Reloading for the condo dweller on a budget.

[Marco Califo]

I just can't see dealing with the added steps of draining and drying brass just so that it looks like brand new

The reason I wash in hot water with dish soap is to remove lead and other toxic residue from cases, before I handle them. Primers contain lead, and leave it as residue.
Another reason to clean cases is to not introduce dirt to your sizing die where it can cause damage.
When cases are clean and shiny, you know at a glance that they have been cleaned and don't need to be cleaned again.
Less crucial for pistol cases, than rifle.

[EddieBangBang]

By Budget/Condo I mean, I lack the funds/space for a dedicated bench with a large progressive setup and multiple tumblers etc... I will be doing this on a small scale a few hundred rounds at a time, couple times per month. I don't intend to purchase large amounts of powder nor do I intend to spend a lot of time fine tuning special loads for maximum anything. I want to shoot more as a primary goal. Extra powder can always be vac sealed and/or stored in an ammo can to eliminate moisture/humidity problems.

So far I've purchased a Hornady Magnum XL Sonic cleaner to clean the brass I've already accumulated. Although it was a bit pricey it's multi purpose, very effective, built like a tank and relatively quiet. It sounds roughly comparable to a running faucet. The first couple of batches were loaded to max and some of it has been sitting around for months. It was roughly 85% clean after a half hour. More time did not yield better results. Some primer pockets will still need to be cleaned by hand (possibly corrosive primers). However the batch I just ran through from some shooting yesterday was spotless 100% in under 5 minutes and only loaded about half of the capacity of the machine. The Hornady cleaning solution leaves it quite shiny as well. The heating feature is nice but mainly for the temp display rather than the heat itself which I have yet to turn on. 30 minutes on just clean with no heat brought the temp to over 150* not an issue with brass but could be if you were using this to clean other more sensitive items. The all stainless basket is a really nice feature since it hangs from the sides and suspends everything rather than sitting on the bottom potentially wearing the bottom out over time of which I have seen some complaints on other models. Also the basket can be removed right into the sink to be rinsed and then directly into the oven to dry if you like.

I also purchased a Frankford Arsenal hand de-capping tool. I have nothing but rave reviews for this. I bought it because it allows me to de-cap my brass to be cleaned whenever I want without having to touch a press and also because I was sitting on a lot of dirty brass and didn't yet have a press with any de-capping dies. It took a minute or two to get the hang of it but once I did I had close to 1000 brass cases de-primed and in the sonic cleaner in about an hour. It may become obsolete after I have the press setup but I may just keep it in the range bag for something to do when the slow pokes are checking targets down range. I would also prefer nice clean, de-primed brass in my sizing die.

Over the next few months I'll likely be purchasing the Lee Classic Turret Press and corresponding Lee Carbide dies to accompany it. Everyone I've talked too recommends Lee products and I've heard nothing but good things so far. The functionality seems reasonable for the price. But I have quite a bit of reading and maybe a class before I take the next steps...

Thanks for everyone's advice and help taking the first steps into reloading.

[bellguy]

FWIW, I just can't see dealing with the added steps of draining and drying brass just so that it looks like brand new right off the production line factory cases. There are enough steps involved in case prep without adding unnecessary ones. Does it shoot any better?

No, but it feels so much better loading those shiny rounds one at a time into my revolvers.

Actually, I figured someone might respond that way, saying what many of you are probably thinking. The reason I finally decided to go wet instead of dry is that I'm a little paranoid about lead particulates in the air. There's nearly zero chance of that with the wet route, and I actually enjoy the whole process.

[WVMountaineer]

Lee presses and dies will go a great job. God Bless

[tcoz]

A number of people have talked about dust in the air and lead particles. I dry tumble with corncob and have never noticed any dust floating around. I use a Frankford Arsenal tumbler with a solid lid and nothing gets out during the process. The dryer sheets do absorb a lot of the dust which is circulating within the tumbler but I sure don't see any escaping. Am I missing something here?

[WVMountaineer]

I wander the same thing. I have been doing this for almost 30 years and have never saw a hint of dust in the air with a vibrating tumbler and corn cob media. I even leave the lid off sometimes if I misplace the nut that screws it down. Never had a problem with the noise either. Because they aren't the least bit loud and they don't vibrate the floors or such in my experience. As far as a bench, I have never done that as it only makes sense to me to put it on a solid floor. Maybe I just use really good tumblers. Or the Hornady, Smart Reloader, and Frankford I have are just better tumblers out of the lots they were produced in? God Bless

[Prof Young]

To say that reloads don't save money because we shoot more is a non sequitur. On a shot for shot basis you do save money. Lots of it.

I'm reloading 9mm target loads for 8.3 cents a shot. You can't come anywhere close to that in factory ammo. I've shot thousands of 9mm reloads and have easily recouped the cost of my reloading gear.

I got into reloading so I could afford to shoot my 44 mag more. Last time I bought 44 mag factory ammo it was nearly a dollar a shot. I can reload for 25 -30 cents a shot depending on the components. The SAVINGS add up rapidly.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young

[bellguy]

I sure don't see any escaping. Am I missing something here?

I don't know; you might not be missing anything. But since I don't know, I'm playing it cautious. I'm not sure you can necessarily see lead particulates.

I've spoken with two guys in the past few months who told me that they have had elevated lead levels in their blood. Granted, it was probably more associated more with indoor shooting (with less than optimal ventilation) than reloading, but when you figure all the different routes by which you can pick up lead, I think it's just good to be cautious. Just a decision I've made for myself.