So I have meant to get back into reloading, and reading so much good info on Cast Boolits has given me the urge.
I have had a Dillon 550B in storage for over 10 years.
I got it out last year and knocked off the major rust, oil the heck out of her and made sure things moved. Most die sets were rusted.
I just got it mounted on a bench again last week and started playing with it more.
I have a new Dillon die set for .45 acp and old rusted sets for 9mm, 38, 44 and more.
Also have bullets and boolits and brass in these calibers.
Setting my goals low I just wanted to make some dummy rounds for educational displays and function testing.
Well today I have a handful of 9mm dummy rounds (no primer or powder), fairly consistent in OAL, nice tension on boolits, just a kiss of crimp. Not ready for powder yet, but better than I expected.
Old mixed range brass and a mix of cast boolits (store bought) and J-word bullets.
Checked that they chambered in my wifes' Ruger P-89, loaded up a mag with 10 rds and manually ran them through just fine.
Mounted up another dummy round in a vise and drilled 2 sets of hole 90 degrees apart from each other, no way to keep powder in it any more and even the blind can figure it out. Just need to find a file to clean the holes up.
Then set up the other calibers I have and make some dummies up in them.
And make up a little board to mount the dummy rounds too, label them and then I will have a nice display for my classes.
But I think before a caliber conversion I will try to work on the primer feed.
I want to hear a bang, even if it is a little one.
I just had to share, no one else around here will really care.
But I bet they will shoot some ammo if I get this girl purring again.
Thanks for the inspiration,
Matt