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Old November 14, 2012, 10:56 AM   #26
L_Killkenny
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Some folks really really enjoy reloading. For me it's a necessary evil. I like working up loads and experimenting but siting down to reload a known load with known results sucks. I guess you could say I like handloading, hate reloading. There is a difference. As stated, quit while you are ahead if you can. Not always possible. There have been nights where I had to reload for the field or range due to being 100% out of ammo. Yes, I probably had time in the days before hand to break things up a little so I wasn't slaving over the bench reloading rounds start to finish. All it would take is a little forethought. But reloading is enough of a chore that I don't want to think about it for 4 nights if I can get the job done in one. Big advice is make sure your procedures are as close to 100% foolproof as possible. Namely, try to avoid issues with powders like double charges and squibs. In handguns I really like some loads I developed but some of them are dang easy to double charge. I'm really thinkin of ditching those loads and finding others with powders that eliminate the possibility.
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Old November 14, 2012, 01:04 PM   #27
pgdion
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You're going to think this crazy but I usually reload about 50 at a time when I feel like it and that keeps supply up. Well I've been way busy lately and the empty brass has been piling up and our scout range night is coming up on Monday. So I reloaded 100 9mm last night ... sized, de-primed, primed, powder, & bullet (they were already cleaned, I did get to that) and I have another hundred to do tonight. All with the little Lee Classic Whack-A-Mole kit (hey, I'm running on a budget here).

Bummer is the scouts will shoot all of them off so I'll still have to set some time a side to reload for my own use.

Maybe I can put some 9mm dies on my christmas list.
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Old November 14, 2012, 05:45 PM   #28
spacecoast
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Quote:
All with the little Lee Classic Whack-A-Mole kit (hey, I'm running on a budget here).
Wow, and I thought I was on a budget using a hand press. I usually do 50 or 100 in a batch, or something in between if I need to refill a partial box. Doing anything critical (like adding powder) when fatigued is not real intelligent, but I do the boring stuff like depriming or case expansion while watching TV at times.
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Old November 15, 2012, 04:19 PM   #29
jib
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Like some of the others, I like to process a bunch of rounds in steps. I have 4 bins, labeled raw-fired, tumbled, decapped/resized and primed, for each caliber. I can do as many as I want from any group whenever, without the pressure of finishing a tray, with the sole exception of setting the bullet after throwing powder.

I love the fact that I can squeeze in 15 minutes here or there to process another small group of brass. My wife appreciates that too.

This is supposed to be an enjoyable part of the hobby!
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Old November 15, 2012, 04:47 PM   #30
m&p45acp10+1
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I feel the need to mention that I found early on arm fatigue is usualy a sign of need for a taller, or shorter bench. I started with a desk. After while my shoulder would get stiff, and then sore. A friend I mentioned it to suggested a taller bench, and helped me measure the proper height for me. It made a world of difference. I was able to go without the shoulder pain. (My shoulder has been through a rough life as has the rest of me. You could publish a manual on trauma care from a couple of years of my life.)
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Old November 15, 2012, 05:05 PM   #31
JimDandy
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Ha, I have relatives that can one up you... one is mssing part of his thumb, another all but demolished a leg getting out of a porta-john, and a third is missing a significant portion of a hand...

To get back on topic, you don't worry about having primed brass? I've been loading as soon as priming is done so it can go in a MTM box... Especially after the horror stories just posted about how many ridiculously freakish accidents that triggered a primer ignition.
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Old November 15, 2012, 05:23 PM   #32
tkglazie
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primed cases are no more dangerous than finished ammo. I load single piece myself but would not hesitate to prime all the cases I had if not.
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Old November 15, 2012, 06:10 PM   #33
JimDandy
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Yeah, but I put finished ammo in an MTM box, not thrown in a bucket which sounds suspiciously like the horror stories on here about the spent casing landing on a round and igniting the primer, or a shotgun shell falling out of a bag and igniting from the floor strike. To each his own.. I was just curious if that was something along the lines of shoulder holsters, and Condition 1. Not bad in and of itself, but keep it in mind....
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Old November 15, 2012, 09:06 PM   #34
tkglazie
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I should have worded my statement better. You are correct. I should have said if handled properly, primed cases are just as safe as finished ammo. I stand corrected.

The only cases I pre-prime are for my .32 Special. They do in fact go into a 20 round ammo box for storage when they are sized and primed.
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Old November 15, 2012, 09:28 PM   #35
dacaur
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I have hundreds of primed 9mm cases in a tupperware bin.... I dont see how thats any more dangerous than having 10,000 primers in an ammo can.... Or for that matter, having 500 finished spire point 5.56 rounds loose in an ammo can.. I also have a hundred or so primed .308 cases ready to load..... I like to prime while watching TV, its a really slow process since I visually and tactically inspect each round to make sure I dont end up with a high one, but since I am watching TV anyway, it doesnt matter than it takes 15-20 seconds per primer.....

I have also heard some people dont do that (pre-prime) because they worry about them going bad, but thats a non-issue, its not like they are sealed in their package before you prime them....
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Old November 16, 2012, 12:03 AM   #36
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I reload as long as its fun. Typically about an hour to 90 min. When I get tired of it I stop. But its not unheard of for me to have multiple session in the same day.

I find it much easier to reload for a long time when there is some thing else I need to do but don't want to do it
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