What did you do in the reloading room today?

[taco650]

Made up a piece of .38 SUPER brass from .223 brass and tested it with a powder coated Lee 358-105-SWC bullet. It would not chamber, so used the FCD to reduce the diameter of the round a bit until it would eventually chamber. It made for a strange looking round since the base was still the diameter of the .223 and the part where the bullet was loaded was noticeably wider. I had loaded it with a 9x19 Red Dot load. After firing it, the case was fire formed and looked more normal.

That's an interesting use for 223 IMO. Can't speak for others but I would like to see before, during and after pics of that process.

[NavyVet1959]

That's an interesting use for 223 IMO. Can't speak for others but I would like to see before, during and after pics of that process.

I guess what I'm actually building is a .38 SuperComp. The RIA .22TCM/9mm that I have is already setup to handle .22TCM brass and 9x19 and since .22 TCM brass is formed from .223 brass, it made sense to base any new ammo on the .223 also. I didn't see any cheap 9x23 barrels, but I did find a cheap .38 SUPER one, so I decided to base the round off of it without even knowing if what I was creating had a proper name for it or if it was a true wildcat. Best I can figure though is that this might be what they called the .38 SuperComp at one time.

The .223 brass is stronger than even the 9x23 brass, so having a non-ramped barrel will not be an issue even with extremely high pressure rounds. I'm limiting myself to 9x19 level loads right now since I haven't decided on what weight recoil spring to order. I figure that this gives me another way of recycling .223 brass that cannot be reloaded due to neck damage. I figure shoot it was .223 until damaged, then convert to .300 AAC. Shoot .300 AAC until damaged, then convert to .22 TCM or .38 SuperComp.

[MOA]

That's a lot of styrofoam... At some point, you just have to break down and just pour them into ammo cans in bulk.

Yes, that is true. I've been doing that, and the zip lock bag also. I just have this thing about trying to keep thing neat and orderly. You know ship shape.

[therealhitman]

Sorted my .223 brass. Really just pulled Lake City cases out to cut down for 300 BO. Wound up with close to a thousand LC out of about 3000 cases.

[high standard 40]

Putting the finishing touches on my automated cartridge case annealer. I still need to mount the propane torch.

[shoot-n-lead]

Loaded some rounds for a new .357 that I recently bought and have not worked out a load for. This one kind of has me undecided as to what is the best bullet...kind of giving me mixed results between light and heavy bullets. It shoots some heavies pretty well, others, not so well and same for light bullets. I have about decided that whatever weight I land on, it will be a swc rather than a wfn...it just seems to show a little preference for the swc.

[Outer Rondacker]

Putting the finishing touches on my automated cartridge case annealer. I still need to mount the propane torch.

Looking good. Wish I had the skills.

[Plate plinker]

HS 40 that is so simple but should work wonderfully. Way to go! Please post a video when the machine is finished.

[Plate plinker]

I tumbled some 40 S&W cases that was about it.

[Outer Rondacker]

Well since you asked....
Attachment 162187

Small bread loaf pan - 1,100+ cast with NOE 225-70 using home mixed Lyman #2 alloy at 700* +/- 10* bottom two have copper gas checks installed using a Lee push through sizer. Destined for powder coating post gas check & sizing.

That is a nice sight to look at. I might have to see if I can try some of these one day. I did not have much luck with the 55g. Thanks for the pic.

I played with the Lee Load Master I picked up. I polished everything that makes contact while moving. Set up the dies. Other then that not much. Oh I finished my seat on my shooting bench.

[aquarist]

Cleaned about 5k 9mm casings.

[warpspeed]

Motorized my powder tricker, using stuff I had in my junk pile entirely, except for the 3v lithium battery and the holder for it. Has a USB charge port too!

That is cool!

[high standard 40]

HS 40 that is so simple but should work wonderfully. Way to go! Please post a video when the machine is finished.

I make no claim to this design. I found the plans on the net. Here is a link to a video showing it in operation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzM7ArN9fOs

[Alan in Vermont]

Just got in one of the RCBS trimmer attachments that trims to length and does in/out chamfers in one step.

I am in LOVE!!! The RCBS 3 in one trimmer gizmo works well way beyond my expectations. Easy to adjust so it cuts just enough to break the sharp edge without making a funnel.

I stuck a regular 35 caliber pilot in it, the inside deburr function uses a special pilot which they don't offer in 35 cal., and tried it on 38 Sp. cases(I trim all mine to length). No burr formed on the inside and the outside burr was just gone! I can live with a little inside burr, those trim off easily, it's, or it was, the outside burrs that were giving me fits.

[DerekP Houston]

Tested out some western "zip" powder at the range in 380 acp and 9mm. Same POI for me as bullseye, no smoke or soot on cases so I guess it works! Unfortunately discovered my last batch of 38 special DEWC is too long to chamber. ~200 rounds to go back thru and seat the boolit ~1/4" shorter. Thought it was the infamous lead crud ring in the chamber but I couldn't scrub anything loose. Appears to be the die loosened up a bit as I was loading and ~1/2 of them are slightly too long to chamber in the model 10.

[amc401]

Modified a dillon shell expander so I can expand the brass larger than normal so it won't squeeze the cast bullet. I plan on sizing the brass in four of the five stations on the dillon 650. Start out at .353, then .355, then .356 and finally .359.

[Outer Rondacker]

I am making a new reloading room. First was to build one of the benches. Then paint it. Still needs one more coat. Then empty the area the rest of the way and set up the bench. Build a wall dividing the room and call it my reloading room. New bench with one coat is as far as i got today.

[Rio]

Finally cast some decent bullets today. Learned today that you can just get a bad mold. Been fighting with a lee mold for months. Today I grabbed one I knew was good because I had made good bullets from it in the past. Perfect bullets. So happy I mounted my pulled out of storage rock crusher and made room for the sizer... Good hour spent in the shop.

[StuBach]

Dummied up a HB pin/handle to get my original Ideal 429422 working after casting a few 429244s for Dad. Still working on specifics before I start looking for a permanent solution.

[SSGOldfart]

I started digging out the mountain of boxes I've I collected from buying stuff here,piles up quickly,trash collector won't be happy Thursday but I will be able to get through my shop again