YAGT: OMG I love guns

[desertdweller]

Yeah, I already took it down with some 600grit sandpaper. I'm not too worried about that, for sure...that hole would have to get a lot more worn out for me to worry. But what I was saying about the firing pin is that it's simply grown in diameter over the years and lost its point. So instead of looking more like the end of a knitting needle, it looks like a flat pin punch- way too much surface area contacting the primer.

Here are my casings from yesterday-

Unfortunately, my dumb ass seems to have broken something when I was trying to force the cylinder around. The lock at the bottom of the frame that engages the outside of the cylinder is not retracting. I believe that's a common weak spot in Colts and straight-up clones (newer guns like the Rugers may have refined it a bit).

Also, could Merad or anyone else that reloads recommend me some starter gear that I could use for .45? I've never seriously looked into reloading, but it seems to make sense to start here. Just wanting to see what I'd have to spend.

Press and something solid to mount it on
Powder
Powder Measure (May come with press)
Dies
Primer (May come with press)
Scale
Calipers
Case Lube
Tumbler
Cleaning Media
Bullets
Primers
Casings
Bullet puller for when you screw something up
Primer flipping tray


You really need to know your budget on it all though and how much you shoot. I use a Hornady progressive press with a combination of Redding and Lyman dies. My initial setup costs for this type of press was around a grand. But, I like being able to crank out 350 to 400 rounds in an hour. However, I would not suggest this type of press for extreme precision. If you're after precision, you will probably want a single stage press and trickle instead of a powder measure.

You need to figure out if you want a single stage press, a progressive press or turret type. The Lee Classic get a lot of really nice reviews and isn't all that expensive, but, really you should probably plan on somewhere around $500 to start if you don't go with a progressive press.

You don't have to buy the most expensive equipment, I'm using a Hornady digital scale that like $50, a cheap Hornady caliper that was about the same. But good dies are worth the extra money. I mostly load .40 and the dies I'm currently using for it cost me about $125 because I mixed and matched and bought them all individually.

 

[coxmaster]

You need to figure out if you want a single stage press, a progressive press or turret type. The Lee Classic get a lot of really nice reviews and isn't all that expensive, but, really you should probably plan on somewhere around $500 to start if you don't go with a progressive press.

.

I started out with a Lee progressive press. My total cost was right at $300 including everything on top of the press that I needed.

Since I shoot a lot (9mm) I managed to save enough to cover the press in just about 6 months.

 

[OCGuy]

I'll ask him tomorrow.. I know that at one point he was buying it off a guy that worked there in more than just 3 boxes. How much and how often I couldn't say. I was with him once when he picked it up on the way to lunch.

Edit: That was last year though, no clue if he's still doing that.

Ah OK. Last year makes sense. I was paying almost $1/round for .45 and .223/5.56. :/

 

[Merad]

Also, could Merad or anyone else that reloads recommend me some starter gear that I could use for .45? I've never seriously looked into reloading, but it seems to make sense to start here. Just wanting to see what I'd have to spend.

This is good info: http://www.reddit.com/r/reloading/wiki/faq

Basically the more money you spend the faster you can make rounds.

A basic single stage setup can probably be done for $150-200 and let you do around 100 rounds per hour with practice.
A turret press setup will run $300-400 and you top out around 300 rounds per hour.
Finally a progressive will start at like $500+ (and go up to $$$) but they can do like 600-800 rounds per hour or more.

If you have the budget and are reasonably sure that you're going to do a decent amount of reloading I really recommend starting with a turret. That's what I have. Progressive presses are a bad idea for a beginner.

 

[Kelvrick]

This is good info: http://www.reddit.com/r/reloading/wiki/faq

Basically the more money you spend the faster you can make rounds.

A basic single stage setup can probably be done for $150-200 and let you do around 100 rounds per hour with practice.
A turret press setup will run $300-400 and you top out around 300 rounds per hour.
Finally a progressive will start at like $500+ (and go up to $$$) but they can do like 600-800 rounds per hour or more.

If you have the budget and are reasonably sure that you're going to do a decent amount of reloading I really recommend starting with a turret. That's what I have. Progressive presses are a bad idea for a beginner.

That, or a single stage like an rcbs rockchucker to start out. Then you can move on to a progressive after and keep the single stage for precision stuff. Although you could remove the indexing rod in a lee turret press and turn it into single stage as well.

<= Personally started on a lee classic turret.

 

[OCGuy]

I'm sure you re-loaders know this already but please don't use those rounds in your nightstand gun. Just some friendly advice.

 

[phucheneh]

As usual, thanks for the advice, fellas. I always get a good place to start, if nothing else. Massive difference between having, at worst, specific things to google and research, rather than just typing 'how to reload ammo' in and poring through irrelevant results and bad info.

In my head, I think I was figuring around 200-300 to start with just .45 (long colt). For hardware; not including primers, powder, and bullets...100-200 for a press, the rest for measuring devices and whatnot. And just the .45 dies, since I wouldn't imagine that's a caliber that would come in any kind of set (aside from some kind of hugely expensive 'master' set).

At, with tax, 45 bucks for a 50rd box, I probably need to buy another 250 rounds (have about 60 new and 40 fired right now) and upon reloading that ~350 rounds, I will have pretty much made my investment back. Supplies are nothing...I'm seeing 500 bullets (the biggest expense) for about $75 (500 cartridges off the shelf: $450).

If the car industry hadn't switch from lead to steel wheel weights, I would have a free supply of bullet-casting materials, too. Dammit.

 

[BladeVenom]

Dan Wesson has some series 70 1911s - they're well built, give them a look.

Dan Wessons look nice. STI is another good choice. Some of the Les Baers can be had for $2000.

 

[Svnla]

IMO, 9 mm should be about $0.30 per round and .223/5.56 should be about $0.40 per round. Those are for total price (including shipping) for brass case (not steel), factory made (not reload) brand new well know brands such as Federal, CCI.

 

[Merad]

At, with tax, 45 bucks for a 50rd box, I probably need to buy another 250 rounds (have about 60 new and 40 fired right now) and upon reloading that ~350 rounds, I will have pretty much made my investment back. Supplies are nothing...I'm seeing 500 bullets (the biggest expense) for about $75 (500 cartridges off the shelf: $450).

Better than that, actually. I've been buying cast lately from Dardas (http://www.dardascastbullets.com) and even their heaviest .45 bullets are $100/1k. Powder and primer should both run you around $.03-.05 per round on pistol cartridges.

If the car industry hadn't switch from lead to steel wheel weights, I would have a free supply of bullet-casting materials, too. Dammit.

You still might be able to pick them up cheap if you call around to tire shops. I know I see guys on gun forums selling them all the time. Of course though you're probably looking at $100+ extra in equipment plus time and effort to cast your own... personally I'd have to start shooting a LOT more before I took that step.

 

[phucheneh]

At my work, lead weights get pulled off sometimes, but it's hard to pick them out. New ones are steel, as are IFAIK any new weights going onto cars/light trucks at this point. I think they passed some kind of 'lead-free by [date]' thing at some point, and if that date hasn't occurred, it's eminent.

And your link has 500 rounds of .45 lead flat nose 200gr for 45 bucks. $55 for 250gr. That puts reloading 500 rounds of .45LC at as little about $70-80. 100, tops. That's around a 1/5th of the price of the new rounds...which you do pretty much HAVE to buy to get the casings, unfortunately...how many times can you expect to reuse casings on a revolver? Should one keep (if possible) seperate piles for once/twice/ect fired ammo? Or will your measurements (and subsequent ability to resize) simply be able to tell you when to discard casings?

 

[sa7an1]

Dan Wessons look nice. STI is another good choice. Some of the Les Baers can be had for $2000.

the Dan Wesson CCO and V-bob look real nice, unfortunately no one around me has them in stock so i cannot get hands on....

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Dan Wesson has some series 70 1911s - they're well built, give them a look.

Yeah, they seem to be some of the best production 1911s all around. I have been eyeing them lately.

 

[Merad]

That's around a 1/5th of the price of the new rounds...which you do pretty much HAVE to buy to get the casings, unfortunately...

They aren't terribly hard to find, actually. My go-to brass place has them in stock: https://www.diamondkbrass.com/.45-LONG-COLT-100.html

You can also keep an eye on /r/BrassSwap, local gun forums, etc.

how many times can you expect to reuse casings on a revolver? Should one keep (if possible) seperate piles for once/twice/ect fired ammo? Or will your measurements (and subsequent ability to resize) simply be able to tell you when to discard casings?

You pretty much keep loading revolver brass until it splits. Which takes a LONG time. Like, a dozen or more loadings.

TBH you can be as anal as you want to when it comes to reloading. Some guys will sort out brass by headstamp, then sub-sort but number of firings, etc. Too much work for me. I just inspect before and after loading to be sure that nothing is split or otherwise damaged.

 

[velillen]

Which means the supply is loosening, which makes it hard to believe you can buy at Walmart and sell it to your neighbor and still make a ton of money.

CA always seemed to have the wal-mart resellers as the worst. I was down there for work and was just amazed at it. I shop early in the mornings to avoid the crowds anyways and was just floored at the line of 30 people at the gun counter at 6am just trying to get ammo. And then seeing those people outside selling it right there to those who really needed it and were in line. Remember reading on calguns about how most of the wal-marts had to start randomly putting ammo out due to lines and all sorts of crap.

My local wal-mart only has a 3 box limit on 22 now. The cabinet is pretty stocked with everything they normally sell (minus 22).

 

[velillen]

They aren't terribly hard to find, actually. My go-to brass place has them in stock: https://www.diamondkbrass.com/.45-LONG-COLT-100.html

You can also keep an eye on /r/BrassSwap, local gun forums, etc.

THose prices kinda suck though. You can get new Starline (considered one of the best) 1000 cases for ~200 bucks. They want 335 bucks for 100 once fired cases.

You pretty much keep loading revolver brass until it splits. Which takes a LONG time. Like, a dozen or more loadings.

It also depends on how hot you are loading too. Max loads you will wear out the brass quicker. Just plinking rounds are not as hard on the cases so they will last a bit longer. There is no guarantee on how long a case will last. Ive had ones that made it two reloadings and ive had others that are on their 6th or so now.

Im like Merad though and just keep reloading till they split and dont worry about it. Just inspect the case before you load it. Which for me is at the sizing stage. Its pretty easy to see a cracked neck once you see it once or twice in person.

TBH you can be as anal as you want to when it comes to reloading. Some guys will sort out brass by headstamp, then sub-sort but number of firings, etc. Too much work for me. I just inspect before and after loading to be sure that nothing is split or otherwise damaged.

For pistol i have never heard or really seen any good proof that it helps to sort. I go mixed headstamp and mixed number of reloadings for all my pistol. In fact i do it for my rifle as well. Using mixed headstamp (even milsurp vs commercial) i have still shot a couple .5MOA groups at 100 and 200 yards. Only time i would sort is if i was shooting benchrest (and capable of doing it) groups where you really could tell a difference. For me its toss it all in the tumbler, prep it and prime it and toss it in the storage bin. Once its time to reload grab a handful from the bin and load em up without much though to what the case is

 

[Tiamat]

the Dan Wesson CCO and V-bob look real nice, unfortunately no one around me has them in stock so i cannot get hands on....

Yup same problem here. I like the vbob and valor :-\

 

[BladeVenom]

the Dan Wesson CCO and V-bob look real nice, unfortunately no one around me has them in stock so i cannot get hands on....

Are you using Gun Genie? http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/default.aspx

 

[pontifex]

They aren't terribly hard to find, actually. My go-to brass place has them in stock: https://www.diamondkbrass.com/.45-LONG-COLT-100.html

You can also keep an eye on /r/BrassSwap, local gun forums, etc.



You pretty much keep loading revolver brass until it splits. Which takes a LONG time. Like, a dozen or more loadings.

TBH you can be as anal as you want to when it comes to reloading. Some guys will sort out brass by headstamp, then sub-sort but number of firings, etc. Too much work for me. I just inspect before and after loading to be sure that nothing is split or otherwise damaged.

I bought 500 45 lc cases from Star line. I loaded up all 500 but only shot about 100 so far.

 

[Merad]

Man I never realized Starline sold brass direct through their website. Yeah, their prices are a lot better: $106/500 .45 LC. Of course they are out of stock with no backorder at the moment.

 

[dabuddha]

Man I ordered a bunch of ammo from freedommunitions during their free shipping weekend and it just now shipped out. Took over 20 business days (almost a month).

 

[sa7an1]

Are you using Gun Genie? http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/default.aspx

nope i definitely wasn't, but I will from now on!

Yup same problem here. I like the vbob and valor :-\

I found a V-bob in my local gander mountain, and its NICE! so nice in fact mine should be here tomorrow :biggrin:

 

[MongGrel]

Dan Wessons look nice. STI is another good choice. Some of the Les Baers can be had for $2000.

Yes they do.

If I was plunking down up to 2K on a 1911, I'd still be tempted to go that Dan Wesson RZ-10 myself, but that's just me.

 

[RampantAndroid]

Yeah, they seem to be some of the best production 1911s all around. I have been eyeing them lately.

I cannot compliment my CCO enough - light, slightly compact (well, for a 1911, VERY compact) and I have had NO failures at all - no FTEs, no FTFs. Incredibly comfy in the hand (they don't do stipiling on the one I have...it looks more like a chain link) and way more accurate than I am.

http://37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsvavxEDgx1qiy1qmo1_1280.jpg
http://serenitysys.com/shooting/guns/Dan_Wesson/Dan_Wesson_CCO_5372.jpg

 

[phucheneh]

Well this is annoying. I was all ready to buy two things: stuff to reload .45, including a press, and a .45 Ruger Blackhawk. Now I'm noticing that someone has all of sudden apparently bought up like half of the Blackhawk models that Bud's had recently, leaving a rather crappy selection at higher prices. I was seeing every caliber in black and stainless with different grips. Now these are really the only decent option in .45 Colt, other than Vanqueros (I want decent sights).

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...+45+Long+Colt45+ACP+w5.5"+Barrel+&+Blue+Finis
That's a little over 500 for black (or blued, rather, but Ruger's bluing is dark and not very pretty) with plastic grips. But the extra cylinder in .45ACP makes it kind of a smart buy, I think. If I wanted to pay more, they have a Bisley Super Blackhawk in stock for about $100 more.

That thing would take hot loads like a seasoned whore.

edit: the Bisley. The design has grown on me. I still think it's ugly, but probably very effective. I mostly just wish you could get something like the Bisley hammer with a normal grip. Uberti's El Patron is the only SAA I can think of with just a modded hammer design.