Thrifty Reloading Tips--- List yours

[frankxd]

and is there a requirement that you ACTUALLY HAVE curios and relics that you've collected, or simply that you might in the future?

A C&R license only pertains to future purchases. It allows you to purchase any rifle or pistol that is classified as a C&R, without going through an FFL. With the C&R you must keep a log book of any purchases where you used your license to purchase the firearm, and any dispositions of these firearms. No previous purchases or non-C&R firearms are logged. There are no minimum or maximum requirements for use, but since it is not a business license, you have to watch how many that you sell.

If you can legally buy a gun, than you can obtain a C&R license.

[TimRB]

"s there a requirement that you ACTUALLY HAVE curios and relics that you've collected, or simply that you might in the future?"

No. The C&R license allows you to purchase curio and relic firearms *interstate* directly from dealers or wholesalers. You don't have to actually buy or own anything. Grafs and Brownells also gives a discount to C&R holders.

Edit: It has occurred to me that C&R questions would be good for a whole new thread (or one of the many C&R web sites) so we probably should not derail this one.

Tim

[CrustyFN]

So could I buy guns from out of state or say gunbroker and have them shipped to me if I send them a copy of the license?
Rusty

[Crosshair]

So could I buy guns from out of state or say gunbroker and have them shipped to me if I send them a copy of the license?

Only if they are C&R.

[mcgiiver]

When doing high volume loading on a single stage press, I make a washer that fits around the shell holder to act like a little table to guide the shell into the shellholder. It really speeds things up in that you dont have to search up and down for the shellholder. The washer is about 1/16" or 5/64" thick and is bored out to just fit snugly to fit over the shellholder. You need a lathe to do this nicely and it is necessary to use a different washer for each brand shellholder. I think Hornady makes this device, but its easy to make your own.

[carl418]

BUMP for a great thread!

[OneInTheChamber]

Not going to let my thread go into the toilet; bump.

Here's a tip to make this post worthwhile:

Dillon's case lube lasts forever and is very easy to put it. In a spray bottle; you just put your cases in a tray; spray them, and deprime them. No more applying lube by hand.

[OneInTheChamber]

Can we get this tacked; so it doesn't fall away. There's too much knowledge in this thread for it to go wasted in the back pages.

[RevoRick]

I agree a tack would be nice. I have it bookmarked but a tack would be much better. Would also help to continue the addition of knowledge.

[Hotdog1911]

If your cleaners & oils come in a glass container do not, do not put those contents in a rubber or plastic container.

The best citrus based cleaner I've ever used ate right thru a brand new empty military bottle. The cleaner is safe to the touch, but it's hard on plastic.

Do not mix solvents.

Great thread. I'm not even half way thru and I've learned a lot.

[jsflagstad]

Annnnndd.....done.. I read everyone, I can' tbelieve it. Great thread..

JSF

[firechicken]

When I'm working up a load, I load five with each powder charge, then write the powder charge on each case with a Sharpie. They never get mixed up anymore.

[MikeRussell]

All I've got to say is that you guys are great! I was making a "wish list" of items I wanted to get to start reloading, then found this thread and found that my list got smaller and a trip to WalMart was being planned. Long story short, I bought media and the stuff for a home made separator for the cost of ording just media ($8-9) from an online source!

PS. If you guys drink a lot of coffee, Folgers now comes in plastic containers that seal tight (gourmet roasts have a gold lid that you can write on with a Sharpie, "conventionals" come with a black lid). I've got 6 of them stacked up in the corner with .45acp, .40s&w, and .223 brass in them. They're big enough to hold 500 empty .45acp casings easily, but you could probably stuff close to 600 in them.

[jdmick]

I like to use the Walmart brand ziploc baggies to put various test loads in. I write all the data on the bag with a sharpie.

[Johnny Guest]

We'll make a sticky of this one, for a while anyway.


Johnny

[Jimro]

A scrap length of 2x6 can serve as a depriming station. Drill a hole for the primer to go through and then drill a larger hole the size of the case head to hold it while you tap out the spent primer with a spare depriming/resizing pin. Lee VGB (Very Good Buy) depriming pins are cheap and well worth having a couple around. Tap with a small hammer and catch the spent primers in an old coffee can while you watch TV.

A friend of a friend came up with this, he drilled holes for each cartrige he reloads all on the same board.

When your jeans wear out, if the length from the knee to the ankle isn't ripped or torn cut it off to make a sandbag out of, have the wife sew one end, fill with material (that old tumbler media) and the sew the other end.

Jimro

[OneInTheChamber]

Thanks Johnny!

[Gbro]

More on the powder trickler;

I use the Lee scoops, My trickler is epoxed to an old primer tray w/ base filled w/ lead just like the other poster said. i also index the barrel with a sharpy so that i know when the feed hole is up. then loosen the collar on the barrel so it can be jiggled in and out to speed up the scaleing when its just about there, i give it usualy a very small rotation to finish the charge. makes the proccess very fast.

Marval Mystry oil is dangerous to your health. Check the lable or use gloves.

Had a bad accident;
Used to use RCBS Gooooou and used Q-tip to lub the case necks. Didn't clean the necks good enough. Next year I had a very loud report, the bolt had to be literally pounded open(77R) the primer pocket was blown, case separated at the web(had head space issues back then too) (both heads)
The bullet was cemented into the case. Had to crack thm loose with the seating die and that was a hard push!!.
I use Lee case lube. (drt, white).
Gbro

[qajaq59]

A tiny amount of detergent on the OUTSIDE of your plastic funnel will prevent any static from holding powder to the funnel. Just put a bit on and then wipe it off.

[rem33]

Hornadys One Shot Works great on even large rifle cases if placed in a Zip-loc bag then sprayed, seal the bag and stir the cases around a bit. Reuse the same bag over and over as the residue left will melt with each subsequent use making the job even easier as time goes on.
Clean dies before switching to One Shot. I used carb cleaner to remove all the old lube. Then give them a shot of the new product.
Cases seem to slid in and out of the die so easy it doesn't feel like there being sized now.
Before using this method One Shot didn't seem to work well with rifle cases and I had stuck a 270 case, or I would need to use so much I would sometimes get dimples on the case shoulders. First stuck case in 20+ years reloading and was about to stop using one shot.

I use a Forester case trimmer and the trimmed brass is always a mess. The trimmer is screwed to a 1x6 then clamped to where I want on the bench, it is out of the way till needed.I place a strip of 2 inch masking tape around the board when trimming, sticky side in to catch a large portion of the trimmings. Much less mess on the bench and on the floor.

My powder dispenser is also screwed to a 1x6 and clamped when in use, which allows it to also be out of the way if not needed. With a C- clamp I an have it ready in about a minute.

[shooter chef]

i use my printer to print return address labels, color coded for each different caliber,for each bullet weight and caliber i use. Then when i load, all I have to do is stick it to the ammo case and mark it with the approximate powder and charge. Even more, when i go the the range, I peel off the label and attach it the appropriate target I use to save time documenting at the range.

[Zippy06]

Hornady One Shot is junk.:barf:
Bought it, because, Cabela's does not sell Lee Resizing Lube.
.223 Lee Die. 3 stuck cases.
Thought Die was bad. Ordered new die from Lee. And some resizing lube.
Used "One Shot", again. New die. First case stuck.
Used Lee Resizing Lube. +4,000 rounds and no stuck cases.
Then, I found out about Midway. Great place.
I had stopped, reloading, for about 10 yrs. I quit travel job and moved. Two Ranges, 5 min. from my house.
Life is good.

[swmike]

I have a limited amount of bench space. I have two presses and only enough room for one at a time. To make it easy to change, I have attached each press to a "base" of 3/4" High Density Particle Board (Cabinet Grade). I Drilled holes in each corner, and through the bench. I installed "Tee Nuts" from the bottom of the bench holes and secure the Press Base using long 5/16" hex head bolts. Each press has it's own base that matches these 4 holes exactly. I also have one for the trimmer that just uses two front holes as I don't need as much "anchor". This has worked well for over 20 years. The Rock Crusher is used for such tasks as de-capping brass with military crimped primers and swedging the pockets. Also for sizing all my large rifle brass. My progressive is for all my small rifle (.223/5.56mm) and pistol loading. When not in use, the bases sit on a storage shelf with presses hanging over the front. A bag of shot holds them in place although a c-clamp would do the job too.

BTW, I use Dillon Case Lube. It's the only thing Dillon sells that I can afford.

[rrj731]

carb. cleaner may be a good powder/carbon remover but i'ts also a very good finish remover!

[bob k]

I've used it to clean shotguns for years, gets the plastic wad residue out easy.
Bob K