of losing control of something important. Loading in any case should be given 100% of your attention. If you are going to be loading while not moving, then if you are a long haul trucker with storage space in your cab, a small progressive probably wouldn't take up much more space than a single stage press, and either one would be better than a hand held device for making consistent, safe ammo in reasonable quantities without too much effort. A Dillon SDB might work. The downside is not being able to load rifle calibers, if that's something that matters to you, and that only Dillon SDB specific dies will fit the machine. Dillon's SDB, like all the blue presses, hold their value well, so you won't take too big a hit selling it to move up to the 650 of your dreams (though some, like yours truly, still use a SDB and find it more than adequate). I think Midway sells a portable reloading bench, designed to be used at a range. I think it folds up, but don't know how small, nor how much it weighs. A couple C clamps or bolts, nuts and a wrench and you're set up and ready to load. You absolutely need to have a way to check the charge weight of powder. Unless you lock tite the adjustment screw on the powder bar to just one setting with one batch of powder for the one and only load you are going to use, and that charge is in the middle range for that load, there's too much risk of getting ammo that is unexpectedly too hot or underpowered not to take your scale with you. Case prep? An old bath towel and a sprayer full of isopropyl alcohol (get the 97% stuff - it dries faster) will get cases clean enough. A can of OneShot from Hornady will lube them, and you can leave it on, or take it off with the towel and alcohol. You'll need calipers (the mechanical dial version is good enough) and a case gauge to drop check the ammo, at least while you're on the front end of the learning curve. If you are reloading to shoot on the road, then you can substitute the barrel chamber of your gun for the gauge. I'm sure there's more, but I'm in a rush. I'll get back if I think of other stuff, and I'm sure there will be other opinions coming. Another Kevin BTW, welcome to the forums! Edited November 28, 2006 by kevin c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD45 Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 If you need like 100rds. a month, the Lee Hand press should be fine. If you compete and need a good supply of ammo, I would get a Square Deal B. The ultimate solution would be to mount the Dillon on a bench at home and teach one of the family members with all that free time how to reload while you're on the road . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParaJoe Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 Here is what I would recommend. Lee Hand Press These things are great. Cheap and really effective. I sit in front of the TV and deprime and size. I loaded my first 1000 rounds of 45 on one. This die set. Lee Dies This scale. Scale Weighing charges would be hard to do when moving. Don't recommend this. This priming tool. Lee Auto Prime Shellholders This is the stuff that I started out with. I still have it and use it for some things. It's a SLOW process but it works, all of it can fit in a shoebox, and I got a greater understanding of the reloading process using it. Good luck and have fun with it. YMMV. Almost forgot the most important part. The book Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 Loading 45ACP...on the road.... If you could clean and prep your brass at home, then you'd likely be able to get the rest done on the road. Ideally, I'd want a Dillon SDB and something to bolt/clamp it onto. It needs to be pretty steady. I load on a 650 now, but I used to do runs of 300-400 rounds on the SDB. It took and hour or so. We used to have a local shooter (he passed on) that loaded 45 with a Lee hand press. He shot somewhere about every weekend. Doable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacEntyre Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 I have recommended to my father, who lives in his RV, that he load on the road. Instead of a scale and a powder funnel, get a Lee Powder Measure Kit. (That would save enough to buy a small progressive press!) The Lee kit has small scoops calibrated by volume. It includes a weight conversion for chart for most powders. I have found mine to be very accurate and precise. Once you develop your load, you only need one scoop. I like the suggestion that you clean at home. However, you could clean on the road without a tumbler. Put your cartridges in a net bag and toss them in with your laundry. Dry them by dunking in rubbing alcohol. I bet you will enjoy reloading very much when you do it this way! I'll offer one warning and a suggestion. Be sure there are no regs that prohibit carrying powder and primers in the cab, which might depend upon what you are carrying for a load in the back. If you are allowed to carry factory ammo, components are probably ok. Make the press look like a general purpose workspace. Keep the powder, primers and bullets in a gym bag, so they look like personal effects. You never know when you will meet some do-gooder from the DMV or state police who feels compelled to make up rules on the spot. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sskp1 Posted November 29, 2006 Author Share Posted November 29, 2006 thanks for all the replys guys and making me feel welcome I wasn't planning on loading while actively driving just when i was sitting in the sleeper at night. Sometimes i have to spend a whole day sitting around while i'm waiting on a load to go somewhere else. I was planning on tumbling the brass at home and then just taking it out with me. Does anyone have a opinion on the primers vibrating as they go down the road i don't know if the auto prime or something like that would keep the primers from possibly vibrating and detonating. I didn't know if the priming step would be safer if i did it at home and all i am talking about is doing about 500 rounds a month. I understand it would be tedious but when i have more time than I know what to do with it would help me occupy part of it. If i took a scale and worked up a load i am planning on using the funnels to make a repeatable load that is easy to do. Also getting a sdb is a good idea but it is really unworkable due to the configuration of the sleeper i don't have a place to mount it solidly, plus it might create more problems than it would be worth due to the dot being able to look through the sleeper pretty much on demand. I'm hoping to assemble the things i need to reload when i'm at home and this way will allow me to get the things a little at a time as money allows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 (edited) Primers shouldn't any problem with road vibration, provided they are stored in their original containers. While in motion, I wouldn't leave them in any loose container, nor in the feed magazine of either a hand primer or a progressive. That would risk not just a single but a chain reaction detonation that could get really ugly. Besides the factory packaging, another safe way of transporting primers is to prime empty, sized brass and carry only that. If a bench mounted type of press is out, I'd think the Lee hand press is the best remaining option, though I have to confess to never having used one. The Lee powder measure kit also sounds like a must have (you'll need to confirm the actual charge weight of the powder at home, and mark the appropriate measure. I assume the kit has a funnel to transfer the charge to the case?). As an alternative to spray lube (which, I think, most high volume reloaders prefer), you can use a small roll pad saturated in lanolin or similar lube. A bit less bulky than the can of Hornady OneShot, but there's the downside of having to take the lube off (OneShot can stay on the round, if you like). Oh, you'll need a couple reloading blocks to hold the cases as you work - I don't think you'll want to take single rounds all the way through the reloading process one by one. Batch sizing/priming/belling/charging/seating/crimping strikes me as more efficient. The heaviest item (besides the finished ammo, of course) will be the bullets. For bulkiness (again besides the end product) the brass edges out the bullets. If you won't be shooting on the road, I'd estimate from loading at home and judging the free time available on the road just how much you can do before getting back home, and only take that much in components. Boxed ammo using for-the-purpose containers looks nice but isn't space efficient/compact(those who know me personally are snorting right now...). A few quart sized freezer type ZipLocks will work, or drawstring canvas bags, if you don't want the contents to be obvious. If reclosable and small (250 to 500 round size) the boxes the bullets came in can work well (though labelled). Edited November 30, 2006 by kevin c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Quite a few people suggest lubing the brass by putting it in a big zip-lock bag with some lube and giving it the shake-n-bake treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronEqualizer Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 +1 for para joe's response..........since you've got the time not the space that will be the way to go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sskp1 Posted November 30, 2006 Author Share Posted November 30, 2006 i was under the impression if i used a carbide dies like the one ParaJoe linked i wouldn't need case lube am i off in left field on that assumption thanks again to all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al503 Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 i was under the impression if i used a carbide dies like the one ParaJoe linked i wouldn't need case lube am i off in left field on that assumptionthanks again to all You are correct. However, case lube makes the job much easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Front Man Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 If you had a studio sized sleeper I don't see why you couldn't mount a mini bench with a SDB in there some where. Truck drivers have a ton of non driving time these days. The only concern I would have would be haz mat rules. FM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFD Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I'd go with a hand tool if the main purpose here is to kill time and get useful ammo all at once. I don't believe the dot would be too thrilled seeing a press setup in the sleeper (even if possible) considering their stance on firearms in trucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glockrocker Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 (edited) I would advise setting up a reloader at home exactly like you want to do in your truck. Measure the space you have in your truck and confine yourself to that much space at home. You may find out it is not practical. I drive over the road as well and have a Dillon 550 at home. I can not imagine having the space in the cab even for a minimum setup. A press is quite heavy for its size and it would be quite an engineering accomplishment to build a stand that could handle the road vibration and motion in the truck with a press mounted on it. You said you understand the DOT regs. Hopefully you understand that explosives of any kind are strictly prohibited in the cab of a truck and this applies to under the cab storage as well and it does not matter whether or not it is a reportable quantity. If you were cited you may find it hard to find future employment and your insurability may be in question. I know how you feel about being on the road and wanting to do something shooting related with your down time. I have a dvd player and watch IPSC training videos. I also have the several of the popular training books. I don't know if you shoot competitively but this forum has recommendations for educational materials in these areas and can be a productive way to pass your time. Just a suggestion. Hope this helps. Edited December 1, 2006 by glockrocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Front Man Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Listen to a fellow trucker; Glockrocker is right about everything except smokeless powder is not an explosive as it is a flammable. FM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glockrocker Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Listen to a fellow trucker; Glockrocker is right about everything except smokeless powder is not an explosive as it is a flammable.FM Black powder is a flammable solid. Cap type primers for small arms are a 1.x explosive. Not sure what determines the variant of x from 1-4. Assembled small arms cartridges range from 1.1 explosives through ORM-D. Not sure what determines specific division in this area either - maybe quantity? Point being I wouldn't want to have un-manifested hazardous materials in the cab of a commercial vehicle. Most commercial officers and drivers (including myself) have a limited understanding of the highly complicated hazardous materials transportation laws. I would not want to deal with the can of worms that would be opened were I caught in this scenario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Front Man Posted December 2, 2006 Share Posted December 2, 2006 Forgot about the primers; thanks for the correction and information. I thought of another reason to not do it; you have to live, breath and sleep in there. I don't drive a truck and the public in general is safer for it! FM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimini Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 If you need like 100rds. a month, the Lee Hand press should be fine. If you compete and need a good supply of ammo, I would get a Square Deal B.The ultimate solution would be to mount the Dillon on a bench at home and teach one of the family members with all that free time how to reload while you're on the road . Please forgive, but I would NOT recommend a square deal. It's not that much more money to get a 550 which is a more versatile press and will allow you to use standard dies. I had a SDB and was very unhappy with it. Dillon worked dilligently (no pun intended) to repair it but to no avail. I use the 650 and love it...and Dillon. Jim Norman-Florida Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caspian_45 Posted December 3, 2006 Share Posted December 3, 2006 I agree with getting a 550. You can do so much more with a 550. I'd set the press up at home and reload when you get the time at home. Have to wife reload the primer tubes and have them ready for you. You should be able to load a 100 rds in 10 minutes or less once you get the hang of the press. If you are in doubt about which press is right for you let us know where you are located. I'd bet most of us would let you stop by and try out our press to see what you liked and didn't like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sskp1 Posted December 7, 2006 Author Share Posted December 7, 2006 Once again i must say thanks to all glockrocker i was thinking that since it was unreportable quantitys i would be ok but hadn't thought about the classification of the primers. I may just have to set it up out in the shop and just make the time to roll them when i get home. kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubber Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 sskp1, During one of my elarly excursions, (trying to shoot the Handguner and the IRC in Montrose Co.) I was reloading in a small camp trailer. I had gotten, what was called back then, a portable bench. The base was large and plastic about 3 foot in diameter. The stand was a lightweight tube about 2" diameter and the bench was plastic and less than a foot square. After shooting the handgunner I shot and reloaded for a week in the small trailer. The trailer was small enough that if I had to change my mind, I had to step out side. Bench worked well and could be taken down when not in use. I reloaded well over a 1000 rounds on it. Some of the others might remember the name of the bench and can chime in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinV Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 hello all,Long time lurker here who registered a short time ago i'm wanting to get into reloading but here is my problem. I drive a truck over the road so space kills me rather than time. I am planning on getting a 650 with all the bells and whistles from brian when i get the money saved up. I am the only one working out of a family of 4 so money is tight in the budget for practice and match ammo My other half keeps saying i am going to blow a hand off. So my question is this if i am wanting to reload using a hand press could anyone reccommend one for a 45 I am wondering if this would be feasible for me to do out on the road ( i understand the dot requirements and can work with that), this would also give me the ability to get the tumbler and other things that are required for reloading a piece at a time which would help to keep the sticker shop at a minimum. I'm not so much worried about the other half's worry about my hand as i am doing it right. Is this feasible and what would be your opinion on the required items that i need to have on hand with me in the truck thanks for your help kevin Besides everything else discussed, if you are driving a 'company' truck, you'd better see what their rules are with regard to you carrying these materials in their equipment. Also, since DOT guidelines are different than us 'civilian's and with the whole Homeland Security issues with regard to explosives and components, you probably need more indepth and formal advice on the legalities of carrying the powder and primers in particular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoTenX Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 You can load several hundred rounds in an hour, seting up in the truck if that realy is an option will take an hour. wait til your home reload for an hour you will probaly have enough ammo then. I HAVE TO STUDY TO RELOAD and decide what to load do that studing then, there are tapes to go over and these might be an option. how much time you have to shoot will determin how much ammo you need. I was shooting for years before i started reloading. Assuming the majority of shooting is recreation for you then shooting rimfire you will be shooting cheaper and no need for reloading. If you want to practice with you centerfire pistol, how about a 1911 rimfire conversion. put the money saved on reloading components to build up that reloading bench at home either with the dillon on use the hand press in the cab or home supplemented by the rimfire.. IN either case your better half is concerned about your health and you should be wearing eyes and ear protection wheen you reload and shoot the hands are fairly safe. I have friends that have been in trucking business, i hope you are able to work something out that gives you some relaxation, does not break the bank,or jeopradize you living Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now