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Old May 9, 2007, 09:41 AM   #1
jclayto
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Placing an order today.. Do I need??

First, let me apologize for newbie questions, but I really appreciate all of your help and input. I am getting the Turret Kit from Kempfs http://www.kempfgunshop.com/products.../KempfKit.html for my birthday. I will be reloading only handgun now, and actually only .357 for the first few months.

I am placing an order from midway today for the frankford arsenal digital powder scale, is there any other items not included in the kempf's kit that I need to throw in to this midway order? Is chaffing/cutting/trimming only realtive to rifle cases or should I get a ziptrim and cutter?

I have a copy of modern reloading 2nd edition on the way, this is a pretty reliable manual correct?
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Old May 9, 2007, 10:19 AM   #2
Mal H
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Trust me, it won't be long before you need a caliper to measure OAL, bullet caliber, cases, etc. A good dial caliper shouldn't cost more than $25.

Nix on the trimming tools. You won't need them for pistol reloading. (And it's chamfering not chaffing. )

I would recommend getting at least one additional reloading manual. Personally, I would recommend the latest Lyman's Reloading Handbook or Speer's Manual.
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Old May 9, 2007, 10:23 AM   #3
dairycreek
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Get the Pro Audo Disk! Don't know if that's part of the kit but it will make charging your rounds infinitely more accurate while making it easier to boot.
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Old May 9, 2007, 10:49 AM   #4
jclayto
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Oops, I forgot to mention I bought digital calipers a few months ago. They are harbor freight specials, but seem to work fine.. Should this be ok?
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Old May 9, 2007, 11:09 AM   #5
benedict1
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They will be fine--

My best suggestion is make a phone call to Kempf and ask for Sue-she knows more about reloading than most people I know and she can help you get it all straight--she will NOT try to sell you something you don't need. They are great people to deal with. Trust me on this--she shoots Cowboy events and has been loading for 20+ years; she knows Lee equipment inside and out.
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Old May 9, 2007, 12:00 PM   #6
Crazy4nitro
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Yeah,,Grab me a few 1000 cci small pistol primers...I'll split the shipping with ya....

C4N
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Old May 9, 2007, 12:45 PM   #7
jclayto
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One other thing I forgot.. I did not order a tumbler or even a brush for cleaning the primer pockets, is this necessary with pistol rounds?
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Old May 9, 2007, 12:51 PM   #8
Mike Irwin
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Tumbling your brass is not necessary.

Cleaning the primer pocket isn't absolutely necessary.
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Old May 9, 2007, 09:20 PM   #9
CrustyFN
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Tumbling the brass isn't necessary but you should clean them before you resize them. I find tumbling to be the best solution because I can have brass tumbling while I do other things. If I had to clean them by hand that would add wasted time to my reloading.
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Old May 9, 2007, 09:36 PM   #10
Trapper L
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I'd pass on the Frankfort electronic scale. They are cheap junk at best. Most won't hold zero, they turn off after 60 seconds, won't weight the same item twice with the same results, and they are battery operated as in #2032 batteries, not something common like AA. And batteries don't last long. I'd suggest a dampened beam scale for your first scale. My experience and .02
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Old May 9, 2007, 10:15 PM   #11
Dave Haven
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Quote:
I'd suggest a dampened beam scale for your first scale.
+1. Theres virtually NOTHING that can go wrong with a beam balance scale.
I was considering purchasing a digital powder scale last year. I purchased a Lyman model 1000 beam balance scale. No regrets. Every time I check it with test weights, it's RIGHT ON.
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Old May 9, 2007, 10:28 PM   #12
UniversalFrost
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get your self a good RCBS 5-0-5 scale and you will never need another. I just bought a used one off ebay for 20 bucks. Check there first and then midway, graf, etc... midsouth has some better deals than midway, but you have to search. Also get the delux 4 piece die set with the factory crimp die and the carbide sizing die. This saves a lot of time and frustration later. (midway has them the cheapest as of last week when I bought another set of 9mm luger, 40 S&W, .357 sig and .357 dies (all lee) from midway. I prefer rcbs and lyman presses, but the lee dies are the cheapest and some of the best out there. I was an rcbs only guy for a long time, but once I tried the lee dies I was converted (won't touch the other lee stuff, except for the hand held primer which is the best out there if used correctly).

The rcbs tumbler (around 60 bucks at midway) is great and I have never had a problem with mine in the 6 years I have owned it. Plus RCBS has a great warranty. Stay away from the frankford arsenal tumblers , my brother and a friend have both been through about 3 each in the last couple of years and frankford finally told them they wouldn'd replace the last set they mailed out.
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