The basics of handloading (reloading)

[SkipD]

Introduction to The Basics of Handloading series​

This is the first of a series of articles that I will be posting to teach the basics of ammunition loading. This topic/thread is a "sticky" and is locked, as it is purely a tutorial and is a work in progress. All questions and comments should be made in additional topics/threads.

This first article is meant to explain the low-level basic concepts of ammunition reloading and handloading.

The two terms - reloading and handloading - may seem like they are identical, but the difference is that the process of reloading involves re-using spent cartridge cases (which were loaded and fired at least once already) while the process of handloading involves using new (never fired) cartridge cases, eliminating the need for some of the case preparation steps involved in the reloading process. I will discuss the process of reloading here, as all of the steps are involved.

Some of the basic steps listed below are typically combined into a single operation, but I am going to show everything that needs to be done as separate steps simply because one could choose to use equipment that does not combine steps.

Some folks choose to ignore one or more steps such as cleaning the primer pockets in cartridge cases. I personally feel that every step is critically important in producing high quality ammunition.

The basic steps are:

• Clean the fired cartridge cases. I typically do this in a tumbler or a vibrating cleaner with a media such as crushed walnut shells to both remove powder residue and dirt and to polish the cases.
  
• Remove the fired primer from the cartridge case. This is typically done along with sizing the cartridge case.
• Lubricate the cartridge case to prevent wear of the sizing die and scratching of the cases. This is usually not needed if you are using dies with carbide sizing rings in them. I always lube the inside of the neck when sizing bottle-necked cartridge cases.
• Resize the cartridge case to a standard size. Note that this step could be either neck-sizing only or full-length sizing, depending on the cartridge type and other factors.
• Shape the case mouth to a slight bell shape to accept a bullet. This is typically needed only for starting lead bullets into pistol cartridges.
• Clean the lubrication from the cartridge case, both inside and out. I typically do this with a suitable solvent.
• Clean the primer pocket in the cartridge case. This requires a mechanical scraping device as the (mostly carbon) residue is usually quite hard.
• Check the cartridge case length and, if necessary, trim the case length to a standard dimension.
• Seat a new primer into the cartridge case primer pocket.
• Determine the desired powder charge weight.
• Measure the powder charge weight. This could be done with a scale or with a very carefully set up powder measure.
• Put the measured powder charge into the cartridge case.
• Insert a new bullet into the cartridge case mouth, aligning it so that the bullet will go straight into the cartridge case.
• Seat the bullet to a specific depth. It is very important that the seating of a bullet be done to the proper depth.
• If required, crimp the case mouth to hold the bullet. With straight-walled rimless pistol cartridges such as .380 ACP, 9mm,and .45ACP, this requires a TAPERED crimper because the cartridges headspace on the case mouth in the firearm's chamber. With other cartridge case types, a roll crimp may be applied - especially important if lead bullets are used.

You will note that, for the most part, I have not discussed any of the equipment required to accomplish these steps. That is because there is often a variety of choices that you might make for the equipment based on your intended workflow. I will discuss equipment for ammunition loading in future articles in this topic/thread.

You may find the Reloading Glossary rather useful. It is the next item in this thread.

Additional posts in this thread will outline more details....

 

[SkipD]

Reloading Glossary

Please PM SkipD with any additional topics or other changes you would like to see in this glossary.

​

Basic Loading Terms

Handloading - The process of loading ammunition by hand. This term is often interchanged with "reloading", however the term "handloading" can be applied when using all new components while the term "reloading" should only be used when using previously fired cartridge cases.

Reloading - The process of loading ammunition using previously fired cartridge cases. This process can be done by hand or by machine. When cartridges are reloaded using automated machinery, the term "remanufactured" is sometimes applied to the product.


Firearm Terms

Bore - The uniform-sized hole through a firearm's barrel between the chamber and the muzzle. See also: Bore Diameter.

Bore Diameter - The dimension from land-to-land inside a rifled barrel or the inside diameter of a smooth-bored barrel. See also: Groove Diameter and Caliber.

Caliber - The approximate internal diameter of a firearm's barrel or the approximate diameter of the projectile fired through it. In the United States, it is common to use the groove diameter as the caliber while elsewhere in the world, the bore diameter is used. Caliber for handheld firearms is typically expressed in inches (such a .22, .30, .45, etc.) or millimeters (such as 5.56, 7.62, etc.) and this holds true for large firearms such as artillery though the numbers would be much larger.

Centerfire - Also written as center-fire. A cartridge design that has the primer located in the center of the cartridge's base. Modern centerfire primers are replaceable and are either Boxer or Berdan types. Centerfire and rimfire ammunition cannot be substituted in the same firearm without some sort of adapter. See also: Rimfire.

Chamber - The portion of a firearm's barrel (or the cylinder in a revolver) which is shaped to accept and hold a cartridge. Revolvers have multiple chambers. A cartridge must be securely held in the chamber when it is fired.

Chamber Pressure - The pressure created by firing a round in a firearm (either in a metallic cartridge or any other method of loading a firearm with smokeless or black powder). This pressure is what drives the bullet through the barrel. Generally, chamber pressure is defined as the peak pressure achieved when the charge is ignited. Values are usually stated as CUP (Copper Units of Pressure) or PSI (Pounds per Square Inch). There are several ways of measuring chamber pressure, but very few hobby shooters have appropriate equipment to do so. While the typical handloader cannot measure chamber pressure, the deformation of the primer can often be "read" to ensure that pressures from his/her load are not exceeding normal pressures for the caliber. This is done by comparing the primer deformation to that of commercial loads that have had chamber pressure measured.

Clip - A device that holds ammunition but does not have any feeding mechanism as part of the device. This term is often incorrectly applied to a sister device, the magazine. See also: Magazine.

Crown - Special machining of a firearm's barrel muzzle opening to provide and protect perfectly uniform rifling edges all the way around the bore. This is important so that all bullets from the barrel can fly the same way, minimizing spread at the target.

Freebore - The space in a barrel between a chambered bullet's ogive and the beginning of the rifling in the barrel.

Groove - The spaces that are cut out (or formed in different ways) between the lands in a rifled barrel. See also: Groove Diameter and Land.

Groove Diameter - The dimension from groove to groove inside a rifled barrel. See also: Bore Diameter and Caliber.

Headspace - The dimension from the face of a firearm's bolt to the point in the firearm's chamber where the cartridge positively contacts the chamber to position the cartridge. Some cartridges headspace on a rim. Most straight-walled auto pistol cartridges headspace on the mouth of the cartridge. Bottlenecked cartridges most often headspace on a particular part of the shoulder. Some magnum rifle cartridges headspace on a belt.

Land - The raised portions in a rifled barrel which impress their shape into a bullet and force the bullet to rotate while traversing the barrel. Grooves separate the lands in a rifled barrel. See also: Groove.

Magazine - A device that holds ammunition and has a feeding mechanism (usually a spring and a follower or similar devices) as part of the device. Magazines may either be built into a firearm or be removable from the firearm. The term "clip" is often incorrectly applied to magazines. See also: Clip.

Muzzle - The opening of a firearm's barrel where the fired bullet exits on its way to the target. See also: Crown.

Rifling - The twisted combination of grooves and lands within a rifled barrel. The purpose of the rifling is to rotate the bullet so that it is stabilized while in flight. Rifling twist rate in small arms is typically defined as "1 turn in so many inches", for example.

Rimfire - A cartridge design that has the primer in the rim of the cartridge's base. The most common modern rimfire cartridge is the .22 rimfire family which is made in several different lengths (.22 Short, .22 Long, and .22 Long Rifle are the most common). See also: Centerfire.


Bullet Terms

Ball - A term, typically used by the military, describing a full metal jacket bullet with no opening at the nose of the bullet's jacket. This term is used both for round-nosed bullets (usually for pistols) and pointed bullets (usually for rifles). The common understanding is that "Ball" ammunition is using solid or non-expanding bullets.

Boat-tail - A bullet design feature consisting of a tapered base, narrowing toward the trailing end of the bullet. The purpose of the boat-tail design is to reduce drag. Boat-tail bullets are typically used in rifles rather than in handguns.

Bullet - The projectile which is driven toward a target when the cartridge is fired. Note that, while it is not uncommon for people (generally unfamiliar with firearms) to call a complete loaded cartridge a "bullet", this is incorrect. "Bullet" and "Cartridge" are NOT synonyms.

Cannelure - A groove around a bullet. The purposes for the groove are for holding a lubricant (usually for a lead bullet) and/or to accept the crimped mouth of the cartridge case to keep the bullet from changing its position in the cartridge case.

Hollow point - A bullet design feature where the center of a bullet's forward tip is opened ("hollow"). There are many variations of this design, but the general purpose is to enhance mushrooming of the bullet after it impacts a (usually live) target.

Jacket - A gilding metal (a copper/zinc alloy) cup that covers the outside surfaces of a bullet. A bullet's jacket may be open at the base or at the nose of the bullet depending on the intended design of the bullet.

Ogive - The outer profile of a bullet - typically a pointed curved shape - between the cylindrical body and the tip of the bullet.

Round nose - A bullet design feature where the center of a bullet's forward tip is rounded. This shape can be applied to a lead bullet or a jacketed bullet. A round nose jacketed bullet is often referred to as a "hard-ball" bullet, particularly in military lingo.


Cartridge Terms and Components

Anvil - Part of a primer system against which the pressure-sensitive explosive is compressed when the primer's cup is indented by the firearm's firing pin. The anvil is a part of a Boxer primer assembly while the anvil for a Berdan primer is actually part of the cartridge case.

Belt - An enlarged ring, typically about 2mm to 4mm wide around the base of a cartridge case, starting at the forward edge of the extractor groove. This belt is usually seen on a large magnum rifle case such as that for the .300 Winchester Magnum. The purpose of the belt is for positive headspacing with a rimless cartridge.

Berdan (primer) - A primer type with the explosive mixture contained in a small metal cup with no anvil included. The anvil is actually a part of the cartridge case, centered between two or three flash holes. Because of the flash hole configuration in the cartridge case, Berdan primers cannot be removed with a conventional primer punch in a decapping die. Hydraulic primer removers can be used and there are special mechanical tools available to pry spent Berdan primers from the case. See also: Boxer.

Bottlenecked - One of several basic cartridge case shapes. In a bottlenecked case, the neck is significantly smaller in diameter than the body of the case and the neck is separated from the remainder of the case by a tapered shoulder.

Boxer (primer) - A primer type contained in a small metal cup with the anvil contained in the cup along with the explosive mixture. See also: Berdan.

Brass - An alloy consisting of approximately 70% copper and 30% zinc which is used to make most cartridge cases. Though cartridge cases are also made of steel or aluminum, groups of cartridge cases are commonly called "brass".

Bullet - The projectile which is driven toward a target when the cartridge is fired. Note that, while it is not uncommon for people (generally unfamiliar with firearms) to call a complete loaded cartridge a "bullet", this is incorrect. "Bullet" and "Cartridge" are NOT synonyms.

Cartridge - An assembled self-contained combination of a cartridge case, powder, a primer, and a bullet (and possibly other components). A cartridge (of the proper caliber, of course) can be inserted into a firearm and then fired. A loaded cartridge is often called a "round". A loaded cartridge is sometimes incorrectly called a "bullet" by people who are generally unfamiliar with firearms.

Cartridge Case - The metallic container designed to hold powder, primer, and bullet. Each cartridge case is shaped and sized for a particular caliber. Cartridge cases for centerfire ammunition have primer pockets and flash holes (and anvils when Berdan primers are used) in their bases. Cartridge cases generally have some sort of rim for the firearm's extractor to pull on when extracting the fired cartridge case. Though cartridge cases are most often made of brass, they are also made of steel or aluminum. Groups of cartridge cases are commonly called "brass" regardless of the material they are made of.

Flash Hole - A hole in a centerfire cartridge case between the center of the primer pocket and the chamber where powder is loaded. This hole allows the flame from the primer to ignite the powder. Cartridge cases with Berdan primers usually have two flash holes - one on either side of the anvil and some cases have three holes.

Gas Check - A gilding metal (copper/zinc alloy) cup that fits over the base of a lead bullet. The purpose is to better seal hot propellant gasses and also to minimize leading of the firearm's barrel. Gas checks are generally used for higher velocity lead bullet loads.

Neck - The portion of a cartridge case that holds the bullet. Typically, this term is only used for bottlenecked cartridge cases.

Powder - The explosive chemical propellant used in most firearm cartridges. Black powder, often called gunpowder, and smokeless powder are the two primary categories of powder. There are many types of each category of powder, each designed to burn at a specific rates and pressure ranges.

Primer - A pressure-sensitive explosive device, usually contained in a small metal cup, which ignites the powder in a cartridge after it is struck with the firearm's firing pin. Two common types of primers for centerfire cartridges include Boxer primers and Berdan primers. Rimfire cartridges have the priming material injected into the rim of the cartridge and these cannot be reloaded. Note that there are different sizes of centerfire primers and they must be chosen for the primer pocket size in the cartridge to be loaded.

Primer Pocket - A cylindrical depression in the base of a cartridge case where a primer is mounted. The design of the primer pocket is different for use with Boxer and Berdan primers.

Round - A term that is synonymous with a single loaded cartridge.

Shoulder - The tapered portion of a bottlenecked cartridge case that separates the main body of the case from the neck.


Loading Tasks

Belling - Opening the mouth of the cartridge case slightly into a "bell" shape with a special die in a loading press so that a bullet can be more easily inserted. This is done most often when lead bullets are used.

Charging - The process of inserting the correct amount of powder into a primed cartridge case. The measurement of the powder charge can be done several ways - using a fixed volume scoop, using a calibrated powder measure, or measuring each charge on a scale.

Crimping - Squeezing the opening of the case into the side of the bullet for additional retention as compared to a non-crimped case. This is done either with a combination seating/crimping die or a separate crimping die in a loading press.

Decapping - Removing the primer from a cartridge case. This is usually done with a decapping die in a loading press.

Deburring - Removing metal burrs or rough edges from a cartridge case's mouth, primer pocket, or the flash hole.

Neck sizing - Reshaping only the neck of a fired cartridge case, usually using a press and a neck sizing die, to re-form the neck to standard dimensions while leaving the body of the case formed to fit a particular firearm's chamber. Neck sizing is typically done for maximum accuracy and is normally done only when using a bolt-action rifle. See also: Resizing.

Priming - Installing a fresh primer into an empty cartridge case. This can be done with a variety of tools - some handheld and others using a loading press. A previously fired cartridge case must be decapped and resized as a minimum preparation before priming.

Resizing - Reshaping a fired cartridge case, usually using a press and a full-length sizing die, to re-form the entire case to standard dimensions. Resizing a cartridge case can only be done with brass and nickel-plated brass cases. See also: Neck Sizing.

Seating - Inserting a new bullet into a cartridge case and ensuring that it is pushed into the case at the correct depth, resulting in the proper overall length of the cartridge.


Loading Press Types

Progressive Press - Progressive loading presses have places for more than one die to be mounted at the same time. They also have a rotating multi-position shell holder system. With the typical autoindexing progressive press, each time the operating arm of the press is cycled, the shell holder advances one step, placing a cartridge under the next die station. Thus, each cartridge in the shell holder gets a different function performed on it during the operating arm stroke. Every stroke of the handle finishes assembly of another cartridge.

Single-Stage Press - Single-stage loading presses have a place for only one die. While most single-stage presses are typically bolted to a sturdy bench for operation, there are handheld single-stage presses such as the Lee Breech Lock Hand Press which do not mount to a bench.

Turret Press - Turret loading presses have places for more than one die to be mounted at the same time. The turret design typically requires manual rotation to choose (index) the die to be used.


Loading Dies

Carbide Resizing Die - Functionally, this type of die is the same as the Resizing Die with the exception that the section that does the full-length sizing consists of a carbide ring instead of hardened steel. The carbide sizing ring will last a lot longer than a steel sizing ring. A significant advantage of a carbide resizing die (especially for pistol cartridges) is that lubrication of the cartridge cases before sizing is usually not necessary with the carbide sizer.

Crimping Die - A die which crimps the mouth of the cartridge case to hold the bullet securely. The most common crimping die is a taper crimp die, used mostly on straight-walled pistol cases for autoloading pistols which headspace on the case mouth.

Decapping Die - A die which only removes spent primers. The method is typically the same as the decapper found in most resizing dies, but on occasion one wants to remove spent primers without resizing the cartridge case. Decapping dies are typically sized so that one die can handle a variety of cartridge case sizes.

Expander Die - A die which expands the mouth of the cartridge case in a slight bell shape. This is most often used for pistol cartridges when loading lead bullets. Jacketed bullets seldom require belling of the case mouth.

Neck Sizing Die - A die which sizes only the neck of a cartridge case. The main body of the cartridge case is left as-fired so that it fits the chamber (usually of a particular bolt-action rifle) more precisely than a factory-dimensioned cartridge case.

Resizing Die - A die, most often made of hardened steel, which is used to squeeze an expended cartridge case back to its original design size, typically over its full length. Many resizing dies also include a punch (a decapper) to remove the expended primer from a cartridge case. The decapper may also have an expander button that expands the cartridge case mouth to the exact diameter needed to hold the bullet.

Seating Die - A die that is used to align a bullet with the cartridge case and then insert (seat) the bullet to the required depth. The depth setting is adjustable. Seating dies are sometimes provided with more than one seating plug, each shaped for a particular bullet style. Seating dies often are made to be able to provide a roll crimp of the case mouth into a cannelure around the bullet.


Other Loading Tools and Accessories

Bullet Mold - A device having cavities that are shaped like a bullet. Molten lead alloy is poured into the mold. Once hardened (by cooling), a sprue cutter is knocked aside with a rod or stick to trim the bullet before ejecting it from the mold.

Bullet Luber/Sizer - A special press that, along with an appropriate die and top punch and bullet lubricant, sizes a cast lead bullet to a precise diameter and squeezes lubricant (such as Alox or beeswax) into lube grooves in the bullet.

Case Trimmer - A tool consisting of a cutter with a mandrel, and a shell holder which is used to trim the length of a cartridge case. Case trimmers are available as purely manual tools (by Lee, for example) and as bench-mounted tools which may be manually or electrically operated.

Loading Block - A device, typically made of plastic or wood, that can hold up to 50 or 60 cartridge cases during the loading process. This is extremely convenient when charging powder to the cases. Also, with the charged cases still in the loading block, one can visually scan all the cases after charging powder to determine that all are properly filled with powder.

Lubricating Pad - A pad, very similar to a stamp pad, which is charged with case lubricant. Cleaned fired cartridge cases are rolled across the pad to lubricate them prior to full-length resizing. Other tools typically used with a lubricating pad include a brush to put lubricant inside the neck of the cartridge case and possibly an applicator of some sort to lubricate the necks of bottlenecked cartridge cases.

Powder Funnel - A special type of funnel that will create a seal over the mouth of an empty cartridge case while pouring powder through it into the case.

Powder Measure - A device that is used to "throw" consistent powder charges typically using a calibrated cylinder in a rotating frame. The cylinder is positioned under a powder supply hopper for filling and then rotated downward to dump the charge to the cartridge case. There are other types of powder measures with a removable measuring cylinder (such as the very fine but now obsolete Belding & Mull powder measure). Setting up an adjustable powder measure requires the use of an accurate powder scale.

Primer Pocket Cleaner - A small tool that can be inserted into a primer pocket and then rotated to clean the carbon and other debris out of the primer pocket.

Primer Pocket Reamer - A tool that can be inserted into a primer pocket and then rotated to cut the edges of the primer pocket to remove primer crimping from the cartridge case.

Primer Pocket Swager - A tool that can be inserted into a primer pocket (typically with a press) to re-form the edges of the primer pocket to remove primer crimping from the cartridge case. The re-forming with a swager does not remove any material as is done with a primer pocket reamer.

Reamer - A tool with a set of tapered cutters that can be rotated to smooth the inside of a cartridge case mouth edge, the outside of a cartridge case mouth edge, or a primer pocket. Most reamers are handheld tools. There are many variations of reamers available for reloading.


Measurement Tools and Terms

Cartridge Case Gauge - A tubular gauge which has its interior shaped like the chamber of a firearm for a specific caliber. The purpose is to be able to determine that the shape of a cartridge will properly fit a standard chamber for the caliber.

Chronograph - A device used to measure the velocity of a bullet (usually in feet per second) shortly after it leaves the muzzle of a firearm. A chronograph is a very valuable tool for determining some of the characteristics of a loaded cartridge as it is fired. Using the chronograph to measure the velocity of several loaded cartridges from a batch can help to determine the repeatability of the particular load.

Grain - The weight unit most often used in measurement of powder and bullets. One gram equals 15.432 grains. One pound equals 7000 grains.

Scale (powder and/or bullet) - A weighing device for accurately measuring the weight of a powder charge or a bullet. Both purely mechanical and electronic scales are available. A good scale should be considered a mandatory tool for loading cartridges. A scale is critically important for setting up an adjustable powder measure.

Please PM SkipD with any additional topics or other changes you would like to see in this glossary.

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[SkipD]

What cartridge cases can be used?​

The best cartridge cases for reloading are made of brass and use standard "Boxer" primers.

Cartridge cases made of aluminum and steel are generally regarded as not being practical to reload for a variety of reasons.

Cartridge cases which use "Berdan" primers are also not practical to reload as it is much more difficult to extract the primers and Berdan primers are not commonly available in the retail stores which sell reloading equipment and supplies.

Military cartridge cases (those made of brass and using Boxer primers) can generally be reloaded, but there may be one or more potential problems with them. The primary problem with military cases is that the primers are usually crimped into the cases. See step #9 for more information on this. The other problem is that military cases can have thicker walls than their "civilian" counterparts and that may make it more difficult to re-size the cases.

 

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Step #1 - Cleaning Fired Cartridge Cases​

To clean fired, dirty, or simply tarnished brass cartridge cases, I simply toss them into one of my tumblers along with a load of crushed walnut hulls. I have two different tumblers that I use, and choose the appropriate one based on the volume of cases I need to clean.

The first tumbler I bought (and, by far, the older of the two but still available today) is a Lortone 45C-NR Gem Sparkle Rock Tumbler. This unit has a 4-lb capacity barrel with 10 flat surfaces inside the liquid-tight rubber drum.

My larger tumbler is a Lyman Turbo 1200 Tumbler. The action of this unit is driven by a vibrator rather than mechanically turning a drum like the Lortone unit. It has a one-gallon bowl and used 3 pounds of media.

The media that I use was purchased from an industrial supplier at a MUCH lower price than what's available from the retail reloading equipment suppliers, though you may or may not have an abrasives distributor in your area. What I purchased is ground walnut hulls, grade AD6B.

Prior to moving to the ground walnut hull media, I used to use ground corn cob media. The walnut hull media particles are harder and sharper than the corn cob media and do a more efficient job of cleaning and polishing my brass.

There are cleaning/polishing liquids that you can get which will further enhance the cleaning action in either of these types of tumblers. I have used Lyman and Iosso case polish additives in my tumbling media with good success.

Another liquid product (which I have not used) that may be an economical alternative to tumbling is Iosso brass case cleaner, and comes in 1-gallon bottles. The advertising says that simply immersing the dirty brass in this liquid followed by rinsing and drying is all that is needed for cleaning it.

 

[SkipD]

Step #2 - Remove fired primer from cartridge case​

There is more than one way to remove a fired Boxer primer from a spent cartridge case but all involve pushing the primer out of the case with a small diameter punch through the flash hole in the case. This is a process which is often called "De-Capping".

All-manual reloading equipment kits such as the age-old Lee Loader kits provide a steel base which has a hollowed out space for the cartridge base to fit into and a hole for the primer to drop into. There is a handheld punch provided that you insert into the cartridge case flash hole and then rap with a mallet to drive out the spent primer.

The more common way to remove spent primers, however, is with a reloading press and a die that usually performs the function of resizing the cartridge case and driving out the spent primer with one stroke of the press handle.

Most reloading presses have a way to catch spent primers as they are driven out of the cartridge cases but I have seen some that do not. The old Texan turret press that I bought second hand many years ago did not come with a cup to catch the primers, so I made one for it.

While it is possible to remove Berdan primers from fired cartridge cases, I have never done it and am not totally sure how it is done. I believe it is done hydraulically rather than with some sort of punch. Berdan primers have no anvil in them and there are two holes in the case - one on each side of the anvil which is part of the case. As I mentioned earlier, finding new Berdan primers in this country is rather difficult so there are two reasons to simply scrap cartridge cases with Berdan primers rather than trying to reload them.

 

[SkipD]

Step #3 - Lubricating the cartridge case for resizing​

Unless you are using dies with carbide sizing rings in them, it is very important to lubricate the cartridge cases before resizing them by squeezing them through a die. This is usually done with either a lubricating pad that is much like an ink pad or with a spray lubricant.

I prefer to use a lubricating pad that I wet with a sizing lubricant. The pads and lubricants are available from the larger reloading equipment manufacturers such as RCBS and Lyman. The RCBS lube that I use is water soluble, making it easier to clean up. The old Lyman lubricant that I am still using requires some sort of solvent for cleanup.

Straight-walled pistol and rifle cases usually only need to be lubricated on the exterior surface. However, it is a very good idea to lubricate the inside of the case mouth in the case of bottle-necked pistol and rifle cartridge cases to prevent wear of the neck sizing button that is in most dies for these cases.

As I alluded to above, you can avoid the need for lubrication when sizing straight-walled pistol and rifle cases if you use dies that have carbide sizing rings in them. The dies are more expensive than plain steel dies but the savings in lubrication cost and effort is often well worth the price.

 

[SkipD]

Step #4 - Resizing the fired cartridge case​

A metallic cartridge case will expand in a firearm's chamber when it is fired. The dimensions of a fired case will always be larger than a new case. Most of the change after firing is in the diameters but there is often a change in the overall case length as well. The result is that the expanded cartridge case mouth will no longer properly hold a bullet in place. Also, the body of the expanded cartridge case will not slip into the chamber as easily as one which is at the design dimensions.

Most fired cartridge cases need to be full-length resized in the reloading process. This means that the entire cartridge case - from the case mouth to just above the solid base of the case - needs to be squeezed down to a smaller diameter.

Some bottle-necked rifle cases which are primarily used in bolt-action rifles may be neck-sized only. Neck-sizing only does increase the potential for accuracy because the alignment of the cartridge case in the chamber will be more positive because of the smaller clearance between the case and the chamber walls. However, one should not expect these cases to feed properly in an auto-loading rifle because of the diminished clearance causing increased friction while feeding. In fact, cases that have been only neck-sized should only be used in the same bolt-action rifle that they were previously fired in because of minor differences in chamber dimension from firearm to firearm.

All fired cartridge cases should be measured for length using an accurate gauge or a measuring tool such as a micrometer or a caliper. When the length of fired cases exceeds a maximum dimension, the length of the cases must be trimmed before continuing with the loading process. There is a variety of tools available to trim case lengths.

Resizing the diameter of a cartridge case is most often done by forcing the case into a hardened steel sizing die. The die will be designed for either full-length or neck-only sizing. The die will normally be used in a loading press, though there are kits that are made for some cartridge types that allow driving the case into the die with a mallet. When using a press, the cartridge will be held in a shell-holder that not only pushes the case into the die but extracts it from the die on the return stroke.

Because of the extreme pressures involved in squeezing a brass cartridge case to a smaller size, we normally lubricate the case before driving it into the die. There are dies - primarily for straight-walled pistol cases - that have carbide rings to do the sizing and these can be used without lubricating the case.

Most cartridge sizing dies have additional functionality. They frequently have a special punch built into them which pushes out Boxer type primers (a process called "de-capping"). Dies for sizing bottle-necked rifle cartridges frequently have a precision-sized hardened steel button that opens up the neck of the case to the proper diameter when the cartridge is extracted from the die.

When setting up a die to re-size cases, it must be adjusted properly for the cases that will be run through it. Accurate setup of dies is an important process to get the desired results.

Some dies can be used for more than one cartridge type. For example, you would use the very same die set for loading .38 Special and .357 Magnum cartridges. However, the die setup must be re-adjusted when switching from one cartridge type to the other. In this example, the sizing die will often not require a setup change when switching from .38 to .357 cartridges.

 

[SkipD]

Step #5 - Bell out the case mouth​

Starting a lead bullet, especially one which has a sharp edge at its base, into a cartridge case is not easy to do without shaving lead from the bullet. The solution is to bell the case mouth out just a little. This is a process which is typically done with pistol cartridges when lead bullets are used. Belling the case mouth is sometimes a useful process for easing insertion of jacketed pistol bullets as well, especially when the bullets have a fairly sharp corner at the base.

The reason that case mouth belling would not normally be done with rifle cartridges is that lead bullets for rifle cartridges typically have a gas check (which usually has a rounded corner at the base) applied to the base of the bullet.

Case mouth belling is typically done with a separate die in the reloading process. There are manual ways to bell out a case mouth, including lightly tapping an appropriately sized steel ball into the case mouth with a mallet.

 

[SkipD]

Step #6 - Clean off any sizing lubrication
​

If any lubricant was used in the cartridge case sizing process, it must now be thoroughly cleaned off the case. There are two reasons for this.

If lubricant is left on the outside of a cartridge case, the case would probably be driven rearward with more force than normal while being fired. This could cause excessive wear or damage in the firearm.

If lubricant is left on the inside of a cartridge case mouth, the bullet would not be held as securely and the overall length of the cartridge could be more easily changed if anything pushes down on the bullet. This could reduce the internal cartridge volume which would result in excessive chamber pressure upon firing. In addition, since different amounts of lubricant would be in each cartridge neck, the pressure required to release the bullet would be different for each cartridge. This would affect accuracy and open up group sizes for multiple shots.

I wash all of my cartridge cases at this point in the reloading process, using a suitable solvent. The solvents I use range from hot soapy water to alcohol and even to some industrial types of de-greasers that I have had access to. The choice of solvent should really be based on the characteristics of the lubricant(s) used on the cartridge cases.

Make sure that the cartridge cases are absolutely dry after the washing process before continuing to the next steps.

 

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Step #7 - Clean the primer pockets​

While some folks do not bother with this step, I always manually clean the hard carbon deposits out of the primer pockets in each cartridge case. If this process was not done, it is entirely possible that a new primer may not seat properly in a dirty primer pocket.

The tool that I use for this process is a Lee primer pocket cleaner. This tool has two different sized ends - one for small primer pockets and one for large primer pockets.

The process of cleaning a cartridge case's primer pocket is simple. Merely insert the correct end of the tool into the primer pocket and rotate it a couple of times. Then, I tap the cartridge with the primer pocket held downward to knock out the debris.

 

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Step #8 - Check cartridge case length and trim if necessary
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It is important that all of your cartridge cases be the correct length. Your reloading manuals will advise you of the maximum and trim-to dimensions. You will need a good gauge for the caliber you are reloading or you can use a good caliper or micrometer to measure the case lengths.

There is quite a variety of tools available to trim cartridge case lengths. My preference is the very simply designed and easy-to-use Lee cartridge case length trimmer. All four parts shown at the top of the linked page are used together. To change calibers, one needs to buy only a different shell holder and a different gauge bar. The shell holder lock stud and the cutter can be used with any of the gauge bar/shell holder sets. The real advantage of the Lee trimmer is that there is no adjustment to make and it's difficult to incorrectly trim a case.

To use this tool, I first chuck the lock stud into a drill and then screw the shell holder onto the stud. The cutter and gauge bar are screwed together and used as a single tool. Then, I insert a cartridge case into the shell holder and tighten the shell holder. The cutter/gauge bar is then inserted into the cartridge case with the tip of the gauge bar going through the primer flash hole. Spin the cartridge case with the drill while holding the cutter/gauge bar and pushing it into the case. When the tip of the gauge bar contacts the lock stud, the cutting stops and the case is now at the correct trim-to length. Believe me, it takes longer to read this than it does to do the process.

After trimming a cartridge case to length, you will often find burrs left on the inside and outside of the case mouth rim. I use a very simple-to-use Lee chamfer tool to clean these burrs off.

 

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Step #9 - Seating a new primer into the case​

Now that the cartridge case is sized, trimmed to length, and thoroughly cleaned, it is time to insert a new primer into the case. However, if you are reloading once-fired military cartridge cases, there is another step needed before inserting the primer which I will describe here.

Military cartridge cases usually have crimped-in primers. If you try to seat a new primer into a military case after simply de-capping the case, you will probably find that it is very difficult to get the new primer started into the primer pocket. The solution to this is to swage out the primer pockets in military cases before trying to insert a new primer. I use an RCBS primer pocket swaging tool in my reloading press and follow that up with a couple turns of the same Lee chamfering tool that I use for de-burring case mouths to put a slight bevel on the edge of the primer pocket.

Many reloading presses come with some sort of tube-fed device to seat new primers into cartridge cases. This operation is typically done just after running the cartridge case into the sizing/decapping die, on the down-stroke of the press ram. I have two very distinct problems with using this method to insert primers into cases. One is the fact that you do not have an opportunity to clean the primer pocket. The other is that, if you have used a sizing lubricant on the case, you have to be extremely careful with your technique for removing the lubricant later on because if you get any solvent into the case it could ruin the new primer.

I prefer to use a Lee handheld priming tool to seat primers when I am reloading metallic cartridge cases. There are a couple of reasons why I choose this method. First, I can do the priming step after all of my case cleaning processes have been done. Secondly, and pehaps more importantly for accuracy, I can literally feel the insertion process and know that all of my primers have been fully seated without being crushed in any way.

SAFETY ITEMS:

• When handling primers, you need to be wearing safety glasses and taking great care to treat primers gently.
• When handling primers, you should avoid touching them with your hands if at all possible. There are plastic primer flipping trays made that allow you to flip primers upright without touching them before loading them into tubes. Handheld priming tools like the Lee tool are provided with a similar flipping tray as part of the tool.
• When handling primers, try to avoid generating static electricity. Ground yourself at least occasionally and do not move around on a plastic seat or a carpet.
• Following the primer insertion step, it is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT that you inspect each and every primer to make sure that they have been properly installed and are flush with (or slightly below) the base of the cartridge case.

 

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Step #10 - Determining powder type and powder charge weights to use​

There are many reloading manuals available. However, there is one series of reloading manuals such as this one by Loadbooks USA which is specifically for the .380 ACP cartridge. These folks have scoured many reloading manuals and combined all of the information into one manual for each caliber. I highly recommend these books.

When choosing a powder type and the amount of powder to charge into a cartridge, there are a number of variables that must be considered.

The first is choosing the bullet that you wish to use. All bullets of the same weight ARE NOT IDENTICAL. Bullet weight alone is not the only important variable here. Bullet shape, length, and other variables such as how hard the bullet is (affecting how much pressure it takes to drive the bullet through a barrel) come into play. If I am trying to emulate a particular commercial "self-defense" load, I try to (and most often am successful) find the precise bullet used by the commercial loading firm. I use Cor-Bon ammunition for self-defense in my pistols and have found that they use commercially available bullets in all of their loads that I use.

Next, you must choose the most practical powder to use for your intended load. Choosing the "best" powder for your use is not a simple task. If you have determined a specific bullet that you want to use, then look up that bullet in an appropriate reloading manual. The manual will list a variety of powders and, usually, show velocities (THROUGH THEIR TEST BARREL which is likely different than your barrel) for different amounts of each powder. There are often notes that describe the performance of different powders - best accuracy, etc. I have found that extensive experimentation and measurements of performance is required to really find the best powder type and amount for a particular cartridge and purpose for the load.

If you are trying to load for performance, you will definitely want to obtain and use a good quality chronograph to measure the velocities of both commercial ammunition (for reference information) and your loads, fired through your firearm. The velocities shown in reloading manuals are measured with a different set of circumstances than your own such as the particular production lot of the powder, bullet bearing surface, bullet hardness, barrel/rifling diameter, barrel length, ambient temperature, and many more variables.

ALWAYS start on the lower end of the recommended powder charge amounts but DO NOT load cartridges with significantly less than the minimum recommended levels as that can cause a DETONATION rather than a controlled burn. That can take your firearm apart in a hurry. Experiment and measure results with a few rounds as you work your way up to higher powder charge levels. Use the chronograph and learn to estimate pressure levels. It is critically important to learn how to determine approximate pressures of your loads to make sure that you do not exceed safe pressure levels. I use a 10X magnifier to "read" the impressions in fired primers as well as using a good micrometer to detect any expansion of the base of a cartridge. I compare the fired primer appearance of my loads with the fired primers in equivalent high-quality commercial ammunition and NEVER exceed the amount of primer deformation that I see in the commercial ammunition.

The bottom line is that I have almost never been able to achieve the velocities of high-performance commercial ammunition without exceeding the pressures developed by the commercial ammunition. That is because the commercial loaders use custom-made powders for their loads. We cannot buy those powders over the counter.

DO NOT over-load ammunition for use in the LCP. Doing so can result in rapid and violent disassembly of the pistol (blown up barrel, slide, and frame). We've seen photos of such "Kaboom" incidents here and the Customer Service folks at Ruger tell me that they have seen a number of them.

Above all - BE SAFE!!!

 

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Step #11 - Measuring powder charge weights
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Getting the powder charge weight just right is a very critical task when loading ammunition. One must make absolutely sure that the charge is not too little or too much for safety reasons as much as anything else. Getting absolute uniformity in the charge weight from round to round is important if good accuracy is expected.

Having and using good quality powder scale is critically important to the ammunition loading process. Cheaply made powder scales are not only rather difficult to use but are often not very repeatable when measuring the same weight several times.

There are two basic types of affordable powder scales available to the hobbyist. One is the balance beam scale and the other is the electronic scale. Each uses a very different technology for making the measurement, of course.

The balance beam scale has precision weights that the operator moves along the beam until the beam sits in the center of its travel with the test weight on the pan. When making a measurement of an unknown weight, using the balance beam scale can be frustrating because of all the movements of the test weights on the beam to arrive at the proper value. It is my opinion that cheap balance beam scales should be avoided because the pivots are usually not well made and this causes "stickiness" in the operation resulting in poor repeatability to measure the same weight.

Electronic scales show the measured weight value on a digital display. Electronic scales can be calibrated and many are supplied with test weights for the purpose. Once an electronic scale is properly calibrated, there are no operator adjustments to make while using the scale other than making sure that the display is zeroed with an empty pan on the scale.

It is important to understand how to handle a scale in order to get the best results and to prevent damage to the scale. A good powder scale is a delicate instrument and should be treated as such.

• Either type of powder scale should be used on a very steady and level work surface. There should be no vibration in the work surface and little air movement as both can cause inaccurate readings.
• Handle a powder scale gently, keep it clean, and store it in a safe place. The pivots of a balance beam scale need to be kept clean for it to work properly.
• All weight loads should be applied in a gentle manner rather than dropping a bullet into the pan, for example. When pouring powder into a scale's pan, do so in a way that does not allow particles of the powder to fly out of the pan in the process.
• Checking the repeatability of a scale's reading can be done by gently lifting the loaded pan just a little bit and then releasing it. A good scale will show identical readings each time you do this.

Should you measure the weight of the powder load for each and every cartridge? If you are a stickler for accuracy or if you are at the high end of the recommended load range, the answer to this question could be "yes". Most folks who load ammunition don't like to take the time to weigh each charge, though. The alternative is to use a good powder measure. I will describe the use of a powder measure in the next article.

Note that ALL POWDER MEASURES ARE NOT ALIKE. One must choose the powder measure for the task at hand. Powder measure design and quality runs the gamut just like the variety of powder scales. Most powder measures are designed to dispense a variety of volumes while some use fixed-volume chambers. Some powder measures are designed for dispensing powder charges for large rifle cartridges. Others such as the Redding measure I linked to in the last paragraph are designed for dispensing precision small powder charges such as those used in small pistol cartridges. Using a large capacity powder measure to dispense small charges can be done, but the precision (repeatability) is very likely to suffer as a result.

Except for the fixed-volume powder measures, one must adjust the powder measure's chamber size and then measure a number of charges dispensed by the measure using a good powder scale. I recommend measuring a minimum of ten dispensed charges to prove the accuracy and repeatability of the powder measure setting.

SAFETY ITEMS:

• When handling powder, you need to be wearing safety glasses and taking great care to handle powder carefully so as to avoid spilling the powder.
• When handling powder, you should avoid contaminating the powder with any type of oil including the natural oils on your hands.
• When handling powder, try to avoid generating static electricity. Ground yourself at least occasionally and do not move around on a plastic seat or a carpet.

 

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Step 12 - Charging powder into cartridge cases​

As suggested in the previous step, you can weigh each powder charge individually or you can use a calibrated powder measure to "throw" the charges more quickly.

You will need a properly sized powder funnel to allow you to fill your cartridge cases without spilling. Powder measures usually are provided with a tapered nozzle to charge powder directly into a cartridge case without needing a funnel. However, if you are charging from a scale pan or a drop tube (part of some types of powder measures), you will definitely need a funnel.

I'd like to mention a possible problem with powder funnels. Because most powder funnels are made of plastic, it's not uncommon to find that a funnel has a static electrical charge on it. That makes the powder fail to flow properly and powder sticks to the funnel. If this occurs, wash the funnel using dish soap and running water. Pat the funnel dry but DO NOT wipe it dry as that can cause a static charge to build up on the funnel's surface.

There are several different types of powder measures available, but the Redding 10X powder measure is absolutely the best that I have found for charging small pistol cartridges. The Redding 10X has a smaller diameter charge-measuring tube than most other powder measures have and that, along with other design details, helps the 10X to throw extremely uniform pistol-sized charges. Using a measure with a larger diameter charge tube (but adjusted to a shorter length) for the same amount of powder generally reduces the accuracy of the charge. Some powder measures - especially those intended to be mounted on an automated loading press - use charge blocks with fixed-size holes for the charge. I have no experience with these, but they should be quite repeatable as long as the vibrations of the press are the same for each cycle. The least expensive powder measure type is the calibrated plastic scoop type made by Lee Precision. While they work, they are not adjustable and require extremely careful use to get the same amount of powder in each charge.

When using a powder measure of any type, you should develop a work process that affects the powder in the measure identically for each charge. That means that you do not want any variation in the amount of vibration affecting the powder each time a charge is being measured. More vibration would pack more powder into the measure's volume chamber. If I feel anything odd when "throwing" a powder charge with a powder measure, I dump that charge back into the measure's hopper and throw another charge into the cartridge.

Regardless of how you create the powder charge, I highly recommend using a "case loading block" or "loading tray" to hold cartridge cases during the powder charging process. This allows you to work with as many as 50 or 60 cartridges at one time.

When charging the cases with powder via my funnel (typically when weighing each charge individually), I leave the cases in the loading tray and move the funnel from one case to the next during the charging process.

When using a powder measure, I have the measure mounted in such a way that I can pass the tray-load of cases under the measure during the charging process rather than handling each cartridge case individually. This way, I am less likely to spill powder from the cases.

Using a loading tray allows you to visually check the powder level in the entire batch at one time, making it fairly easy to spot an over-charged or an under-charged cartridge before sealing up the cases with bullets. I always observe the entire tray containing filled cartridge cases to see if there is any spilled powder on the tray. If so, I usually dump the powder out of all the cases surrounding the spill and re-fill them because one or more of those cases was obviously under-filled.

 

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Step #13 - Starting and seating the bullet​

Starting a bullet into a cartridge case so that the bullet is straight (concentric with the case) before you seat it is sometimes quite tricky. The choices of steps in case preparation and the choice of bullet seating die can make all the difference in the world in this step of loading ammunition.

Because I typically bell the case mouth a little bit for pistol cartridges, I can usually put the bullet into the case by hand just enough to get it to stay concentric with the case as I put the case/bullet combination into the loading press's shell holder.

When loading pistol cartridges that do not have the case mouth belled, it usually takes a bit of fiddling with each bullet to get them to go into the seating die concentric with the case. I typically hold onto the bullet as I start the case/bullet into the die.

When loading bottle-necked rifle cartridges such as .223 or .308, I really enjoy the design of RCBS Competition series dies that I use as you first run the case into the die and then drop the bullet through an opening on the side of the die. There's no easier process for getting a bullet to seat perfectly.

Seating depth for bullets is critically important for several reasons:

• Seating depth affects the internal volume of the cartridge, and the internal volume of the cartridge affects the chamber pressure when the cartridge is fired.
• Seating depth affects how the finished cartridge will feed in a firearm. If the finished cartridge is too long, it could hang up in the firearm's magazine.
• Seating depth affects how much friction is holding the bullet into the cartridge. That affects chamber pressure and, potentially, accuracy.

Be aware that the optimum seating depth of different bullet types (shapes) will be different even for the same caliber cartridge. Pay strict attention the the loading data from the bullet manufacturer to learn the proper overall length (OAL) for the finished cartridge when using a particular bullet. When setting up your loading dies, you will have to make a series of small adjustments to achieve the proper seating depth.

Many bullet seating dies can crimp the cartridge case in addition to seating the bullet. Be aware that adjusting such a die can be loads of fun because changing the amount of crimp will affect the seating depth of the bullet. I find that it's always best if you have at least one properly loaded (and, if necessary, crimped) cartridge (using the same bullet you are setting up for) to use as a "model" when setting up a seating die. Using this model cartridge, you can run the die down to the approximate crimp position and then lock the die's position with the nut around it. Then you'd run the bullet seating plug down until it just touches the bullet. From this point, only very minor additional adjustments are typically required.

Crimping a bullet into a cartridge is something which must be done correctly and care must be taken to avoid over-crimping. There are several types of crimps that can be applied to a cartridge:

• Roll crimp - typically used for rimmed pistol cartridges when using lead bullets with crimping grooves in them. Roll crimping is usually done with the same die that is used to seat the bullet.
• Taper crimp - applied to rimless pistol cartridges (like .380, 9mm, ,45ACP, etc.) which headspace on the case mouth. Taper crimping is usually done with a separate die made just for this purpose.
• Compression crimp (my term) - used for military-like crimping of bullets in bottle-necked cartridge cases. This type of crimping is done with a separate die. The Lee "Factory Crimp" die for the .223 cartridge is a perfect example.

ALWAYS check the overall length of your finished cartridges using a measuring tool such as a caliper and comparing the results to the published specifications for the cartridge caliber and the specific bullet being used. Once you're sure that your production is providing proper length cartridges, you should still measure samples once in a while to prove that your setup is not changing. Make sure to inspect your crimping, making sure that is not over-done and distorting the cartridge case.