Getting tooled up for 45

[grubbylabs]

I am going to get a 45 and think I would be wise to invest in a reloading setup to ease the financial pain of lots of range time.

What am I looking at as far as price goes to get started.

I read through the extensive list on the sticky, and am not sure If I should go with a progressive or not I reload my shot shells so I am used to the have to pay attention to what I am doing but I have never messed with hand gun ammo before.

I do have a powder scale but I am pretty sure that is all I have that will transfer over.

Any help or advise would be useful.

I do have a friend and a brother in law that reload so I could get some supervision help if I needed it.

[Powderman]

Friend, if you load shotshells, then loading handgun cartridges will be child's play for you, especially if you use a progressive. However, having an experienced reloader standing by to check your procedure is a great idea.

[Sevens]

I've been loading more than 20 years on a single stage setup. I love it and have no plans to go to progressive for a couple of reasons. First is because I don't get to shoot as often as I'd like and I have young children that take up a lot of what might otherwise be range time. Second is that I load for around a dozen different calibers, so range day for me is typically no more than a hundred or 150 rounds in any one caliber.

I say that if you are well funded and money isn't the #1 top concern (or problem!) AND you intend to shoot more than a couple hundred rounds a month, then progressive may be for you. But it's a lot more money and it's a lot more money to expand to other calibers.

Single stage is much cheaper but tremendously slower. It is a great way to build a foundation of knowledge to get you started properly, though.

The good news is that a low cost single stage setup is a bunch of tools that you will always have good use for, so it's not like money spent on single stage to start will be wasted if you elect to go progressive later.

Oh yes... one more tip: Buying a progressive machine is not only more costly, but it becomes VERY costly to feed. If you can punch out hundreds of rounds easily and quickly each time you use it, you will find that you are laying out hundreds of dollars on primers, bullets and powder, and doing it more often. You may find yourself shooting more than you can afford because it's so easy to produce the ammo. Shooting MORE is always good news, but not if you can't afford the $$$ to feed your growing habit.

[rwilson452]

You have three way to go, single stage, turret, progressive, As the complexity of the press goes up, so does the cost.

Now the bad news. If you get into pistols, your going to wind up getting more and usually in different calibers.

As for me I have several pistols and rifles. I have three presses. All Lee a classic cast single stage. the classic turret and a loadmaster. I just depends on the job I want to do. I tend to be a bit anal attentive for my rifle stuff so it's done on the single stage with each round getting real close attention. If I want to spend some time beating up some IPSC targets with my 45s I get the progressive out if I'm ammo poor, say less than 200 rounds. experimental pistol rounds are usually done in batches on the turret. I have now idea how much I have spent on reloading equipment over the years but it is a bunch of bucks.

[grubbylabs]

Well it sounds like I might want to go single stage as I am on a limited budget. My shot shell press in a mec Jr. and so far it seems fairly straight forward on the steps. Just put the right bushing in and check it every few rounds to make sure you are still getting accurate powder measurements.

but the biggest thing I need to know is how much am I going to have to plan on coming up with to get started, tools to brass? What would be a good set for a beginner? Is there a beginners kit that I can get?

Oh almost forgot how much should I expect to pay for a good used set up?

[rwilson452]

I don't know of any beginner kits that are really totally everything you should have. IMNSHO I would go with the Lee classic turret. but the RCBS master kit is good too.

[jfrey]

You can get the Lee starter set for around $100.00 plus or minus. There are still a few things you will need to complete the setup but you can certainly get started for less than $200.00. If you want to go progressive, say a Dillon SDB, you will probably spend $500.00 or more startup. The progressive is a LOT faster to load ammo but it depends on your ammo consumption as to how much you really need to invest. If you only shoot a few rounds here and there, the single stage will suffice.

There are two things you need to know about reloading though. First: you won't save a dime. You just shoot more. Second: the more you load, the more you shoot. It happens to all of us and there is no escaping it. Loading can also be relaxing and enjoyable. You start scrounging brass and frantically searching for primers and powder. We all do it but we continue to enjoy what we create.

[grubbylabs]

Thanks jfrey, That is helpful, How much should I expect to pay for a used set up any Idea, or is it to subjective?

The only reason I reload shot shell is for something to do and I think I can make a better round than the cheapo stuff you get from wally world. I can buy their cheap ammo for less than I can reload but I like the shells I make better. I am hoping that for the amount of time I will have to shoot that will save me some money and i can develop a good load for just range practice.

[BigJimP]

Dillon Squard Deal B - is a very good press for the money ..... Its the lower end of Dillon's equipment ... but you can get the press / dies / startup kits in the neighborhood of $ 500 - $ 750.

A single stage operation is really slow for handgun ammo / most single stage operations will get you one box of 50 rounds in 3 - 4 hours .... where a Dillon SDB will give you 400 - 500 rounds an hour. You can make a high quality round with either press ...its just time .....

[running iron]

I've been using a single stage for years and feel safe knowing I look at every round at each stage. If you are going to start with the 45 acp, I would recommend using 4 dies or at least have a Lee Factory Crimp Die to sort out any ones that don't fit your case gauge. You need one of those too. If you take your time and check your rounds, you will never have a jam or FTF. It's more important for me to have reliable ammo than how fast you can get them out. Just my way and there are plenty of people that can do both, just not me.

[Sevens]

If you are experienced with a single stage press, you'll eventually fall in to a very smoothly running routine that we affectionately call "batch loading."

What that means is that you'll spend many different sessions at the bench putting brass in to varying stages of "readiness" so that when you want or need 50 or 250 rounds and have a little spare time, it's not a big colossal day-long event to do it.

In simple terms, let's just use .38 Special as an example. When you get your press, you grab the sizing die and screw it in, then you take all the .38 Special brass you have (or all you can stand) and you start sizing brass. Maybe you do 30 of 'em. Maybe you do 100 of 'em. Maybe you spend 2.5 hours at the bench or just 20 minutes if the schedule is tight or you are winding down while the wife makes dinner. Either way, when you leave the bench, you've got a pile of .38 Special that's been sized. You don't really even have to pay much attention. Stick a piece in and run it the full length, then take it out. My children can do it.

On a different session, you set up the flare die and flare some .38 Special brass that's already been sized (since you did that some other day, maybe last weekend or maybe 7 months ago). When you are done, you've got a coffee can that's full of .38 Special brass that's all been sized and the mouth has been flared.

Maybe the next time you prime 100 cases. Or 200. How ever many, you've now got a bunch of prepped brass waiting for you. It's all been sized, flared and primed. I leave some brass like this for 9 months or more. They wait, in a small container or in a plastic ammo box.

Then one day, I'll go down armed with the load I want to make. I know the powder, the charge weight, the bullet style and weight and I know the COAL I'm aiming for. I'll typically also take the handgun I'm building it for to chamber check 'em. If it's a revolver, just slide a few in. If it's a pistol, I usually strip it and use the barrel to check some rounds.

So it takes a few minutes to set up my powder measure to drop the appropriate charge, but once that is set, I'm pretty much churning out ammo on a short schedule.

NO DOUBT, there were a lot of bench sessions and manual labor that's already invested, but I can do that in 25 minute chunks before dinner or after church on Sunday or just whenever I feel like it. If the kids go to a friends house and the wife is scrapbooking, I'm probably knocking out some brass at the bench.

And when it's time to come up with 200 rounds of .38 Special to pad my supply or because I've got an upcoming range day, I just go to the bench and make it. Doesn't take long.

[grubbylabs]

that is pretty much what I do with shot shell I remove the primers or put primers in or what ever and then when I need shells I only have to fill and crimp them. I am not worried about a one at a time since I know that you can do steps like that.

[jpsshack]

Don't forget the turret option. I have the rcbs turret press and have been very happy with it. It's got a lifetime warranty and a six-die turret. I can set up a die set and do a few cartridges whenever I like; I usually set up for a given cartridge and peck away 'til I've got what I need, then move on to another. I spend a lot of time checking and double-checking powder charges, case conditions, seating depth etc. I'd rather be safe than have a KB.

[dfe2240]

I have to disagree with some of the opinions expressed here-- but, I also agree that reloading is an individual endeavor and everyone has a somewhat different preference for presses and the way to use them. I have a Hornady LNL progressive, which is an excellent press. I'm not particularly fond of using it (or any progressive) in "mass production" mode because you can't feel any other operation if you're decapping/resizing at the same time. That operation requires a lot more lever pressure than others, so that's all you feel. I prefer to feel the bullet seating in the case and that doesn't happen if I'm decapping on the same lever pull. I process four cases per cycle so that when the first case moves the bullet insertion station there isn't a case at the decapping station. After all bour cases are complete, I start the process again. That's certainly not as fast as a full tilt progressive cycle, but I prefer to sacrifice some speed so I can feel the other operations. With this method, I also have the luxury of being able to load 10 or 20 rounds with minimal time. So if I'm going to the range and decide I want to trying a few more rounds with me, or try a slightly different load, I can crank out the rounds I need pretty quickly (assuming the press is already set up for the caliber I need). Obviously, other loaders have a different approach, and I don't mean to imply that my method is right and theirs are wrong--but this works well for me.

[steve1147]

I have two Lee Pro1000 progressives set up, one for 38/357 with 9mm and 40 dies to interchange, and the second set up specifically for .45acp, Yes, they do require a little tinkering at times, but once dialed in, production and quality are both great. I do also use a separate single stage press with Lee Factory crimp die for the semi-auto rounds.
AND the Lee is only $159.99 at Midway with dies, powder feeder, etc.
Love mine, Steve W.

[Sevens]

Sounds like you have a pretty good system worked out.

One thing I want to mention is that some folks think that a turret press is "kind of" a progressive because you can fit a whole bunch of dies in it.

I disagree-- a turret press is a handy way to avoid screwing dies in & out all day, but it's still closer to a single stage than progressive.

If you don't have a shell plate that holds multiple cartridge cases... and you don't do more than one operation on a cartridge with each throw of the lever, then you aren't progressive.

How much should I expect to pay for a used set up any Idea, or is it to subjective?

Two problems with used stuff. YES, it's durable, quality, should last nearly forever, even if it is used, that's not the problem. Problem is that it's durable, lasts nearly forever, so people do't often sell them. Most of the time, used equipment comes from an estate. Most folks don't sell the stuff used, in my experience.

This tends to really goof with the prices on "used" equipment. The market isn't big and the prices tend to not be all that low. Ebay is the WORST in this regard. We often see used items going for more than what it costs to order it from a decent place online.

I'm not saying it's impossible to find used equipment worth buying. I am saying, however, that you might as well price new stuff and use that as your reference. If you want it NOW, you'll need to order new equipment.

A good place to shop for many different reasons is www.midwayusa.com
They may not be the cheapest source out there but they are one of the best companies you can deal with. And if you are still in the window shopping stage, a visit there will be quite helpful. Lots of decent pictures and user reviews on each piece of equipment. You can also build a "wish list" and see how the total $$$ piles up so you know what your costs look like.

[grubbylabs]

I went to Midway and they have a lee press start up kit that has some really good reviews. Do any of you have any experience with this kit?

What do you all think if it or lee in general?

Here is the link to the press and starter kit. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=423081