Ammunition & Hand Loading > Cartridge and Shotshell reloading

Confessions of a newb reloader

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GreyGeek:

--- Quote from: 00BUCK on June 14, 2013, 10:51:12 PM ---Prime example of why all new reloaders should start out with a single stage press and a loading block.
--- End quote ---

Or those returning to reloading after an absence of 40 years.

I began reloading again a few months ago.
I load 100 casings at a time.
1)  Sonic cleaning with lemon juice.
2)  Resize and punch out old primer on all casing
3)  Flare neck and seat new primer on all casing
4)  Dispense powder and manually place bullet in flared neck
5)  immediately seat bullet
6)  Goto step 4 for each casing until all are reloaded.

Every 20 bullets dispense 20 loads of powder into the scale pan and weight it.  Divide by 20 to get the average.  It should be the recipe weight.  If not, tweak the powder dispenser and retest until it is.  Return powder to the dispenser.   Keep the powder level in the dispenser near the top.

SS_N_NE:
I run a single stage press.

The primers get removed before cleaning (so the primer pocket gets cleaned) with a universal decapping die. The universal die doesn't touch the case and no debris gets into a die.

I am seriously considering getting a hand primer. Currently using a Lee Safety Prime, that swings a single primer (from a tray) into a primer arm. Works OK but is a little clunky.  I am thinking clean cases would be sized, then hand primed, then flared leaving powder ready cases.

It adds a lot of steps to a tedious single stage reloading system. Benefit is that solid attention is placed on each process and balance of operations can get serious attention.  I like the visual inspection of 25 cases in a block where powder level can be generally verified by a quick comparison inspection before the bullets go on.

Everyone seems to develop their own system and levels of comfort.

SemperFiGuy:
Fly:


--- Quote ---Okay...start the scolding.
--- End quote ---

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
    John 8:7

sfg

SS_N_NE:
Althought there seems to be a lot of them around, the tube type primer feeders appear somewhat scary. I have seen accounts and internet photos with a primer tube stuck in the ceiling from a chain fire.

I have mashed a primer completely sideways in a 9mm case without setting it off (and it did give the indications of weird feeling during the seat attempt).  Not sure what it takes to set off a primer in a seating operation...and don't really want to have the experience all that bad. Imagine it will happen some day as the frequency catches up with the odds.

(just an odd thought I decided to type out....)

unfy:

--- Quote from: SS_N_NE on June 15, 2013, 03:18:05 PM ---Not sure what it takes to set off a primer in a seating operation...
--- End quote ---

The issue would be retrieving the primer from the tube, not the seating operation.

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The vertical bar is the tube of primers

The underscores is the guide the shuttle travels on

The equal signs are the shuttle

Note, the shuttle is actually shaped in such a way that it it's flat bar with a hole in it.  At 'rest', the hole is under the shell plate for seating.... while the non-holed-flat-bar-portion is beneath the primer tube.  There will be a mechanism to slide the shuttle out from under the shell plate so that the hole then lines up underneath the primer tube, causing a primer to fall into the hole.

Thus, when seating, the primers are kept away from the seating operation.

My assumption of what's going on is that a primer isn't necessarily falling "completely" within the hole in the shuttle.  Then, when you retract the shuttle back into seating position, the anvil part of the primer gets caught on the edge of of the primer tube hole... causing the primer anvil to get canted, jammed, and thus discharging while attempting to slide the shuttle into seating position.

This would place the offending primer under the stack of other primers for the chain reaction boom.

My only thoughts as to how this might be possible would be attempting to reload at 123609287069823 rounds per hour, or maybe if the primer shuttle movement mechanism is "positive".

On the LNL AP, moving the shuttle from seating position to fetch-a-new-primer position is via a cam rod.  The return from fetched-a-primer is governed by a spring.  While that spring is fairly strong, it's not "positive movement".

Maybe if your cam is adjusted so that shuttle goes much further beyond it needs to so that the cam provides 'positive' movement.

Sorry for the lack of the proper word to replace 'positive'.  Just meant something that is forced to happen.

The Hornady LNL AP primer shuttle/sled and cam is pictured below.  There are holes in guide for where you'd mount the primer tube... but it's not installed at the moment.

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