Handbook of Reloading Basics

295 Pages·2014·6.69 MB·English

by  Robin Sharpless

Handbook of
RELOADING
BASICS
Robin Sharpless and Rick Sapp
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Introduction
The practice of reloading ammunition has taken on explosive, almost unimaginable
popularity in recent times. The reasons for this are several. The current political climate
and the push for ever-tightening firearm and ammunition regulations has gun owners on
the defensive. The mindset of “buy it before they take it away” has become
commonplace among shooters of all walks, from weekend recreational and one-gun
self-defense practitioners to serious competition shooters and avid hunters. The current
state of the firearms industry is also spawning new shooters every day, with those who
either didn’t have a position on gun ownership before or who were on the fence now
opening their minds and wallets and exploring all that the shooting sports has to offer.
In line with record-breaking gun sales across the country, ammunition—or the lack
thereof—has been the hot topic for much of the last couple years. Retail stores were
sold out for months at a time of everything from .22 LR to .30-06 to shotshells of all
sizes, with reports of hoarding by many. Some sellers placed limits on ammunition buys
—two boxes, five boxes—hoping to expand their customer base. At the same time,
factory ammunition makers went into full swing, pumping out fresh rounds as fast as
possible, but when store shelves remained empty for legions of shooter, they swarmed
to reloading.
The numbers of consumers new to reloading is staggering—and exciting! And that’s
why we’ve assembled this book. We’ve all been in those shoes. You’re faced with a
complicated set of tools, tools that often don’t look like they’ll do what they do, and
that leaves many new to the practice intimidated. Which type of press is best? How do I
make it work once I have it? What components do I need to put my ammo together, and
will my ammo look as good as the factory? These and other questions can stop the new
reloader before they start.
That’s why we’ve put together Handbook of Reloading Basics. Intended not just to
get you started, but also to become a volume you keep as a practical and handy
reference on your reloading bench or in your range bag, authors Robin Sharpless and
Rick Sapp cover all those first questions the new reloader has and more. Indeed, we’ve
covered both metallic cartridge and shotshell reloading, with advice on press and
accessory buys, component necessities, and step by step instructions for your first time
at the press. You’ll also find a reference section full of reloading and component
suppliers, and these are the experts you’ll turn to for advice on specific powders, extra
tools that streamline the reloading process, and the specialty equipment that can take
your accuracy and shooting to new levels.
Whether you’re a homeowner who keeps just a simple 9mm handgun by the beside
for home-defense, a hunter who enjoys the challenge of extending your range, or a
weekend skeet or sporting clays shooter who wants to start competing and sees the
value in saving money by reloading, Handbook of Reloading Basics has something for
everyone. Enjoy—you’ve just embarked on one of the most interesting aspects of
shooting.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Special Offers
Part I: Metallic Cartridge Reloading
Section A: Metallic Cartridge Reloading Fundamentals
Chapter 1: What’s it All About?
Chapter 2: Metallic Cartridge Components
Chapter 3: Understanding the Brass Case
Chapter 4: Reloading Presses for Metallic Cartridges
Section B: Reloading the Bottleneck Case
Chapter 5: Bottleneck Case Resizing and Trimming
Chapter 6: Bottleneck Case Priming
Chapter 7: Bottleneck Case Powder Measurement and Pouring
Chapter 8: Bottleneck Case Bullet Seating and Crimping
Section C: Reloading the Straight-Wall Case
Chapter 9: Straight-Wall Case Dies, Case Lubrication and Case Trimming
Chapter 10: Straight-Wall Case Priming
Chapter 11: Straight-Wall Case Powder Measurement and Pouring
Chapter 12: Straight-Wall Case Bullet Seating and Crimping
Part II: Shotshell Reloading
Section D: Shotshell Reloading Fundamentals
Chapter 13: What’s Shotshell Reloading All About?
Chapter 14: Shotshell Components
Chapter 15: Shotshell Propellants
Chapter 16: Understanding Shot
Chapter 17: Shotshell Reloading Presses
Section E: Reloading the Shotshell
Chapter 18: Component Setup and the Reloading Process
Chapter 19: Reloading Buckshot and Slugs
Chapter 20: Reloading Shotshells for Extreme Temperatures
Appendix I—Safety and Other Considerations
Appendix II—Powder Bushing Charts for Shotshell Reloading (Courtesy Hodgdon
Powders)
Appendix III—Web Resource Listing
About the Authors
PART I:
SECTION A:
Metallic Cartridge
Reloading Fundamentals
1 What’s It All About?
Metallic cartridge reloading is a marriage of the process and techniques used to recycle
a previously fired brass cartridge case for reuse as a newly loaded round of ammunition.
The goal is to produce a round consistent with the original form and function of the
factory round from which it was derived. The process prepares the case for reuse by
cleaning, resizing to a factory specification, and finishing with the replacement of the
components that have been either consumed or discharged from the firearm in the firing
process. The terms “reloading” and “handloading” are often used interchangeably, but
reloading truly differs from the conceptual process of handloading, which is performed
to produce a “custom” cartridge configuration generally not available in a factory-
supplied cartridge. Factory ammunition, for the purposes of this discussion, is that
produced in the U.S. by members of SAAMI, the Sporting Arms and Ammunition
Manufacturer’s Association. SAAMI is the governing body of U.S. firearms and
ammunition makers and sets the standards adopted and used by ANSI, the American
National Standards Institute.
Reloaded cartridges made to SAAMI specs.
Reloading today is now thankfully beyond this massive “portable” shotshell reloading
setup (seen here back in the day at the Hornady plant), and the handloading of
blackpowder firearms. We’ve come a long way, baby!
In this text, we’ll discuss the basic principles and specific steps required to reload
metallic cartridge cases in both bottleneck and straight-wall cases. Generally, these two
are considered as rifle and pistol cases, respectively, but there are straight-wall rifle
rounds and bottleneck pistol or revolver cartridges (an exception to every rule). In the
end, you will have a basic understanding of the needed concepts and safety protocols to
build good quality ammunition for use in your centerfire metallic cartridge firearms at a
fraction of the cost of buying newly produced factory ammunition.