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Old June 14, 2019, 12:21 AM   #26
Geezerbiker
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I was going to make a FART joke but I resisted. Well a little...

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Old June 14, 2019, 09:46 AM   #27
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Originally Posted by Marco Califo View Post
This is sound, good, pungent, advice to keep the air supply uncontaminated while you reload. Beside personal and canine flatus, some reloaders FART their brass in the Frankfort Arsenal Rotary Tumbler.
ROFLOL!!! -

See - this is why I use a Lyman tumbler..... so obviously I'd question the "fumes" thing.......

On the canine note you have a point though..... my pittbull can occasionally let rip a paint-peeler or two......
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Old June 14, 2019, 11:07 AM   #28
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Originally Posted by Marco Califo View Post
This is sound, good, pungent, advice to keep the air supply uncontaminated while you reload. Beside personal and canine flatus, some reloaders FART their brass in the Frankfort Arsenal Rotary Tumbler.

Some people just will not read instructions.
I reload only when I'm alone, and my personal emissions do not bother me, except when they become loud enough to drown out my Do-Wop on my stereo...
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Old June 14, 2019, 05:11 PM   #29
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My emissions don't bother me or the cat....the dog , on the other hand , gets insulted and leaves the room ! He's funny about people "breaking wind" around him !
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Old June 15, 2019, 12:11 AM   #30
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If you have a location to permanently mount the press , everything else can go in a closet .
I'd build the whole thing in the closet . When the door is closed the landlord will never see it . I'm lucky though in so much that I've been in construction my whole life and own my own remodeling business . This means I do finish work and can return what ever I do back to it's previous configuration if need be .

I just happened to give up my gun room recently which was 7' x 12' and down sized to a 46" x 48" reloading area on the back side of my pantry .

It's no gun room but works great to reload in . If you take the "L" leg out of my design it would fit in a closet no problem . The bench is 46" x 18" and the shelves are 46" x 11"







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Old June 15, 2019, 03:31 AM   #31
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I took the top off a center post mount kitchen table and put a 2x2 foot top on it. I used it as a reloading stand in my last last apartment. It's easy to move around and there's just enough room to have the Rockchucker on one side and my Dillon on the other. I kept in in the corner of my living room and put a blanket over it when I had guests.

I expected to ditch it for a dedicated reloading bench when I moved into a house but I'm planning to remodel what's now my gun room so I'm still using it with a couple folding tables. I had almost a pickup load of reloading stuff when I bought this house and most of my supplies are in plastic stackable tubs. I hope to pass it on to beginning reloader after I get my gun stuff into a new location in my home...

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Old June 15, 2019, 04:40 AM   #32
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As others have said, the hand-press route has worked well for me.

I do intend to move my turret press to my country house as it is more and more liveable with every year. Once I do, I don't imagine it will use more than 2.5m2 (25sqft?).

And it all doesn't need to be in one space. My sonic cleaner is in another corner since it makes no difference where I clean the cases.

My only consideration will be where to set-up the bench area to have access to power for my Lyman Gen 6.

All that said, I've been using the hand-press for all my reloading needs (.308, .223, .44M and .38Spl) for several years. Prior to that it was all done in a freezing, dark garage 300yds down the road from my flat.

I think you'll be fine.
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Old June 15, 2019, 05:57 AM   #33
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The OP Never said what calibers he is loading. Or how much he is going to shoot/reload.
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Old June 15, 2019, 07:27 AM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Metal god View Post

I just happened to give up my gun room recently which was 7' x 12' and down sized to a 46" x 48" reloading area on the back side of my pantry .
WOW!!! Seriously impressive.

Will you go one step beyond and make a hidden door / shelf?
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Old June 15, 2019, 07:47 AM   #35
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I'd build the whole thing in the closet . When the door is closed and locked ! the landlord will never see it
Unless theres a attic access scuttle hatch in there -- then theres no reason for them to stick their nosy beak in

P/S - I'd put a 1/4 cover over the light -- this way it isn't shining right in your good eye while you work
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Old June 15, 2019, 10:02 AM   #36
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My small heavy reloading bench is on wheels. It has a Rock Chucker and powder measure mounted on it. While they are locking, the locking feature is not needed. Easily rolls into another room, or a closet if there was room.
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Old June 15, 2019, 10:12 AM   #37
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As a. Landlord, yes I am entitled to and need to have a Nosy Beak. Tenants who sublet, damage, alter without permission, or conduct illegal activity put my investment at needless risk, violate lease terms, can draw me into criminal cases.
Want to do as you please? Own it.
If I own it, you can call me nosy beaked, and rent from someone else.
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Old June 15, 2019, 11:02 AM   #38
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In 1987 I built a reloading "cabinet"-stand up model. Holds my RCBS 4x4, scale, other tools, dies, supplies, etc. I live by myself, if I didn't I'd put a front and top with a lock on it.
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Old June 15, 2019, 04:48 PM   #39
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I've used a Lee Hand Press since 1990, finally broke my first one ~2010 trying to unstick a 6.5 x 55. I promptly replaced it. That 6.5 had the handle on my RockChucker bending under the load before it finally popped out of the die. Short of 50 BMG and like sized cartridges, there is not much it can't do. My first 200 rounds of 375 R.U.M. were loaded on one.

Worried about a nosey land lord? Press, dies, shell holders, dippers / scale will all fit in a utility or tool box. Put other components in another box or three on a closet shelf. If nosey land lord "finds" your stuff said land lord has some serious splainin to do in court. Plain sight is one thing, digging through your stuff is something completely different.
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Old June 15, 2019, 06:09 PM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco Califo
As a. Landlord, yes I am entitled to and need to have a Nosy Beak. Tenants who sublet, damage, alter without permission, or conduct illegal activity put my investment at needless risk, violate lease terms, can draw me into criminal cases.
Want to do as you please? Own it.
If I own it, you can call me nosy beaked, and rent from someone else.
I am not a lawyer, but I have been a tenant in more than one state. I believe you are mistaken. At least in the states in which I have rented apartments, the landlord (or personnel working for and representing the landlord) could enter MY apartment only with my permission. The only exception was that they could enter when I wasn't there and without my prior consent to perform emergency repairs. Landlords do not have carte blanche to come into a tenant's domain any time they want and just look around ("nosy beak").
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Old June 15, 2019, 06:34 PM   #41
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No I do not enter. But when work is done, and two families are now living there, doors are damaged, and they are growing weed out back. I still said nothing cause they paid rent. A year and couple of felony convictions later, Alphadoper wanted off the lease, to leave the mother of his children that were taken away. My very legal lease terms kept me out of trouble.
My point is, if you do manage rentals, you do need to keep your eyes open, call police about vehicles and make sure they don't fill basements with refuse or bodies. I have not had any trouble with renters reloading. But I won't rent to cons with convictions for felon in possession of firearms.
Landlords do have rights and renters do not walk on water.
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Old June 15, 2019, 08:43 PM   #42
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Landlords do not have carte blanche to come into a tenant's domain any time they want and just look around ("nosy beak").
I cannot say that the laws in the states where I've rented specifically allowed such, as I never looked into it.
However, I have signed at least three lease agreements that had clauses giving permission for the landlord (and/or owner(s)) to enter and inspect the premises whenever they wanted, whether or not I, and/or other named tenants were present.

One of those rentals, a newly-built duplex, was managed by a rental agency, but the property owner still drove by my place every morning (EVERY morning), on his way to Waffle House for breakfast and coffee -- and it was at the end of a 1/2 mile long, dead-end, mud road (never dirt, always some variation of mud). About once a week, I'd wake up at about 1 pm (I worked graveyards) to the owner's truck in my driveway, with him walking around the back yard to check the quality of the mandatory weekly lawn mowing that I had performed.
As far as I know, he never set foot inside the place, though.

I can't really blame the guy for being observant. The other half of the duplex had a series of tenants that never paid rent. The neighbors on one side were drug dealers (all dead or in prison before I moved out), the neighbors across the street were drug dealers (all dead before I moved out), and the next closest house on the street ran a chop shop in their garage (police aware, but always unable to get a warrant).

Somehow, the owner found out that I had firearms on the property, and brought it up during one of the bi-quarterly lawn mowing discussions. When I affirmed that I did, in fact, have firearms on the premises (no clauses in the lease, so not much hesitation to admit it), he replied, "Good for you. You gotta be ready on this street."
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Old June 15, 2019, 10:12 PM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankenMauser
I cannot say that the laws in the states where I've rented specifically allowed such, as I never looked into it.
However, I have signed at least three lease agreements that had clauses giving permission for the landlord (and/or owner(s)) to enter and inspect the premises whenever they wanted, whether or not I, and/or other named tenants were present.
Lease agreements are contracts, between the landlord and the tenant. In general, insofar as I have been led to believe, "A man's home is his castle" applies to rented residences. Your rented house or apartment is your castle and under the law the landlord can't enter without your express permission except for emergency situations.

If you sign away your right to the privacy of your castle, that's waiving your basic rights under the law.
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Old June 15, 2019, 10:16 PM   #44
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How many calibers do you want to reload? I started loading for a rifle when I lived in an apartment. I purchased a Lee Loader for a .25-06 and a scale. For one cartridge it worked well and took up no space.

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Old June 16, 2019, 07:01 AM   #45
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Love the Whack a mo loaders

They actually make pretty good rifle ammo
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Old June 16, 2019, 10:38 AM   #46
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Just out of curiosity I Googled "The Apartment Dweller’s Reloading Guide" and was surprised at how many hits I got. Links like this one.

I wonder if someone actually wrote a published book on the subject with plenty of images how well it would sell?

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Old June 16, 2019, 02:09 PM   #47
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Originally Posted by joed
How many calibers do you want to reload? I started loading for a rifle when I lived in an apartment. I purchased a Lee Loader for a .25-06 and a scale. For one cartridge it worked well and took up no space.
I think a lot of people have started out with the Lee Loader. When I was first working at mustering the courage to try making my own ammo, I seriously considered the Lee Loader, along with the Lee hand Press and their entry level 'C' press.

I decided against the Lee Loader for a couple of reasons. First, I didn't like the notion of loading with a hammer. Second, there was no path to other calibers -- I was looking at .45 ACP, and to jump from that to 9mm would mean another Lee Loader kit.

Overall, unless you need high volume I think the Lee hand press is an ideal tool for reloading in an apartment. It does the job, it uses conventional dies so you can change calibers just as easily as with any bench-mounted press, and (as others have already commented) the whole thing can be packed away in a tool box where it's safe from the prying eyes of the landlord or maintenance personnel.
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Old June 18, 2019, 12:34 PM   #48
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I lived in an apartment when I was first starting out handloading. I made a simple bench out of scrap 2x4s that was about 20" square and a little over 2' tall. I boxed in the bottom of the legs and put it on a piece of plywood, so the bottom served as storage for dies and components. It was sturdy, yet small enough to fit in the bottom of a closet, and portable enough I could carry it wherever I wanted to work in my apartment.

I really wish I had a photo of it, and I kind of miss it. Sometimes it is nice to reload wherever I want, instead of the cold garage.

Google image search found me something similar, although this is larger then mine was, it is built the exact same way (well, the frame is the same, mine the shelf on the bottom was below the frame, made a nice storage area with sides, so crap wouldn't fall out when I was moving it around).



Cool thing is, you don't really even need tools to make one, just a good cordless drill/screwdriver. Home Depot will cut wood for you, just make up a bill of materials, grab the wood, and give them the list.

4 ea, 20" top and base frame front & back
4 ea, 17" top and base frame sides
4 ea, 24" legs
and whatever scrap plywood they have, 20"x20" and you have a perfect apartment reloading bench. If it was me, I would make sure the top is at least 1" thick, so if you get 1/2" plywood, just double up the top.
One box of wood screws.

I bet you could slap something together for under $40.

If you do a Google image search for "compact reloading bench" and "Apartment reloading bench" you can get lots of ideas, there are a couple of what look like table-top benches people have made, a small box that you set on your kitchen table.
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Old June 18, 2019, 01:00 PM   #49
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build a small table 2x2 foot. I have one set up in the corner of small computer/small bedroom at my house. Had to get creative after my wife kicked me out of the dining room for setting up a 2x5 foot table with 4 reloading presses on it. I told her it would complement the dining table but she through a fit. You just need to get creative and think small. Good luck.
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Old June 18, 2019, 03:48 PM   #50
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I have adequate room and don't for see it getting any smaller but just read this thread and it is awesome to see the builds some of you guys have came up with and how organized you are. Me, I could manage to clutter a entire basement or garage given enough time.
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