From the Reloading Bench...
- Thread starter 41 Charlie
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Liggett
Well-Known Fanatic
The 35 buck Frankford Arsenal is what I've been using for pistol for the last 8 years. It's so accurate and consistent that I bought a 2nd for backup fearing they'd stop making them. But I use a RED Hornady L&L AP so you may want to take my opinion with a grain of salt.
joepistol
Well-Known Fanatic
I've used several pounds of Clean Shot.. I find it to be a good pistol powder..very clean burning.
A few yrs. ago someone ( I think it was Midsouth) started offering the Shooter's World line of powder.
Had a no hazmat fee deal, if you bought X amount of this brand of powder.. so I tried a few. Only complaint with
Shooter's World line of powder is the scant amount of load information from them. Had no info on load data for 10mm,
despite saying one of their powders was for that caliber. I find the accuracy with the powders I've tried..several for both rifle & pistol, have all worked very well. I've been waiting for another "No Hazmat" deal to order more of their powders.
A few yrs. ago someone ( I think it was Midsouth) started offering the Shooter's World line of powder.
Had a no hazmat fee deal, if you bought X amount of this brand of powder.. so I tried a few. Only complaint with
Shooter's World line of powder is the scant amount of load information from them. Had no info on load data for 10mm,
despite saying one of their powders was for that caliber. I find the accuracy with the powders I've tried..several for both rifle & pistol, have all worked very well. I've been waiting for another "No Hazmat" deal to order more of their powders.
Planning another reloading day next week as showing some cooler we load a day a month to keep up. My normal loadings
9mm WST powder 125 gr
45 Clays and also for me Solo 1000 powder 200 gr
About 4-4.2 gr for both
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I do plan on loading close to a 1000 150 gr 9mm it does get a reduced charge about 3 gr without looking it up. Best shooting 9mm bullet I have shot.
This week is just to darn hot here.
9mm WST powder 125 gr
45 Clays and also for me Solo 1000 powder 200 gr
About 4-4.2 gr for both
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I do plan on loading close to a 1000 150 gr 9mm it does get a reduced charge about 3 gr without looking it up. Best shooting 9mm bullet I have shot.
This week is just to darn hot here.
Quite here again I do hope Butch and others who were considering reloading did so early on, just wondered if anyone actually did so when we mentioned it? Thankfully we are still shooting weekly with no ammo issues at all here, hopefully Butch and others did get what they needed when they were advised to and all set up now, topic here just quiet and I was thinking of it.. We still have 1 store with 9mm at $30/50, 45acp there $49.95/50 that's for ball! (they have plenty) and if you go on truck days our Academy has a little but you need to go on truck days an hour before opening and get in line for the $13/50 9mm - 45 acp/$18 limit 1-3 boxes of ammo if they have any, so glad we reload/cast and stocked up for this. Hope you guys also did so, I do know 1 member here that got his Dillion only. Our local ranges have ammo only to be shot there in rentals is about it, Guys it will be worse before better I feel. Stores are loaded with shotgun ammo for the start of bird season next week, just higher prices than before so far but well stocked.
I just cant imagine of any shooter that really honestly shoots that did not stock up when this was just starting to unfold earlier this year. They had the same advance notice we did that shortages were coming.
I just cant imagine of any shooter that really honestly shoots that did not stock up when this was just starting to unfold earlier this year. They had the same advance notice we did that shortages were coming.
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My neighbor/friend is still trying to get us to reload 2000 of his brass for him, we told him to get primers and we will but not using ours to do it as he wants to and pay us back, he replied what if something happens and I need the ammo? We told him we will remind you again like we did in January/February you should have stocked up then! No primers no reloading!
joepistol
Well-Known Fanatic
Not even a Dillon is immune to failure:
after about 40 yrs & ??? K's of rds.. this happened..
after about 40 yrs & ??? K's of rds.. this happened..
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joepistol
Well-Known Fanatic
Contacted Dillon & was informed to send the press & all asst attachments to them..which I did.
here's an old pic of the old Lee single stage press I've used for about 40 yrs..(before I replaced it with
a used RCBS Rock Chucker I found on craigslist, several yrs.ago.
Note the empty space to the far right of the Lee press..that's the spot for my Dillon.
here's an old pic of the old Lee single stage press I've used for about 40 yrs..(before I replaced it with
a used RCBS Rock Chucker I found on craigslist, several yrs.ago.
Note the empty space to the far right of the Lee press..that's the spot for my Dillon.
joepistol
Well-Known Fanatic
A few weeks pass (after sending my press to Dillon, & then a pkg arrived :
Did they replace my old 450 with a 550 ? No.
They actually rebuilt my 450, replacing portion of frame that broke,..also included a new ram,..& linkage for new primer system
(primer slide bar works offa linkage against the ram handle movement, so don't have to manually move primer bar to feed primers for seating.
Dillon also replaced my powder dispenser with a newer version..also has a linkage to automatically move powder bar when ram handle is used.
I dislike the new powder assembly as adjusting the amount of flare the powder funnel puts on a case mouth is now much more complicated with
the linkage in the way..& linkage has to be removed to make an adjustment to amount of case mouth flare that is desired. Only wish I still had my old powder dispenser. Dillon did a nice job rebuilding my press ( @ no charge to me) and the upgrades were a nice touch..just wish I had my old powder dispenser.
Did they replace my old 450 with a 550 ? No.
They actually rebuilt my 450, replacing portion of frame that broke,..also included a new ram,..& linkage for new primer system
(primer slide bar works offa linkage against the ram handle movement, so don't have to manually move primer bar to feed primers for seating.
Dillon also replaced my powder dispenser with a newer version..also has a linkage to automatically move powder bar when ram handle is used.
I dislike the new powder assembly as adjusting the amount of flare the powder funnel puts on a case mouth is now much more complicated with
the linkage in the way..& linkage has to be removed to make an adjustment to amount of case mouth flare that is desired. Only wish I still had my old powder dispenser. Dillon did a nice job rebuilding my press ( @ no charge to me) and the upgrades were a nice touch..just wish I had my old powder dispenser.
seagiant
Well-Known Fanatic
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2019
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- 111
Hi,
I had 5 of the Dillion 300's at one time, I now have three.
One set up for 45 Auto and the other in 9MM.
The third one I need to make some missing parts for as Dillion does not support it.
Mike Dillon said he lost $100 for every model 300 he sold and I believe it, it is built like a tank with a pressed in bronze bushing in the base for the ram!
He redesigned with the 450 and used an all cast housing to save money and the rest is History!
I had 5 of the Dillion 300's at one time, I now have three.
One set up for 45 Auto and the other in 9MM.
The third one I need to make some missing parts for as Dillion does not support it.
Mike Dillon said he lost $100 for every model 300 he sold and I believe it, it is built like a tank with a pressed in bronze bushing in the base for the ram!
He redesigned with the 450 and used an all cast housing to save money and the rest is History!
joepistol
Well-Known Fanatic
Thanks for posting that pic.. I had not seen ( or even heard of ) a Dillon 300..but am glad that they stand behind my old 450 as well as they have.
Over the years they've sent me a fair amount of replacement parts ( my Dillon has had consistent use ) Even replaced my entire primer system when issues developed (can't even remember what the issue was ) but remember they sent entire system, even new primer pickup tubes..
The frame on those presses look massive!
Over the years they've sent me a fair amount of replacement parts ( my Dillon has had consistent use ) Even replaced my entire primer system when issues developed (can't even remember what the issue was ) but remember they sent entire system, even new primer pickup tubes..
The frame on those presses look massive!
seagiant
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- Feb 7, 2019
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Hi,
They are robust, and will load just about anything you want to set them up for.
One, I bought from a competitive shooter, and he said there were probably about 300,000 rds. reloaded on it, and you couldn't even tell it, and it's still going strong!!!
I'm left handed, so enjoy the open front, from the "H" type design!
They are robust, and will load just about anything you want to set them up for.
One, I bought from a competitive shooter, and he said there were probably about 300,000 rds. reloaded on it, and you couldn't even tell it, and it's still going strong!!!
I'm left handed, so enjoy the open front, from the "H" type design!
I save the flaps from primer boxes I do know of 1 year I personally loaded 38000 on my press (Star) I wore out a linkage bar and they sent me a new set in a few days. I was shooting 500+ a week then with matches on weekends and also a Wed night match..
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seagiant
Well-Known Fanatic
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2019
- Messages
- 111
Hi,
Well, you can go through some powder and ball, shooting that much!
Here is a before shot and how I usually get these presses.
Sometimes I have to make a missing part, but straight machining and a one off job.
You can see in one of the pics, the bronze bushing for that big ram!
Well, you can go through some powder and ball, shooting that much!
Here is a before shot and how I usually get these presses.
Sometimes I have to make a missing part, but straight machining and a one off job.
You can see in one of the pics, the bronze bushing for that big ram!
cxm
Active Fanatic
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2020
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- 28
Way back when lots of police depts had Star Loading machines to re load 38SPL Wad cutters for range use... Some actually loaded service ammunition as well.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's department's range operated several Stars to provide training ammunition. As in many departments, jail prisoners were often used to operate the Star machines making the ammunition... I would not be very comfortable with that... but maybe they had a better class of prisoners back then...
FWIW
Chuck
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's department's range operated several Stars to provide training ammunition. As in many departments, jail prisoners were often used to operate the Star machines making the ammunition... I would not be very comfortable with that... but maybe they had a better class of prisoners back then...
FWIW
Chuck
joepistol
Well-Known Fanatic
the offer for inmates to produce ammo may have been quite an incentive.. for them to get out of their cell for some time & have something to do
can be a strong positive reinforcement. Probably got paid a little for their efforts as well.
I spent about 5 yrs. working in a DOC facility (as a contracted employee ), so have some experience working with inmates. There are some jobs inmates are hired to perform, & once an inmate secures a position, they usually will do all they can to keep it, including staying out of trouble..in my experience.
can be a strong positive reinforcement. Probably got paid a little for their efforts as well.
I spent about 5 yrs. working in a DOC facility (as a contracted employee ), so have some experience working with inmates. There are some jobs inmates are hired to perform, & once an inmate secures a position, they usually will do all they can to keep it, including staying out of trouble..in my experience.
