Single Stage Reloading!

[seagiant]

Hi,
I was enjoying using my 1950's reloading gear tonite and thought I would show how I use the rarely mentioned "loading block" that makes it so easy! I have one I got in the 80's that will hold just about anything I load as it has holes on each side.

The pics below will show most everything but I deprime in this case using my Super Deluxe Pacific and a 4 die RCBS set. Oh,I'm reloading standard 9MM Luger ammo,using a RCBS 124Gr. TC boolit that I cast from WW material. This is for my BHP for shooting plates. After depriming I set in my primers and while doing this use the loading block to keep everything straight. Back to the press to bell the case mouth and then charge the cases on my Saceo powder measure. This is where using the loading block can avoid mistakes. After charging all your cases with powder hold the block and look into each case for a double charge! Only takes a sec. but can save a bad day at the range!

After that it's back to the press to seat the boolits and then taper crimp. Taper crimping is just an operation I would never leave out! I feel it is nessary for auto/ACP type cartridges! I always wipe my boolits noses before putting them to bed in their boxes for the range! I'm showing this more for the new guys that want to reload but don't have the scratch for the latest wiz-bang,"I can load a zillion an hour." reloader!

Just about all this equipment that I show here was making ammo 40 years ago and still works perfectly!

[StratsMan]

Well, I'm a little envious of that Lachmiller Primer Seater... wish I had one...

How do you bell the case? You mention it in your process, but I don't see the step in the photos... or did I miss that?

[Rhoa4396]

Hi Seagiant, although my equipment is a bit different, I use a loading block the same way you do and powder all my casses in the loading block using a powder drop. After I fill all the casses, I take a small flashlight and shine it from the side at maybe a 60* angle so that there is a shadow cast inside the cases by the case neck. This shadow falls across my powder in the cases and I can quickly go up and down each row. If there is a powder charge that is not right, it will become immediatley apparent by the shadow on it. So far, every time I have found a case where the level was different like this, upon checking the charge on my scale, the powder weight was spot on..... inspecting the headstamp of the case has shown that the headstamp was different which translates into different volume levels of the case. It only takes a second to go up and down each row and is nice insurance to prevent a squib load( or extra powder. I love loading blocks.

Ken
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[Dan Cash]

The only insurance against overcharge is to use a powder charge that fills the case more than half full, charge the case and immediately seat a bullet. You are welcome to eyeball the charged case but using a loading block as described is an invitation to disaster.

[winelover]

The only insurance against overcharge is to use a powder charge that fills the case more than half full, charge the case and immediately seat a bullet. You are welcome to eyeball the charged case but using a loading block as described is an invitation to disaster.

That's the way I've been doing it for over 35 years. Never used a reloading block. Even easier with the RCBS Chargemaster Combo. By the time you seat a bullet, the next charge is ready.

Winelover

[Lloyd Smale]

cool equiptment but im still not willing to go back to spending an hour to make a box of ammo i can shoot up in a half an hour.

[GT1]

The only insurance against overcharge is to use a powder charge that fills the case more than half full, charge the case and immediately seat a bullet. You are welcome to eyeball the charged case but using a loading block as described is an invitation to disaster.

Well, no, the way the OP describes it has been how batch loading has been done over the years.
The reason you do one step at a time all the way through is to not break up what you are doing, the argument being one is less likely to make a mistake.
It defines single stage batch loading.

Too bad there are so many great powders that don't bring the case even close to half way full, but that is another reason to use utmost care when reloading.

[seagiant]

Hi Stratsman,
You bell the case mouth with the expander die and it is done after the priming and before the powder charging.I only had so many pics available and this is not a tutorial on reloading! I have been loading like this off and on since day one which for me is about 30 years and have NEVER had a double charge! I'm actually a little surprised by some of the comments made about using a loading block???? The loading block makes all the difference to me when I single stage load!

Here is a book that got me going when I started reloading as at that time there was no WWW or Internet and if you could not find a mentor you had to depend on books and go for it! This is my second copy as I wore out the first and found this like new at a used bookstore and got it. It has chapters on casting and shotshell loading just a really good beginner's book. As you can see Col. Nonte advocates using loading blocks!

[r1kk1]

I personally like loading blocks. I use them on the line during informal competitions. I can see the merits with or without one. I think it comes down to what you like. I make quite a few of my own for case prep, etc.

take care,

r1kk1

[Ickisrulz]

Many of the reloading tasks can be done on autopilot because they are not dangerous. When it comes to dumping a powder charge I pay strict attention and will not allow anything to interrupt me.

I use a loading block for pistol rounds. I double-check each case visually. This is a very safe method that admittedly relies 100% on me.

It would be nice to always use a powder that fills the case at least halfway, but it's not always practical for me.

[r1kk1]

It would be nice to always use a powder that fills the case at least halfway, but it's not always practical for me.

That is a very valid point!

same here,

r1kk1

[Bwana]

The only insurance against overcharge is to use a powder charge that fills the case more than half full, charge the case and immediately seat a bullet. You are welcome to eyeball the charged case but using a loading block as described is an invitation to disaster.

"Invitation to disaster", I have got to be the luckiest person alive then. I just counted my loading blocks: twenty seven. That's how I roll and have rolled for the last 40+ years. Like they say, "It isn't your equipment, it's how you use it." Of course without exception all, that's right, all, of the individuals who have had "ammo" problems at the IDPA and USPSA matches that I have witnessed loaded their ammo on progressive presses. Just saying. Of course many, many more progressive loaders had no problems; but, those that did accounted for all the bad ammo.

[r1kk1]

Not all. I was at a bowling pin shoot in Montana back in the early 90s. A double charged 44 special was very noticeable when the fella shot it. He was lucky with a double charge HP-38 and a Ruger revolver. The RSO stopped him. I've seen more squibs over the years of people not checking. These from guys with single stage setups and I believe distracted while loading. Probably watching TV or getting taken away from what they were doing. I hate interruptions. I've seen FTFs from progressives at matches.

Not matter what a fellow uses, only he/she is the QC person. I just sent 14 rounds back to Federal for a fail to fire in 327 Federal Magnum. 14 out of 50 is horrible QC. Period. Now waiting for my voucher.

take care,

r1kk1

[Sonnypie]

I don't like single stage reloading.

I LOVE single stage reloading!

But I have to run.
OK, I'm back. I got dismissed from the jury duty.

Rifle:
I have a bunch of different reloading blocks I use. And I gather the plastic inserts at the range if they appear usable to me. My 30-06 cases fit fine in 45 plastic inserts.
Stages. I do mine in 50 round stages, as well. But have a Flambeau as well as up to 120 round wooden blocks. But my current favorite is several 50 round wooden boards.
Once the cases are cleaned, they are stood neck down, they usually stand overnight in front of a box fan to dry completely. The cases stay neck down until neck sized and primed.Then stood neck up.
Then I powder them as a group of 50. I never have to worry about double charging, nor under charging because I watch the powder drop, move along in a cadence, and I stick my cases. (Stick my cases?)
Yes. I have a rod I set in my cases and it has a mark where the normal range is for the powder I use. It gets set into each of the 50 cases to measure (check) the powder level. I can "stick" a block in probably a minute to a minute and a half. Once I am sure they all pass muster, I pick one at a time to weigh, usually randomly, usually 15 cases from different locations.
Once a cases powder is weighed and passes my requirement for the charge, it goes right from the pan back into the case it came from via a funnel mounted along side my measure used for rifle loading. Then another case gets checked.
Then that block gets set aside while another is done the very same way. The blocks stack nicely on one another.
Then the batch moves to bullet seating. Each gets an inspected clean and prepared bullet set on the case ready to seat, then at block gets seated and set in an empty block until that block of 50 is done. The rounds at each corner, and one or two in the middle, are marked with my code to identify the components in each round in that block with a sharpie marker.
If they are test rounds, every one gets coded.
I can pick up any of my blocks, open any box of loaded ammo I've done, and tell you everything there is in those rounds. Down to the gas check material and thickness. It is written in permanent marker on strategic rounds, or every round. (And removed by cleaning in STM after firing)

Pistol:
Progressive there. But every round gets eyeballed for powder, and I hand primed.
An occasional round gets pulled for weight checks.
Even though I use a progressive for pistol, I go slow and methodically with it.

I'm never in a hurry. I always concentrate on the task at hand. And don't stop to pee unless I have a marker in place to pick up the place I left off.
I don't care if I only load 1 and hour, I know it was done as right as I could humanly possibly load it.

[Romeo 33 Delta]

Pistol or rifle, I use the same technique ... the loading block holds the PRIMED cases ... when they are charged with POWDER the very next step is seating the BULLET.

It guarantees that I will NEVER have a DOUBLE CHARGE.

It takes me about 5 minutes to prime 50 cases and about 30-35 minutes to finish the job. I usually do 2 or 3 boxes a day and it doesn't get tedious at that rate.

[Rhoa4396]

The only insurance against overcharge is to use a powder charge that fills the case more than half full, charge the case and immediately seat a bullet. You are welcome to eyeball the charged case but using a loading block as described is an invitation to disaster.

Um ... I never said anything about double charges, I 'mentioned' squib charges in particular, but also mentioned spotting "inconsistencies". Even when you're using a powder-charge that more than half fills the case, there's always the potential for inconsistencies in thrown charges because of such things as powder bridging or variance in your rhythm while filling. You could still have an undercharge in one case and an overcharge in the next without overflowing the case. People using progressive presses often use powder-cop dies to prevent that from getting thru without being spotted.

OTOH, when I load .223, I drop the power charge on the scale and then trickle the powder up to the final charge before pouring it thru a funnel into the case. Even when doing that, I still fill all the cases in my "batch" and then visually check them as described before seating their bullets.

Personally, I fail see how doing a final visual check is an invitation to disaster, especially using a single stage press like I have for the last 34 years.

Ken
===========

[94ranger]

Hi Stratsman,
You bell the case mouth with the expander die and it is done after the priming and before the powder charging.I only had so many pics available and this is not a tutorial on reloading! I have been loading like this off and on since day one which for me is about 30 years and have NEVER had a double charge! I'm actually a little surprised by some of the comments made about using a loading block???? The loading block makes all the difference to me when I single stage load!

Here is a book that got me going when I started reloading as at that time there was no WWW or Internet and if you could not find a mentor you had to depend on books and go for it! This is my second copy as I wore out the first and found this like new at a used bookstore and got it. It has chapters on casting and shotshell loading just a really good begineer's book. As you can see Col. Nonte advocates using loading blocks!

First post!

Found that book in a sale at a library and got it for about $3. Really got me interested!

[429421Cowboy]

I love loading blocks! I also love picture threads!
I can't afford more than one press so our Rockchucker pulls double duty for our rifles as well as high volume pistol reloading. Plenty of ammo has been loaded over the years with handtools of all stripes, makes me appreciate at least having something bolted to a bench! I visually check all my cases at least twice before putting a boolit on them and then i shake my reloads to make sure they have powder in them. Only other thing i have to add is that i prime/bell my cases then put them mouth down in one block, then turn them over and charge, then put in a different block to insure i never charge a case with powder already in it, helps prevent double charges to but i load powders that would overflow the case.

[C.F.Plinker]

I use one of the old Flambeau loading blocks with my single stage press. This one has 60 holes on each side (one side for large cases and the other for smaller cases). The thing I liike about it is that I start with the cases to one side and as I do a particular operation I move the case I just worked on to the other side. This way there are always two empty rows between the cases that that need to have something done with them and the ones that have had it done. If I need to stop for any reason it is easy to see where I stopped. Additionally, when I prime a case it goes in primer side up. This lets me check to make sure that each case is primed correctly and insures that there is no powder in it. Once it is powdered, it goes in base down (DUHH) and gets checked with the flashlight. Then they are all topped with a boolit before I start seating and crimping.

[FrankG]

Ive always liked single stage batch loading . I dont load when rushed . For me it isnt a job that has to be done but one I enjoy doing . I have the same red load blocks and a big stack of various others that Ive made over last 40 or so years . I tried a Piggyback right after they came out didnt like it because I couldnt visually check powder level as I always had . I bought a Dillon , same problem , it bothered me I could not visually check the case after charging . Both are gone and I am happy with my slow (to some ) method . For me the batch loading with a single stage sets my mind at ease knowing all loads are equal .
I have five single stage presses that get used . Sometimes when working on a load and cant get out to test because of weather I can leave it set up and maybe work on something else for a while .
For pistol , Ar's and AK's I throw the charges with a powder measure in low to medium loads but still weigh every 11th charge and do the final visual before seating bullets .
My bolt guns and single shots get fed scale weighed charges .

But ...this is what works for me