Newbie bullet care question

[CWO4GUNNER]

Although a long time instructor and range master, due to cost and a desire for better ammo performance consistency, 50 BMG will be my very first attempt ever at reloading ammo. Im using the RCBS ammo-master 50 BMG kit. My components have all arrived and I have my first question.

(1) I have 500 new SA FMJ 169 grain bullets in 2 plastic bags, can I/should I dump them into a clean ammo can for easy access and storage or should I keep them in the plastic bags? I have this idea that they might get dented up, scratched or oxidize LOL.

(2) Also I have 150 rds of spent 1944 mil boxer brass, should I de-prime before tumbling or tumble then de-prime or both?

(3) Also I am concerned about bending the de-priming pin on the RCBS reloader (not yet set up) because I tried manual de-priming with a 1lb hammer and and drift over a drilled block of wood with a hole to drop the primer, but the primer would not budge at all and the drift bent after repeated (10) blows. I this because the primers are visibly crimped in 2 spots on the outside bottom? I did have the drift inside the boxer single primer hole but no matter how hard I swung the hammer and connected with the drift seated inside the case and primer hole the drift would just ring, bounce and fly out at high speed even hitting my cat in the head across the room once, is this a bad sign? Before I set up and try to use the press to de-prime can you tell me if you have heard of some old mil 50 BMG boxer that is crimped so tight that a press pin cannot handle before I try, or will it be OK?

(4) Also any recommendations on 16 Lbs powder storage, I sort of want to keep it away from the house but summer time temps (125F) would be bad Im sure, anyone store their powder underground like in a berried insulated plastic cooler or insulated shed, or is the house OK? I currently have it stored in the house (AC) under a 210 gallon aquarium with the idea if something happens I can blow the tank LOL.

All silly questions for the experienced but I don't want to make ignorant costly mistakes thanks.

[bobthenailer]

Im no expert on the 50 BMG , but ive been loading and casting and shooting extenslively for over 45 years .
If the brass is berdand primed the rcbs tool wont work as the 2 smaller flash holes are off center and normal primed brass has one centuraly located larger flash hole . RCBS does make a berdand primer remover but i dont think its for the 50 bmg.
As for powder storage , keep it cool and dry , away from heat , flame and electricty, ac or dc motors
You can use a old refrigerator of any size or build a wooden box with at least 1 inch thick walls
with a lid , as i did , this should meet local fire code. but check ? I guess a old metal cooler may work ?
The fish tank idea is a rube goldburg fire extengisher ! it goes to show you what thinking out of the box can produce.

[CWO4GUNNER]

If the brass is berdand primed the rcbs tool wont work as the 2 smaller flash holes are off center and normal primed brass has one centuraly located larger flash hole . Yup, looking down the spent brass case with a small mag-light it is plain to see just 1 large centered Boxer flash hole, NO 2 off-center Berdan holes. But in addition on the outside bottom of each primer the side where the primer is struck by the firing pin, there are 2 large crimps holding the primer in as if to keep it from falling out. So I was just wondering if anyone has heard of primer crimping being a reloading problem. If not Ill proceed with the press pin and hope for the best.

As for powder storage , keep it cool and dry , away from heat , flame and electricty, ac or dc motors
You can use a old refrigerator of any size or build a wooden box with at least 1 inch thick walls
with a lid
Wow good point never thought about HERO (Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance). I thought about the refrigerator but was worried about a refrigerator fire LOL. I forgot about the fire safe which is shielded and insulated so I moved it into the safe.

I guess since the de-priming is a concern Ill try de-priming 1st and if all goes well will do the walnut-shell tumbler cleaning next. Thanks

[BruceB]

I have to say that, in 45 years in this game, you are the FIRST that I've met who commences his handloading career with the .50BMG.

The ammo-master (or more correctly, its dies) will remove the primers. It's the same setup I use for .50BMG, and it works fine. AFTER that, you will have to also remove the crimps which help retain the primers ( before you can re-prime the cases). It's up to you whether the tumbling is done before or after other processes.

Those bullets are undoubtedly 690 grains, or some such...not "169 grains" which is the province of .30-caliber and similar bores.

I'd get the powder away from the aquarium. If tightly sealed, even a water spill shouldn't affect it, but why take the chance? There's no danger of an explosion, but if you have a fire that room will be FILLED with flame for a short period. It's a very serious hazard in a fire, especially in such large amounts.

There are no "silly questions"!

[Skipper488]

That was my reaction Bruce. Sure you don't want to try .308 first?

[noylj]

The smaller the case, the bigger an errors are.
Start big and work your way down.
Powder storage? The concern is just having enough to actually reload a bunch of cases. How many rounds to a pound of powder?

[CWO4GUNNER]

"I have to say that, in 45 years in this game, you are the FIRST that I've met who commences his handloading career with the .50BMG."
I know but in my particular case since Im a technician by trade well versed in many type hand tools and their applications and ordnance safety, I believe I have the skill set to carefully and methodically manage my way through with out common mistakes, provided I can get answers to any first-timer road blocks I encounter.
"Sure you don't want to try .308 first?" Sold all my 308"s at the Gun show 2 weeks ago, as a matter of fact sold everything except for a few. having shot 308 my whole career its not a missed gun or cartridge and ammo (service ammo) at that time was free anyway. I still have my BAR .338 Boss though and also ordered dies and components for it also.

"Those bullets are undoubtedly 690 grains, or some such...not "169 grains" which is the province of .30-caliber and similar bores." Yes my mistake I meant they are new manufactured South African 50 BMG 690GR FMJBT W/C BULLETS (500 shipped $225). I decided to slit them up into 5o Rds per quart size freezer bag all in one green can, they sure look smooth and shiny, but boy the ammo-can is heavy.
The concern is just having enough to actually reload a bunch of cases. How many rounds to a pound of powder? Dont have the math now but at the time I ordered 16 Lbs was enough to do almost 500 Rds I think. Anyway Im sure I wont have enough powder to do 500 becasue Ill be using the same powder to reload my .338 also. The powder is new milspec contractor surplus WC867 Spherical Smokeless Powder good for reloading 50BMG thru 5.56, (8 Lbs bottle $49).

[waksupi]

I love an optimist! Good luck!

[stubshaft]

If you figure 120grs per shot, then you should be able to load 928 rounds with 16 lbs of powder.

[Alvarez Kelly]

To be honest, I didn't know a thing about reloading when I started, but I had to reload so I could afford to shoot as much as I wanted to. I jumped right in. I read, asked a few questions from acquaintances I met at matches, and low and behold, I started cranking out ammo without any problems. Never had a sqib. Never a double charge... Of course, I consider myself mechanically gifted, so the whole process was not at all intimidating. And now I love my Dillons. But that is another story.

My point? I say if CWO4GUNNER wants to reload 50BMG first, let's help him!

I would like to make a few things clear regarding the above posts.

First, regarding storing powder in a refrigerator... I know it might seem obvious to some, but it wasn't clear. You want to use an old refrigerator that is broken or at least unplugged and dry. It doesn't need to be cold or damp...

Second, gun safe manufacturers do not want you sealing gunpowder in their safes. There should be some type of pressure relief in the event of an explosion. Safes don't offer that. I don't have a specifc recommendation, but keep it in a cool, dry place, away from static and electricity. Also, consider grounding yourself before handling the container.

I wish you the bext of luck. It is an enjoyable hobby. I'm sure you will be successful!

Keep us informed of your progress.

[BruceB]

If you figure 120grs per shot, then you should be able to load 928 rounds with 16 lbs of powder.

Nice try, but it's actually around TWO hundred -and-twenty grains per full-power round....maybe thirty rounds per pound. No wonder that we spend a lot of effort in finding inexpensive powder for the .50BMG!

I've used 120 grains in the" little" .416 Rigby case....

I also bought 16 pounds of WC867 from Wideners.

I'm not criticizing starting the career with the .50, just observing that this is the first instance I've run across. One thing is certain; with the physical size of the components, it's EASY to see what one is doing!

[CWO4GUNNER]

"You want to use an old refrigerator that is broken or at least unplugged and dry."Oh I see as an insulator, maybe that means i can keep it in the garage at 95F in summer. I was thinking that inside the gun safe now that it is mostly empty, if there was a fire the safe would contain the explosion like a bomb truck container. With my luck the safe door would land a block away in someones bedroom LOL.

"If you figure 120grs per shot, then you should be able to load 928 rounds with 16 lbs of powder. "From the load date I have read from other users, this powder call for 205 grains of to start with using 690 Grain bullets to a maximum of 220 grains using WC867 powder for 2900 FPS.

Keep us informed of your progress. I will as I go along each step of the way, especially to find out how to use these pocket , trim , and burr removing hand tools. I think I may have bough some tools I don't need.

[CWO4GUNNER]

"Nice try, but it's actually around TWO hundred -and-twenty grains per full-power round....maybe thirty rounds per pound. No wonder that we spend a lot of effort in finding inexpensive powder for the .50BMG!" Yeah with this generic powder Im going to use the load data from other post that have had success but start low 205gr to be safe. My AR/50 is made from an actual surplus MG M2 46" barrel mated to a massive steel upper that receives a long threaded stainless bolt, also has a over-pressure plug built near the chamber. So Im pretty confident in the gun.

"I also bought 16 pounds of WC867 from Wideners." After I bought I found a guy that sells pulled powder for $6 a pound shipped and wondered if I should have waited, but I get the feeling from comments that pulled powder is substandard.

"One thing is certain; with the physical size of the components, it's EASY to see what one is doing!" Yeah I was thinking the same thing, but I can also see someone without any tool handling, tech, or ordnance safety handling experience forcing large live cartridge components like this in the press and having a chain of events go wrong. Nevertheless I will be taking my time, live bulk components segregated by distance and have a charged garden hose standing by just outside the back door where Ill be set up (just inside the house) until I get used to the process.

[midnight]

I load a lot of 50 BMG using WC872 and both jacketed and cast bullets. The first thing to do with a fired case is deprime it. To save wear and tear on the press I manually deprime using a hardwood block. A 13/16 forsner bit makes a hole just slightly larger than the case. Then drill a hole large enough for the primer to fall through in the center. A 1/8 punch and a hammer removes the primer. I use a Wilson case trimmer to remove the military crimp in the primer pocket. Then they get vibrated. No dirty cases go into my dies. Sorry, I forgot, brush the case necks well before vibrating. Trim and chamfer next. Prime, powder and seat and your ready to go.

Bob

PS - PM me if you have any problems or need some data.

[CWO4GUNNER]

"To save wear and tear on the press I manually deprime using a hardwood block. A 13/16 forsner bit makes a hole just slightly larger than the case. Then drill a hole large enough for the primer to fall through in the center. A 1/8 punch and a hammer removes the primer." That is pretty much what I tried only I used a pine 2X4 and all it did was drive the case into the wood the primer never budging or falling into the hole that I had pre-drilled to collect it. The punch finally bending from repeated blows. Someone told me that the primer knows Im inexperienced so I will have to use the press to show it who's boss LOL. So in my case do you think I should brush and tumble 1st to get the brass somewhat clean ("No dirty cases go into my dies")before press de-priming or just press de-prime the dirty brass 1st and then tumble?