A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Reloading Bench

[sinclair]

A Hitchhikers Guide to the Reloading Bench:

Since there are a few reloaders here, some with considerable experience, and several other members who seem to have an interest in reloading, it seemed a good idea to start a thread for generic reloading issues (problems) we have experienced and how we solved those problems.

My intent is not to write a reloading manual, or even a good guide, but rather to address problems we have encountered that the typical reloading manuals do NOT address and talk about how we overcame the difficulty.

As a broad problem category, lets talk about our difficulties in terms of these steps for reloading:

1. Case cleaning (or not - I know of a reloader who does not do this)

2. Case re-sizing (the act of firing results in the case expanding thus it must be returned to standard size. Yes I know cases from and for the same firearm need not be re-sized fully, but cases for automatic actions should always be. )

3. Case de-capping (removing the expended, fired primer)

4. Case priming (install a new primer)

5. Case mouth expansion (primarily pistol cases where the re-sized case mouth is a smaller diameter than the flat base of a new bullet - the shape of most high speed rifle bullets compensate for the re-sized case with beveling or boat-tails, plus rifle re-size dies expand the neck from the inside on the removal stroke.)

6. Case recharging (adding powder)

7. Bullet seating (inserting a new bullet)

8. Bullet crimping (a mechanical means of retaining the bullet location after it is seated.)

9. Final and complete quality check. (a reloader checks everything he does all along the way and inspects each process. I include this step separately because I know very few reloaders who regularly perform a final step to VERIFY your ammo is up to industry standards.)

[sinclair]

Reloading Issue - Related to step 2, case resizing.
Title: Stuck Case Removal

OK, I will kick this example off by talking about an issue that caused me grief back before the internet when research was a royal pain. This issue deals with step number 2 above, Case re-sizing. Generically, case re-sizing involves restoring the case to the SAAMI standard case size for the caliber, and is usually a straight wall "type" or a bottle neck "type". Usually, a straight wall case refers to the short, pistol calibers, although there are larger straight walled rifle cases. The pistol cases being rather short respond very well to "carbide" resizing dies, meaning that the carbide size ring is so slick for a short pull that the brass case can be pressed through the die without the need for lubrication. And this has been my experience. I have never had or seen a problem with carbide re-sizer dies on pistol cases.

Not so with the bottle neck "types". Even though "carbide" dies are available for some bottle neck cases, all such cases require lubrication as a result of additional forces encountered in re-sizing.

PROBLEM: I was new to reloading and had no data source other than the manuals I had obtained. All the manuals, even today, will tell you that you must properly lubricate bottle necks. Too much lubrication will result in hydraulic case dents, too little will mean a case stuck in the die. But the "how" to achieve the "proper" part is not well explained, even today. So, time to experiment. Back then, I had a lube pad and some super honey-like, very gooey and messy lube. I glop it on the case, bolt the reloader and dies to the Earth's core, and ram the case into the die. I remove it, and ugh ! I figured out right away what a hydraulic case dent means. Several tries later, each with less and less lube, I finally have a case without dents. Success. That technique seems right. I was happy. THEN it happened. I was lightly lubing and ramming away and wham. Resistance. I tug harder and the case just won't come out. I really tug and the handle comes free as does the base of the case. The rest of the case is just, well, stuck.

SOLUTION: Lets skip forward in time about three weeks later when I received my order for an RCBS Stuck Case Removal tool. The instructions say to remove the die de-capper and drill and tap the base of the case in the primer hole to allow the removal tool to be screwed into the case and with the attachments, allow the case to be removed with a bolt pulling it out via the tap hole. Well, this tool does NOT apply if you have broken the base of the case off.

Long story short, I finally threw the die and stuck case in the deep freeze. Took it out and pushed from the top with a small wood dowel and the partial case fell out. Be sure to clean and oil the die a bit cause it will be dripping wet from the condensation. They do rust easy.

[sinclair]

Reloading Issue - Related to step 1 - case cleaning
Title: Static Cling

I will not take any credit for this one. I have seen it in several places and do not know who originated the idea, but when I tried it, I have been amazed at the way it works so well.

Case cleaning for me has evolved into a two stage process. First, a vibrating tumbler with walnut media for the first, rough clean. Next, a rotating tumbler with corn cob media spiked with Dillon Rapid Polish 290, to really sparkle the brass.

PROBLEM: The cleaning media and the resultant residue means the media gradually becomes a mix of the media plus fine, silt-like hazardous dust. Primer residue like lead styphnate and other harmful stuff. Eventually, this dust begins to inhibit the media's cleaning and polishing capabilities. That's when you change it out and technically, this is most likely a hazardous waste.

SOLUTION: Bounce Scented Fabric Softener. No Kidding. The first few times cut a single softener sheet into four pieces and throw into the tumbler with the cases. Clean as usual and remove the softener sheets and carefully discard. After a few times, you only need two cuts (half sheet). This one is incredible. All the hazardous dust collects on the sheets, the media looks like new and just keeps on going like the ever-ready bunny. No fine poison dust to worry about breathing or handling.

Big Grin ==> And your cases smell really good and no static cling to the powder you add.

Just try it before you point at me to tell others I am a nut case.

[Grampa]

I know that you haven't gotten to case charging yet, but.......
Have you ever had your digital scale take a dump on you?
Have you then run out and bought a cheap one to get you by?
When you got it home and calibrated it, did you realize it did it in grams?
Did you realize that it stayed in grams when you were reloading?
When you took your new reloads to the range did you find the recoil excessive?
Did you then get your friend to try them in his gun, where he also found the recoil pretty harsh?
Lesson: New equipment doesn't always work like old equipment, and just because I've done it before doesn't mean I know what I'm doing.
Disclaimer: No firearms were actually harmed this time, but I better watch things more closely in the future.

[sinclair]

Originally Posted by Grampa

I know that you haven't gotten to case charging yet, but..

That's ok, I can always go there next. Your feedback is full of potential safety issues which always surround case charging. Some very good things here to discuss, and thanks very much for that input. Of all the steps listed, case charging, I think, is the source of most problem areas with reloading and most of the more dangerous possibilities. But not ALL of course.

Consider the boundaries for case charging which is (A) too little or (B) too much.:

(A) Generally, no powder at all (or even too little powder) results in what is known as a "squib" load. A primer, with little or no powder in front of it, can potentially drive the bullet out of the case with enough "oomph" to enter the barrel and lodge there. This is normally easy to clear, PROVIDED you are aware it has occurred. With good hearing protection, you may not have an audible clue to a squib. If you are in rapid fire, you may miss the other clue which is lack of recoil. Given the rapid "clear the jam" training in self defense shooting, I can see where a squib might result in a rapid, and automatic reaction to rack the slide and insert a new round. Which would mean a near disaster when the next round fired impacts the bullet lodged in the barrel. With a revolver, the danger would be interpreting the lack of recoil as a misfire. Cock and fire the revolver on the next round and "Boom".

And it gets even more fun with the long guns.

Top is a S&W Model 29 having fired a factory squib load.
Bottom is Ruger PC4 Carbine 40 S&W having fired a factory squib load.







(Grampa, I will get to your questions in a manner that I hope to turn into a Problem/Solution kind of thing.)

[sinclair]

To continue the above discussion lets go to the second boundary condition for case charging,

(B) too much, or an overcharge.

Too much powder is far more likely in pistol cases than in rifle cases since the faster burning pistol powders are volumetrically much less than the case volume. It is even possible to triple a maximum charge in some cases without affecting the bullet seating. Most reloaders check their load charges by weight (in grains, where 1 lb. = 7000 grains) but usually only check the "average" consistency of their powder measure, which, like black powder measures, actually operates by volume rather than weight. Translated, this means that reloader's tend to set the volume measure then check its weight consistency only every 25th or even 50th round or so. That means all rounds in between have not been weighed, thus without any additional checks, an overcharge or a squib becomes a statistical probability. The ammo factories have to deal with this same probability which they reduce by various additional check procedures. Some reloader's do not approach this problem very seriously, others become paranoid about it (like me).

The danger with an overcharge is that, unlike the squib, there is no warning. With a squib, the warning is a "pop" instead of a "bang" and no recoil. The overcharge is a big "boom" instead of a "bang", usually a destroyed gun and potentially injured shooter and bystanders.

To avoid confusing the overcharge with what is being called the "KaBoom" or "Glock KaBoom", I selected some samples to show that no matter how strong the gun, an overcharge will destroy it. The top sample is a Colt Anaconda 44 Magnum and the bottom sample is a Ruger Bisley in 45 Colt.

[sinclair]

OK, Grampa, lets take a look at your questions.

Have you ever had your digital scale take a dump on you?

I have never owned one nor considered one. The gravity powered scales never need batteries, but I have discovered two things to avoid with gravity scales. Never position the scale near a fan or air vent, as it will alter the scale reading. Clean the weight station bench of all non-essentials, especially plastic/foam case blocks, as the static charge that can accumulate on such items will alter the magnetic scale damper and can change the reading.

Have you then run out and bought a cheap one to get you by?

I have only one, purchased in 1985, and despite constant use, it has never failed in any way other than mentioned above. By today's standards, I do suppose that it would be considered a cheap one.

When you got it home and calibrated it, did you realize it did it in grams?

The gravity models are graduated ONLY in Grains. To get grams would be an exercise with conversion factors and a calculator. Calibration, to me, means checking the scale with precision weights, which I always do for each load setting.

Did you realize that it stayed in grams when you were reloading?

I am aware that digital scales with "bells and whistles" create that as a possibility. It is one of the many reasons I have never considered owning one.

When you took your new reloads to the range did you find the recoil excessive?

Recoil is subjective and not a good indicator if the new reloads have been set up and measured and graduated according to a gentle, incremental set of charges. This question is very good in that it opens up a hundred or more safety issues on load testing. It almost sounds like you bought a new scale (a major change in your reloading equipment) and went straight to your proven load recipes without any kind of test verification ? You said nothing about excessive pressure signs. Were there any ?

Did you then get your friend to try them in his gun, where he also found the recoil pretty harsh?

Ugh ! Hard to comment here. Back in the old days when I did a bit of reloading for others, I always insisted on test loads and procedures for the gun the load was being developed for. When, even if it was a friend, those procedures were not met, I would not reload for that person. That was before the ammo liability laws went into effect. Since then, my reloads are ONLY developed for and fired in my guns.

just because I've done it before doesn't mean I know what I'm doing

I got a good chuckle out of that. But it does not take an expert to BE SAFE. I may not know what I am doing either, but I am CONFIDENT that I am doing it safely and always on the lookout for new tips and tricks to enhance the safety and minimize the hazards. If you ever reach the point where you think you know it all and quit seeking safer ways to do this type of hobby, then that is when you will KNOW you have lost it....and don't know what you are doing.

Thanks for making me really think about case charging. Now I can do a good job with the case charging-Problem/Solution thing coming up next.

[Grampa]

Quote: "I got a good chuckle out of that"

That was my goal sir.

[sinclair]

Reloading Issue - Related to step 6 - case recharging
Response to request from Grampa

Title: Paranoid about powder

This is one of those steps in reloading where it is easy to become paranoid, and if you are, then use the paranoia to focus on safety. If you notice the somewhat humorous discussion between Grampa and I, you should be able to tell that I am totally paranoid about case charging. If you look really close, and under the humor, I think you will see that Grampa is as well.

If I were an ammo factory, I would be in a statistically risky business which would demand that I take a statistically altered (very expensive) approach to quality checks throughout the production process. I do not have that kind of investment capital, but since I am producing ammo for myself, I have a strong motivation to do everything I can to reduce the possible hazards to myself to zero.

I do have an advantage over an ammo factory in that my own time is available to add in exchange for lacking capital to buy all kinds of sensors for QC checks. Hopefully, I can show you how that works, and use my approach or not, the added safety factors are there.

PROBLEM: I am so paranoid about squib and overcharge loads that I am willing to devote as much additional time to the reloading process as necessary to reduce the probability of such an event occurring at my reloading bench to zero (the goal). To do this, I continue to research the sources of errors in reloading with respect to squibs and overcharges. I believe the primary source to be a combination of the use of powder dispensers and inattention or distraction during the charging process.

SOLUTION: What I have reached is an elimination of the powder dispenser as a means of dumping powder. Since I have a Dillon Progressive, the powder station is still there but kept empty and sealed, since I use that station for case mouth expansion ONLY. After case mouth expansion, I remove all cases (usually in lots of 50 at a time) to a separate bench where I manually dispense powder into the weigh scale one case at a time. Every case is hand-weighed and hand filled. After this, each lot of cases are positioned for inspection and all 50 cases have to look like clones of each other. When these cases come back to the loading bench, each case is examined again before placing the bullet and entering the bullet seating station. As to the weigh scale, it is calibrated before and after each 50 cases by using a mix of precision weights that EXACTLY equals the powder charge weight desired. To illustrate this, in the picture below, I show my scale along with a blowup of the precision weight set for calibration. This whole process adds about 20 minutes of time to the powder charge step (for each lot of 50 rounds), which I consider to be my own version of the equivalent of factory quality check sensors.

[Grampa]

You must get a just unreal degree of consistancy with that kind of patience. I think the factory standard has more tolerance.