The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old December 12, 2006, 10:57 PM   #1
Sriracha
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 9, 2005
Location: GA
Posts: 310
Pictures of your reloading bench/equipment

Hi all,

I've been perusing this forum for a few weeks, thinking of getting into reloading. I noticed that many other forums have their picture threads where we can show off our prize firearms, but this forum doesn't have such a thread.

So, how 'bout it? Please post pictures of your reloading workstations. As a potential newbie, I'm interested in seeing how much or how little can be involved in reloading....

- Sriracha
Sriracha is offline  
Old December 12, 2006, 11:27 PM   #2
Mal H
Staff
 
Join Date: March 20, 1999
Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia
Posts: 16,930
There were some pretty "interesting" photos in this thread:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=194594
Mal H is offline  
Old December 13, 2006, 12:20 PM   #3
2400
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 12, 2004
Location: AZ
Posts: 389
Here's my bench.



Some of my manuals.

2400 is offline  
Old December 15, 2006, 08:49 PM   #4
bootsnthejeep
Junior Member
 
Join Date: April 19, 2006
Posts: 5
just took some pictures tonight

Because I just loaded my first batch of rounds on my new reloading bench!

Pretty simple. And reasonably uncluttered since I just got it built and started using it. Fell into a deal on the SDB, and it was all downhill from there.

$40 for the used Dillon set up to do .357 (my caliber of choice).
$360 in parts, accessories, scale and caliber conversions (now setup for .44 mag and .45 ACP)
$50 for the used Rock Chucker and UniFlow powder measure.
$80 or so in powder and primers, not counting the powder that was given to me by another reloading friend.
Another $60 or so on Ebay RCBS dies for the rockchucker, have .357, 44 mag and 30-30 now. Need .45-70 and and some shellholders now.
And about $40 in lumber to build the bench with a piece of remaindered counter top that I've been hanging onto and moving around in the garage for FOUR YEARS. And people think I'm crazy for not throwing anything away.

Got the dillon squared away and dialed in tonight, and figured I'd run out 100 rounds just to see how it was doing. Well that turned into 150. So I figured I'd make it an even 200. Well then that got close to 250, and I finally just let it run out of primers so I would stop at close to 300 rounds. This must be what smoking is like....

I've done lots of reloading with my father's equipment, cranking out 1000 rounds at a time while I was home visiting, but this is definetly different with my own gear at my own bench. Once I got started I almost couldn't stop!

So I just crunched the numbers....
If I never load another round of ammo except the 300 I loaded tonight, cost per round: $2.10
Actual cash layout for components per round: 6 cents a round, or 3 bucks a box. Mint.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg room1.jpg (119.4 KB, 3945 views)
File Type: jpg room2.jpg (156.4 KB, 2880 views)
File Type: jpg room4.jpg (160.5 KB, 2226 views)
bootsnthejeep is offline  
Old December 17, 2006, 12:38 AM   #5
Bama
Member
 
Join Date: February 27, 2005
Location: Alabama
Posts: 35
My bench...



__________________
TOM
Bama is offline  
Old December 17, 2006, 10:25 PM   #6
Hairtrigger
Member
 
Join Date: December 1, 2004
Location: NW OHIO
Posts: 39
Here is mine

Hairtrigger is offline  
Old December 17, 2006, 10:43 PM   #7
jsflagstad
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 29, 2005
Location: Up Nort
Posts: 419
Here's mine...

This is about as clean as it gets. I started reloading about a year ago at my own house. I have been reloading for years on my dad's equipment (blue stuff) at his house. Last year I figured it was time to start my own operation. I will be adding a Lee Loadmaster progressive soon.

I have also attached a picture of the shooting bench that I built this weekend. This handy little thing attaches to my deck rail. Preload between the rail, the joist beneath the deck and the chain make it rock solid. Best of all it can be removed in seconds.

JSF
Attached Images
File Type: jpg JSF_Bench_2.JPG (238.1 KB, 3526 views)
File Type: jpg JSF_Shoot2.jpg (239.5 KB, 2452 views)

Last edited by jsflagstad; December 17, 2006 at 11:03 PM. Reason: Added shooting bench picture
jsflagstad is offline  
Old December 24, 2006, 01:05 AM   #8
ATCDoktor
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 24, 2006
Posts: 172
Here's a picture of mine. This is about as clean as it gets. It's a simple 1/4" plate with 4 legs welded on. It cost me about $40.00 to build 10 years ago.

Two dillon SDB's (One large Pistol and one Small) and an XL650 for my rifle calibers 223 - 45/70.

ATCDoktor is offline  
Old December 24, 2006, 04:20 AM   #9
JJB2
Junior member
 
Join Date: December 14, 2005
Posts: 558
HAIRTRIGGER WHAT KIND OF PRESS IS THAT blue press on your bench? the first press i ever got and still have looked like it and it was a BAIR press from somewhere in nebraska..... my loading bench is part of an old counter top about an inch think mounted to my basement wall with some big a$$ed brackets... got the blue bair press on it and a lee c-press on it and a lee perfect powder measure on it..... it works for me!!.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
JJB2 is offline  
Old December 24, 2006, 05:15 AM   #10
mjrodney
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 5, 2006
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 435
ATCDoktor, I think I'm seeing some Hogdon powder containers in your photo.

I'm hoping it's ordinary Clays powder.

If it is ordinary Clays, can you tell me how reliably that powder feeds thru the small pistol/large pistol Dillion powder dispensers?
__________________
Proud supporter of the NRA
mjrodney is offline  
Old December 24, 2006, 06:47 AM   #11
ATCDoktor
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 24, 2006
Posts: 172
mj, the Hodgdon powder container you see is filled with Lil' Gun. I was using it to work up some loads for the 500 S&W.

I use a lot of Varget, H380 in rifles and I've shot a freight train load of H110 in magnum pistols but I've never used Clays.
ATCDoktor is offline  
Old December 24, 2006, 08:34 AM   #12
JDG
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 28, 2005
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 673
Heres mine
JDG is offline  
Old December 24, 2006, 08:13 PM   #13
Hairtrigger
Member
 
Join Date: December 1, 2004
Location: NW OHIO
Posts: 39
JJB2
My C press is a Pacific. I stumbled across it in a junk pile in a gunshop in the northwest. RCBS makes a ram for it that uses standard shellholders. I use it for depriming before tumbling.
Hairtrigger is offline  
Old December 24, 2006, 08:56 PM   #14
JJB2
Junior member
 
Join Date: December 14, 2005
Posts: 558
i really like my heavy cast c press...... the thing is soooo strong you couldn't hurt it if you tried..... i went down this afternoon and used mine to reload 50 .38 spls....... it's kinda fun to see all the different reloading setups in this thread...... one of the handiest things i have to use at my bench is one of those computer knee chairs they were selling a few years back...... it takes a load off my feet and rolls around nice on my basement floor......

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.....................................
JJB2 is offline  
Old December 24, 2006, 09:30 PM   #15
CrustyFN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2006
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 2,258




__________________
I don't ever remember being absent minded.
CrustyFN is offline  
Old December 31, 2006, 09:53 AM   #16
quickshot
Member
 
Join Date: December 6, 2005
Posts: 46
ok i'll play

Here is my temporary but humble set up

I am still waiting on the loadmaster to come in so I can pt it on the far right hand side of the shelf. brass on the right casting/tools/cleaning stuff/powder and primers (out of both right now) on the left.

I really like the height of the bench shelf thinggie.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 100_0519.JPG (234.7 KB, 2866 views)
File Type: jpg 100_0520.JPG (234.8 KB, 1659 views)
File Type: jpg 100_0521.JPG (237.7 KB, 1466 views)
quickshot is offline  
Old March 22, 2007, 02:50 AM   #17
Crazy4nitro
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 15, 2007
Location: Lou-a-vul KY
Posts: 142
My Bench was salvaged from a Thrown out computer desk..



I try to keep things neat,but Gunpowder is hard to see on the Black surface. That Might get a Coat of white paint.


Crazy4nitro
Crazy4nitro is offline  
Old March 22, 2007, 09:59 AM   #18
JoeHatley
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 1, 1999
Location: Iowa
Posts: 2,135



Joe
__________________
Go NRA
JoeHatley is offline  
Old March 24, 2007, 06:39 PM   #19
Diestone
Junior Member
 
Join Date: March 24, 2007
Location: Oh
Posts: 2
Reloading room

Here is my setup.

.
Diestone is offline  
Old March 24, 2007, 07:05 PM   #20
jeo556
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 18, 2007
Location: Southwestern, PA
Posts: 268
I hate all you guys.....In a ridiculously jealous kinda way. I currently do not have a bench and cannot wait to get my basement in order and a bench set up. Take care.

Jeo556
jeo556 is offline  
Old March 24, 2007, 07:15 PM   #21
CrustyFN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2006
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 2,258
OK here is my press with the new handle.
Rusty


__________________
I don't ever remember being absent minded.
CrustyFN is offline  
Old March 24, 2007, 08:37 PM   #22
Robert M Boren Sr
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 29, 2004
Location: NW Montana
Posts: 269
Robert M Boren Sr is offline  
Old March 24, 2007, 08:53 PM   #23
RevoRick
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 19, 2005
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 201
Here is a picture of my set-up, which as we all know is a work in progress. The black block on which the lee single stage is mounted is removable taking the Lee press with it. I also got a new safe so I created a storage area out of my old gun cabinet.



__________________
Criminals thrive on the indulgence of an understanding society
DW 10mm CBOB, 10mm Experimental, .45 Pointman GD, .45 Patriot CCO. DW 744 VH .44 6", 715 VH .357 4". Fusion 10mm Longslide XM-10 Tactical Hunter. Glock 19c, Browning Buckmark, S&W 686 .357 4", 629 .44mag 8 3/8". Uberti Cattleman .45LC.
http://www.1911auto.org/forum/index.php?referrerid=24
RevoRick is offline  
Old March 24, 2007, 11:18 PM   #24
kkb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 5, 2004
Location: Western Slope, Colorado
Posts: 403
My little corner of the world...

kkb is offline  
Old March 26, 2007, 06:28 PM   #25
Mal H
Staff
 
Join Date: March 20, 1999
Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia
Posts: 16,930
RevoRick - I have to comment on the powder stored in your steel cabinet. There have been many discussions on the best place or method to store powder, and the number one most unsafe place is in a locked steel box of any type. In case of a fire, the box becomes a very effective bomb instead of the powder simply burning at a relatively slow rate. You should consider a locked wooden cabinet or something similar that won't allow pressure to build up if there is a fire. However, if the steel sides on your cabinet are fairly thin and the door will give easily, there may not be a problem.
Mal H is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:21 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.12930 seconds with 9 queries