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Old November 3, 2008, 12:24 AM   #1
Doc K
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Join Date: November 3, 2008
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My first 25 cartridges!!

I reloaded my first 25 cartridges today!!

I’ve spent hours on the internet and at my local reloading shop.
I’ve been lurking on this forum for weeks. I have a notebook of collected advice and posts.
Thanks to all you experienced guys who post.

Against all advice, I have begun my reloading activities on a progressive machine, Hornady’s LnL AP.

The 1100 free bullets helped make the decision. The automatic indexing and cost for caliber changes seemed to make the Hornady a better deal than the Dillon 550.
I thought about a single stage, but when I’m up to speed, I’d like to reload a couple hundred rounds of 45 ACP a week.
Since the Powder Drop is case-activated, I can easily isolate problems. It’s pretty easy to do individual steps.

This is my set-up:
First Station- Sizing/decapping
Second Station- Priming/Powder Drop/Case flaring (The pistol rotor is very consistent)
Third Station- RCBS Lockout Die
Fourth Station- Bullet seating die
Fifth Station- Taper Crimp

Problems I encountered and solved today:

1. Old primers were not being pushed out consistently by the re-sizing die.
I found that when instructions say the die should be “touching or almost touching” the Shellplate, it means the lower ledge of the cutout for the case, not the topmost part of the shellplate.
This allowed me to use the recommended 3/16” protrusion for the decapping pin.
2. There is no choice on how much expansion for the Powder-Through expander.
It goes all the way into the case.
3. The RCBS lock-out die did not consistently fall back into its resting state. This allowed zero or double charges to go through.
I used a dry lube and worked the plunger back-and-forth over and over. For extra measure, I made a weight to go on top of the plunger. I forced a lead bullet all the way into a case. Then I drilled through the primer pocket. The plunger fits into the drilled-out primer pocket. Now the lockout feature works 100%.
4. Primer feeding was very inconsistent. Out of my first 25 completed cartridges, I had six cartridges cycle through with no primer. That was the most frustrating problem.
I didn’t think there were excess oils or dirt in the primer slide, but I cleaned it well with brake cleaner. What seemed to help was a Dremel tool. I polished the sliding parts with a felt wheel and some rouge. I didn’t make it shiny, but it now works like a charm.

Thanks for letting me tell my story. I’m pretty proud of my efforts right now.
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Old November 3, 2008, 04:59 AM   #2
Yoosta B. Blue
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Welcome to the forum Sounds like you are light-years ahead of most who are in the "newbie" category, and that you are well on your way. You should be able to meet your production goals in no time at all with that nice rig. Way to go!

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Old November 3, 2008, 08:02 AM   #3
44Magnum
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Very nice setup. Just go slowly when beginning and always double check everything. Learning to set up dies takes a few tries (as you have found out) but it will become second nature in no time. It sounds like you're enjoying your new hobby already.
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Old November 3, 2008, 08:07 AM   #4
Sevens
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I will always recommend a single stage to folks who ask at the very get-go, but I certainly wouldn't condemn anyone who elects to go with a progressive machine. I'd agree that it sounds like you'll do fine with it-- noticing the little intricacies and addressing problems one-by-one no matter the size of the problem.

I would only caution against the outright production you are capable of with this machine-- and I only say "caution" because (as I'm sure you VERY well know!) any little problem you make in one single round of ammo is going to repeat itself hundreds of times if you don't have it worked out first.

That means if your powder charge isn't exactly what you want/need or...
If your bullet isn't seated at exactly the place you want/need or...
Your flare isn't enough to keep from deforming bullets or...
Your flare is too much to properly un-do with the crimp or...
If your crimp isn't set up exactly as your pistol wants it or...
If your primers aren't seated just below flush to avoid misfires or...
...you get the idea!

By making 25 rounds, you have a nice place to start. Shoot 'em! See if they are safe, not over pressure, see if they function and feed properly, see if they eject the way you want them to. See if they group on paper!

Because if there's a flaw with them and you start yanking that press handle, you'll make 300 of them at one sitting and if it's 300 flawed rounds, that's going to be hell!

Sounds to me like you have a great start and are going to have fun with it. You've got a good long wait to get your free bullets (I've heard), so start exploring bullet options. For me, 200 grain cast LSWC have performed very, very well. Cheap, accurate, functional, that's simply the bullet I use. I can honestly say that even though I load a myriad in other calibers, 200 grain cast LSWC is all I've loaded in .45 since the early 90s.
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Old November 3, 2008, 08:57 AM   #5
k Squared
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Hit the Ground Running

Doc K,

It looks like you did your homework then hit the ground running. I hope you enjoy your new hobby as much as I have.
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Old November 3, 2008, 05:52 PM   #6
CrustyFN
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Welcome Doc. I'm not one of those that believes in starting with a single stage either. A lot of people will run the cases through one at a time until they get a feel for the press and understand reloading. Take your time and be safe. When you get used to that press give us a review.
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Old November 3, 2008, 07:33 PM   #7
Shoney
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Doc K
Welcome to the forum and welcome to reloading!!!!!!!!!!!!

I compliment you on navigating the mine field of misinformation which is filled with large steaming piles of RCF, and making a great decision on the LNL.

On the primer issue. Get a 3/32 inch dowel from the craft section of a department store, a hardware store or an art supply store. They are about $0.20. Insert it into the primer tube when it is empty, marking the depth on the exosed dowel. When the tube has primers, insert the dowel, as it applies enough pressure to keep the primers feeding reliably. A glance will then tell you when you are about to run out of primers, in addition to aiding the primer feed process.

Good Shooting!
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Old November 4, 2008, 01:10 AM   #8
Doc K
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Thanks guys for your support and encouragement.
Like everyone cautions, I’m taking it slow.
I take everything to heart that Sevens posted.

Shoney, we must have ESPN!
Before I saw your post I had already bought a 3/16” dowel from Hobby Lobby. I made a red mark for empty and polished the wood to make it slick.
You were wrong however…like everything in reloading the price is going up. I had to lay down 29 cents for the dowel.
I made another 25 rounds tonight with only 2 primers MIA.
I’ve started to focus on the feel of the press when the primers get pressed into place. With more experience, I think I will know when the primer doesn’t go into the pocket. For now, I’m getting tired of powder being spewed all over and I’m developing a love-hate relationship to my bullet puller.

The bad news is that the indoor range that I go to was closed tonight and I work tomorrow night.
Looks like Wednesday afternoon is the first chance I will get to try my new brand of custom ammo. To avoid conflicting myself with Golf vs. Shooting, I plan on doing BOTH!

BTW- What do experienced reloaders recommend for body armor while shooting your first homemade rounds?
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Old November 4, 2008, 07:57 AM   #9
Sevens
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Body armor is FREE -- just sell your golf clubs and funny, ugly shoes and put that cash toward a flak jacket!

Seriously, though, it's always worth a chuckle when reloaders pop in to a thread to share tales of the first trigger they pulled on a round they loaded on their own. My tale-- it was a pretty summer Saturday morning around 9:30 a.m. The range was 100 yards. The target was a dirt hill... merely the back stop at the outdoor range at the Sportsman's Club we were members of. The handgun was a S&W Model 686, 6-inch, .357 Mag revolver. The load was .38 Special, Speer 158 grain swaged lead semi-wadcutter pushed by a mild charge of Hercules Green Dot out of a brass Federal case. The result was a nice pop, a little smoke and light recoil. Where it landed-- pretty sure it was in to the back stop. That first round wasn't for accuracy, it was for safety and function!

The revolver was firmly pointed at full arm extension down range, my head was turned as far to the protective left as I could muster. Eyes were squeezed closed.
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Old November 4, 2008, 06:35 PM   #10
robctwo
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My friend bought a Lee Loadmaster a few years ago and we learned to load together. Did not start on a single stage either. I learned two things: (1) I can load one round at a time on a progressive, but not five at a time on a single stage, and (2) Hornady LnL is much better than Lee Loadmaster. My friend joined the LnL crowd this year and his only regret is not doing it earlier.

Any time I am working up a new load or changing calibers I load a round at a time until I have what I want. I learned that after getting good at disassembling mistakes.
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