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View Full Version : Christmas funds (got some extra cash what to prioritize?)



9w1911
12-23-2013, 09:34 PM
Ok I will have about 600 to play with maybe a little more, now the question is, I have an AR build to finish and also to purchase all of the die kits and stuff to start to reload for it, or,, do I still continue to build that piece by piece and in-turn spend the money on a wheel gun in 44mag which I all ready load and cast for, I dont know what to spend the money on, a few months ago I was all AR! AR!, "must finish multiple style or ARs before the ban" the etc and now I have 3 lowers, two which are complete, with stripped uppers, I built both purchases all lower parts on sale as budget ARs to hand to friends and family when the SHTF, and I have one nice billet which is one I am saving, I can sell the other two complete lowers and put that towards the billet lower, and thus free up for the 44 revolver but that leads me high and dry for reloading anything 223 for sometime. need help I am going insane making sure I guy what I need, but I really want the revolver (the revolver is 650.00 at Cabelas so i was hoping for 20% off after Christmas etc) or,,,buy a Taurus M44 from Buds guns at 485.00 and free shipping(it will be 25.00 for the BC and 25.00 for the transfer from my ffl)

Love Life
12-23-2013, 09:41 PM
A) Don't buy Taurus
B) Don't buy Taurus
C) Don't buy Taurus
D) Finish the AR and buy the stuff needed to feed it. Get good with it, and stick it in the safe. They are easy weapons to use, and once your proficiency is high you can ignore them till needed.
E) Save up for a revolver in the future.

daniel lawecki
12-23-2013, 09:49 PM
+1 to what Love Life one thing at a time.

9w1911
12-23-2013, 09:53 PM
thats the advice I needed sir!!
not to be redundant but the correct answer is D? haha you can see I am confused

thank you

Bzcraig
12-23-2013, 09:55 PM
I'm with LL too. Finish the unfinished then move on.

9w1911
12-23-2013, 09:56 PM
Finish the unfinished then move on. --check!! will do clarity finally!

Love Life
12-23-2013, 10:00 PM
D is the correct answer. I'd take an AR over a 44 mag anything for about any situation.

prsman23
12-23-2013, 10:03 PM
Yeah.
D.
Finish it. But in 300blk
:-)
Jk. If you've got the goods for 5.56/.223 go that way.

9w1911
12-23-2013, 10:11 PM
I do not have any barrels yet, but i am thinking starting with a 556 heavy, prob chromed lined from SOTA.
I am waiting to see if PSA blows stuff out on the 26th .

SO here is the thread hijack what dies to get ? I use a 550b and the dies from them are 120 lol

Love Life
12-23-2013, 10:22 PM
Get a set of small base RCBS dies. Your brass may or may not need it, but you really aren't hurting anything by getting them. When I do large runs of 5.56 on the 550 I hit all the cases with some home made case lube spray, run them through the Dillon, and then give them a 20 minute tumble afterwards to remove all lube.

Another good way to do it is to size all the brass on another press and then tumble the lube off, stick a universal decapper in the priming station to knock out ay corn cob stuck in flash hole, and load them that way. This way takes more time, but you don't have to tumble the loaded rds afterwards.

9w1911
12-23-2013, 10:31 PM
ok I do have about 200 Fed nickle plated 223 brass I got from a LEO friend

and I size and de-prime and then tumble, then clean flash holes and taper debur anything, etc

I was looking at the Redding die set for 223 Rem(why a neck sizer and not a crimp die ?), the RCBS looks great but believe it or not I have never seated and crimped!! I have always done it separate? (haha did I just date myself with that comment lol)

Postalpaul
12-23-2013, 10:55 PM
I'll take a rifle especially a semi auto rifle over a handgun

Love Life
12-23-2013, 10:56 PM
Ensure you either get a FL or SB sizing die. Especially if you are swapping ammo between guns. Also the Lee FCD for 5.56 is well worth the money for this caliber in this platform.

9w1911
12-23-2013, 11:00 PM
LL will the Lee FCD resize a cast boolit? I hear the rumors of such

Love Life
12-24-2013, 01:16 AM
I don't believe that is an issue with the rifle rounds, as all it is is a collet crimp. It may squish the tiny little crimp line, but it won't swage the entire length of the boolit down.

I only load jacketed in my AR's so that is all the info I can provide.

DaveInFloweryBranchGA
12-24-2013, 01:25 AM
Finish the AR, get used dies off the swap and sell. You don't have to use Dillon dies to get quality reloads. In fact, for an AR, I would probably go with an RCBS lube die to lube deprime, a Dillon RT1200 trimmer to size and trim to length for pass #1 on the 550. Check the case with a Dillon or Wilson case tool. On the second pass, I'd use a Dillon powder measure and a Forster micrometer seating die to place the bullet, then lightly crimp with a Lee collett crimp die. (note: Lee rifle factory crimp dies are collet dies and do not size down a boolit. You control the amount of crimp with the die adjustment. A little goes a long way.)

Always a good idea to get good reloading a certain cartridge, then buy a mold and such for lead.

9w1911
12-24-2013, 01:33 AM
will do thank you guys!!

waksupi
12-24-2013, 03:00 AM
A) Don't buy Taurus
B) Don't buy Taurus
C) Don't buy Taurus
D) Finish the AR and buy the stuff needed to feed it. Get good with it, and stick it in the safe. They are easy weapons to use, and once your proficiency is high you can ignore them till needed.
E) Save up for a revolver in the future.

Dick forgot to mention it, but don't buy a Taurus!

9w1911
12-24-2013, 04:25 AM
I really liked the taurus m44, but I see everyones point I need to finish one AR

gon2shoot
12-24-2013, 06:47 AM
I think you should consider what you will use the most, what's more adaptable to changing situations, and a better investment, then don't buy the Tarus.

dudel
12-24-2013, 07:33 AM
Finish the lowers, get an extra lower parts kit (for spares), stock up on powder, primers and projectiles (or get lead, molds, pot, etc).

I have no problem with Taurus. Mine have been fine.

9w1911
12-24-2013, 02:25 PM
ok do I sell both forged complete lowers and put that towards my billet lower that is in the safe? or do I keep the billet stored away and build one of my to completed forged lowers?

Also I have in my shopping cart t MidwayUSA is a Forster FL sizer die, a Forster seating die and a Lee FCD all in 223 how youguys feel about that?

DaveInFloweryBranchGA
12-25-2013, 02:44 AM
After having shot lots and lots of rounds out of AR16's and M16's, I've never see why anyone needed a billet lower when so very many companies build perfectly suitable lowers these days for very good prices. Were I you, I'd sell the billet lower and use the other two lowers.

I'd skip the Forster FL die and get a Forster Micrometer Seating die only, not the standard one. The Lee FCD would be good as well. As far as a sizing die goes, I'd go with what I suggested before in my previous post.

There's a couple solutions you can do, but before you make the decision, be aware an AR15 can be a hungry beast at the range, depending on what you are doing. Pays to have a setup that can process a lot of brass in a hurry. I selected those components/dies AFTER having reloading rifle progressively for years. After my extremely positive experience using that setup, I'm now moving all my larger volume rifle cartridges (.223, .308 and 30-06) over to that setup to provide ammunition for semi auto rifles.

Just so you know, it's just about impossible to run rifle brass through and make quality ammunition on a single pass unless you have a 1050 or bigger press. Hence the 2 run process and the items I suggested. Oddly enough, it ended up being the most efficient, least work and cost solution I've found in 15 years of progressive reloading.

jmorris
12-25-2013, 03:10 AM
Just so you know, it's just about impossible to run rifle brass through and make quality ammunition on a single pass unless you have a 1050 or bigger press

Even if you have a 1050, you can't get it done right in a single pass.

9w1911
12-25-2013, 03:35 AM
I got a great deal on the lower, and it was made by a friend and is unique but I agree forged to me is just as good,

prsman23
12-25-2013, 07:51 PM
Even if you have a 1050, you can't get it done right in a single pass.

Can you explain? I've been using a rock chucker for my rifle rounds and am getting set up for my 550. What would I need to run through extra?

DaveInFloweryBranchGA
12-26-2013, 01:49 AM
Can you explain? I've been using a rock chucker for my rifle rounds and am getting set up for my 550. What would I need to run through extra?

This is how I do things, others may vary, but this setup gives me cartridges that give me groups matching or bettering my single stage loaded cartridges.

Pass one: Deprime/lube, then size/trim - RCBS lube die to deprime/lube, Dillon trim die to size and Dillon electric case trimmer with small shop vacuum attached to remove most of the brass bits to trim.

Between passes: Tumble using corn cob/walnut shell mixed 50/50 with a healthy dollop of Nu Finish car polish to give it a shine to remove lube, clean primer pockets and remove any errant bits of brass the shop vacuum attachment didn't pick up. Then check the freshly tumbled and clean brass with a Dillon or Wilson case gauge to confirm trim quality and case uniformity. If you want to neck turn, primer pocket swage or primer pocket uniform, you can do it at this time.

Pass two: Seat primer, dump powder (Pick appropriate case activated powder measure and parts for the powder you're using, for example: BLC2 - use a Dillon measure for high volumes or a Lee Pro Auto Disk for low volume. My experience is case activated powder measures help to maintain uniform charges. I think due to it's more consistent than what one can operate a manually activated powder measure.), seat bullet with a Forster Micrometer seating die (their best one) to insure uniform seating and crimp with a Lee Factory Crimp die (A little crimp goes a long way.) to insure the bullet stays where it's supposed to in a semi auto rifle (prevent setback).

So essentially, you have two passes on the press. One to deprime/lube and size/trim and one to prime/add powder, seat bullet and crimp.

jmorris,

Thank you for letting us know on the 1050. It's not a press I've had much opportunity with, but I figured if if any home user press could do it, that one could. Saves me spending the money for one, as that's the only reason I'd buy one, otherwise, it's just too expensive for the volume I reload these days. I have a hard time justifying a progressive, but I love that I can develop a load on my Lee Classic Cast single stage, then once I'm satisfied, I can bring it to the progressive, crank out all the rounds I'll need for a year, pack them up in a cardboard box and go back to doing other stuff, like hunting, fishing, shooting, casting, hanging out with my wife, children, etc.

prsman23
12-26-2013, 10:16 AM
Dave,

Thank you for taking the time to post that. It helped a ton. I'll continue my load development on the RCII. And then move production to the 650.

9w1911
12-27-2013, 12:42 AM
I am now fully "in" on reloading 223, sold the lowers, got another lpk and completed upper, dies, have brass, bullets, live rounds etc, just need primers and powder, but no rush. I need a month to read up on what powders and stuff.

MtGun44
12-27-2013, 01:44 AM
I like LL's start of the list, but I should add "Don't ever buy Taurus"

:bigsmyl2:

Bill

PS pistols are critical tools for unintended problems or having fun. Shots that are
a trick shot with a pistol are a "gimme" with a rifle. So if it REALLY counts,
use a rifle.

The old story about the Texas Ranger at the BBQ with his best BBQ 1911 strapped
on, in Condition One, approached by the proverbial little old lady seems appropriate.

"Sonny, do you know your pistol is cocked?"
"Yes, m'am."
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"Yes, m'am, it's a gun."
"Well, are you expecting trouble?"
"No, m'am, if I had been expecting trouble, I'd have brought my rifle."

Good points, all.

Bill

waco
12-28-2013, 10:49 PM
Get a set of small base RCBS dies. Your brass may or may not need it, but you really aren't hurting anything by getting them. When I do large runs of 5.56 on the 550 I hit all the cases with some home made case lube spray, run them through the Dillon, and then give them a 20 minute tumble afterwards to remove all lube.

Another good way to do it is to size all the brass on another press and then tumble the lube off, stick a universal decapper in the priming station to knock out ay corn cob stuck in flash hole, and load them that way. This way takes more time, but you don't have to tumble the loaded rds afterwards.

Great idea LL. This is the main reason I've not tried loading .223 on my Dillon. The whole lube thing. Brilliant!