Is Reloading Worth Getting Into These Days?

[kidsoncoffee]

I got my press yesterday - very quick delivery, and have already started reloading 380. Now I already want to buy dies to get started on 10mm.

My press is very compact and I am super happy with it!

We are cleaning the brass now after I deprimed it.

Question: is it better, same or personal preference whether one should clean and lube first then deprime or deprime and then clean and lube and continue the process?

I deprime with a universal deprimer die from LEE, then toss them in the tumbler. Afterwards I use my RCBS case prep station to get rid of any crimps as well as clean the primer pocket. Then I will lube and resize, trim if needed, chamfer and deburr, then into another cleaning run in the tumbler. After that I prime, fill, and seat the bullet, crimp if needed, and she's good to go. This is all mainly on a single stage LEE press. I have a progressive, but I only use it on pistol rounds and I have enough of them to not need to reload for a WHILE. It's there if I need it and I keep enough components around to get me by for a decade or so. I like to deprime them first so the first tumble helps to clean out the primer pockets and flash holes. Let me know if you have a hard time finding components. I can sell you a few hundred SPP if you need them to get you going. I don't mind selling some of my stash to a new reloader to help get them addicted. I think the only pistol caliber projectiles I have right now are 9mm. I have a good bit of them and wouldn't mind coming off a few for you to work up some ladder loads if you get to loading 9. Just let me know.

 

[Jevaughn]

For straight wall pistol rounds, invest in a carbide die set. No lube required. Size and deprime before cleaning and you get clean primer pockets. If running necked cases, I lube then size and deprime before I clean as you're gonna want to clean the lube off before loading generally. Really depends on your lube and how you clean. I use an ultrasonic cleaner so I just toss in my dies when I'm done and hit them with some RemOil before putting them away after use, blow of any excess oil with compressed air, you just want to keep them from rusting.

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[Ricochet]

I deprime with a universal deprimer die from LEE, then toss them in the tumbler. Afterwards I use my RCBS case prep station to get rid of any crimps as well as clean the primer pocket. Then I will lube and resize, trim if needed, chamfer and deburr, then into another cleaning run in the tumbler. After that I prime, fill, and seat the bullet, crimp if needed, and she's good to go. This is all mainly on a single stage LEE press. I have a progressive, but I only use it on pistol rounds and I have enough of them to not need to reload for a WHILE. It's there if I need it and I keep enough components around to get me by for a decade or so. I like to deprime them first so the first tumble helps to clean out the primer pockets and flash holes. Let me know if you have a hard time finding components. I can sell you a few hundred SPP if you need them to get you going. I don't mind selling some of my stash to a new reloader to help get them addicted. I think the only pistol caliber projectiles I have right now are 9mm. I have a good bit of them and wouldn't mind coming off a few for you to work up some ladder loads if you get to loading 9. Just let me know.

Thank you! I work 4x10 days plus 8hr overtime on Fridays. Will reply better tomorrow.

 

[Ricochet]

For straight wall pistol rounds, invest in a carbide die set. No lube required. Size and deprime before cleaning and you get clean primer pockets. If running necked cases, I lube then size and deprime before I clean as you're gonna want to clean the lube off before loading generally. Really depends on your lube and how you clean. I use an ultrasonic cleaner so I just toss in my dies when I'm done and hit them with some RemOil before putting them away after use, blow of any excess oil with compressed air, you just want to keep them from rusting.

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Thank you! I did get the Lee carbide 3 die set.
I will be getting the same for 40 S&W and 10mm.

 

[Ricochet]

I deprime with a universal deprimer die from LEE, then toss them in the tumbler. Afterwards I use my RCBS case prep station to get rid of any crimps as well as clean the primer pocket. Then I will lube and resize, trim if needed, chamfer and deburr, then into another cleaning run in the tumbler. After that I prime, fill, and seat the bullet, crimp if needed, and she's good to go. This is all mainly on a single stage LEE press. I have a progressive, but I only use it on pistol rounds and I have enough of them to not need to reload for a WHILE. It's there if I need it and I keep enough components around to get me by for a decade or so. I like to deprime them first so the first tumble helps to clean out the primer pockets and flash holes. Let me know if you have a hard time finding components. I can sell you a few hundred SPP if you need them to get you going. I don't mind selling some of my stash to a new reloader to help get them addicted. I think the only pistol caliber projectiles I have right now are 9mm. I have a good bit of them and wouldn't mind coming off a few for you to work up some ladder loads if you get to loading 9. Just let me know.

Thank you for your offer - very kind!
I have enough components for now.
For sure it is addictive/hobby already and I love it.
I am waiting on the Lee Ram Priming Die.
I found that a water+ dawn detergent+laundry detergent +solvent green solution soaking for an hour did a great cleaning job. Then I pad them dry and pour some rubbing alcohol and it evaporates very clean indeed.

Edit: Simple Green Aviation grade solution.
Edit II: not rubbing alcohol, he uses PURE isopropyl alcohol because he says rubbing alcohol can still leave some water on evaporation while pure does not.

 

[kidsoncoffee]

Thank you for your offer - very kind!
I have enough components for now.
For sure it is addictive/hobby already and I love it.
I am waiting on the Lee Ram Priming Die.
I found that a water+ dawn detergent+laundry detergent +solvent green solution soaking for an hour did a great cleaning job. Then I pad them dry and pour some rubbing alcohol and it evaporates very clean indeed.

Edit: Simple Green Aviation grade solution.

Save the alcohol and just put them on a few baking sheets in the oven after you've rinsed them good. Instead of priming with the press, check out the lee hand primer. It comes with a ton of shellholders and works great. It's faster for me than using the press to prime. I can sit there and watch TV and prime in my lazyboy recliner and do it by feel now.

 

[Ricochet]

Save the alcohol and just put them on a few baking sheets in the oven after you've rinsed them good. Instead of priming with the press, check out the lee hand primer. It comes with a ton of shellholders and works great. It's faster for me than using the press to prime. I can sit there and watch TV and prime in my lazyboy recliner and do it by feel now.

Thanks, I did tell husband to dry in the oven but he, being a chemist, loves to accomplish everything with "solutions" .
I bought the Lee Ram press die primer because it was $10 and the hand primers were expensive. As I do more ( I will be buying dies for 40, 10 and 460 Rowland ) then I can justify speeding up my processes.
Also saw some negative reviews on hand primers so that put me of with their price being much higher.

Thanks for all the feedback!

 

[FrommerStop]

Thanks, I did tell husband to dry in the oven but he, being a chemist, loves to accomplish everything with "solutions" .
I bought the Lee Ram press die primer because it was $10 and the hand primers were expensive. As I do more ( I will be buying dies for 40, 10 and 460 Rowland ) then I can justify speeding up my processes.
Also saw some negative reviews on hand primers so that put me of with their price being much higher.

Thanks for all the feedback!

The oven is good for aqueous solutions that do not contain flammable solvents.

 

[Jevaughn]

I've got the hornady and two rcbs hand primers. The rcbs is definitely my favorite aside from the pain of dealing shell holders. They have a universal priming tool that has a universal shell holder installed but I've heard it's not as good and is more expensive. I've seated primers in the press, with a bench primer, and a hand primer and in a progressive. Loading primer tubes for a progressive sucks, press priming is tedious and if you're using tweezers prone to losing primers and using fingers you're introducing oil contaminants. Hand and bench top primers are but far the easiest and in my opinion highest quality way of seating primers if you aren't using a progressive press.
Of course, that's just my opinion and your mileage may vary

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[Ricochet]

The oven is good for aqueous solutions that do not contain flammable solvents.

Ah, that may be why he didn't put in the oven.
The Simple Green Aviation Grade:

 

[Ricochet]

I've got the hornady and two rcbs hand primers. The rcbs is definitely my favorite aside from the pain of dealing shell holders. They have a universal priming tool that has a universal shell holder installed but I've heard it's not as good and is more expensive. I've seated primers in the press, with a bench primer, and a hand primer and in a progressive. Loading primer tubes for a progressive sucks, press priming is tedious and if you're using tweezers prone to losing primers and using fingers you're introducing oil contaminants. Hand and bench top primers are but far the easiest and in my opinion highest quality way of seating primers if you aren't using a progressive press.
Of course, that's just my opinion and your mileage may vary

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Thank you for all this feedback on priming!
I was very reluctant but now a clearer understanding picture emerges which makes it easier to make a better choice.
The hand to primer fingers introducing oil is an excellent point - especially females like me who are always touching our hair!

 

[War-Buff]

I've been reloading ammo for some 33 years, and I have to say that I find some of the comments and procedures described here beyond my scope of knowledge. ...lubing straight wall pistol cases, cleaning them with alcohol, etc. I use carbide dies for pistol calibers and don't lube 'em, and for rifle cases, I tumble then lube/decap/size then re-tumble before loading. Maybe wet-cleaning cases works well, but I've never tried it. I use corncob media with a bit of polish in a vibratory tumbler and it works well for me. For priming, I prime on the press on all of my progressives (otherwise, what's the point?), and my Rock Chucker single stage press has a priming attachment that uses primer tubes & a spring-loaded primer seat plug. I've never seen a setup where one has to use tweezers(?) or hand-feed primers into a press. With that said, I also have 2 RCBS Universal hand priming tools, and I keep one setup for small and the other for large. I will sometimes use these to prime (while watching TV), mainly for rifle cases to be loaded in my Rock Chucker. I also believe primers are extremely unlikely to be contaminated by touching them, but YMMV.

 

[Ricochet]

This was what I bought for priming:

 

[War-Buff]

seems like way too much work to me, but if it works for you that's all that matters.

 

[Ricochet]

seems like way too much work to me, but if it works for you that's all that matters.

It was $10!!!

 

[War-Buff]

Here is the on-press priming system for my RCBS Rock Chucker single stage press...has punches & cups for large and small primers. Primers gravity-feed from tube (primers held in place by a detent until you want one)...drop primer into cup using rearward finger pressure on the priming arm (which retracts the detent so the primer falls into cup)...use forward finger pressure to move primer arm cup under case, then seat primer using press ram. (process takes 3 seconds to do, but a paragraph to describe). Filling primer tubes is a breeze. Again, YMMV.

 

[Ricochet]

I had not seen this one before.
Will look into after work, thank you!

 

[War-Buff]

I don't know if it fits anything other than a Rock Chucker.

 

[Ricochet]

I don't know if it fits anything other than a Rock Chucker.

I believe it is specific to your press:

 

[Ricochet]

I would also rather spend the money on more dies at the moment.
We are in a small space, and planning to move from Pinellas County to Holmes County/NW Florida - that is why I went with the Summit press.
My husband found a round piece of wood that fit perfectly over a small coffee table I have and it is a very compact and simple set up.
The idea is to just keep it compact on this coffee tablets until I can have a dedicated room.



That is also why he used the alcohol, not to clean but to help evaporate the water out after he pads dry with paper towel ( using the oven will make the place even hotter than the AC can keep up with.
Also remember: with the limited space I am only doing 100-120 ads at a time.