Reloading Pistol Cartridges on a Budget

This ammunition crunch is possibly the worst in living memory. It’s certainly worse than the one of 2013. People who have become used to sending lots of pistol bullets downrange often contact me each week to ask how they can reload their pistol cartridges cost-effectively. Let’s look at a simple setup for anyone looking to make their own pistol ammunition. It doesn’t have to cost a lot. Massaro Media Group. One Piece at a Time. You will need projectiles and powder, but you can reuse used cases. Although bullet and powder companies often publish their data online I still love the manuals for reloading. The manual will list the powder, its charge weight range, and the primer type and brand. I bet you’ll want to upgrade once you get the reloading bug. I will show you how to feed your handgun. This is the easiest way to get started. I’m focusing on the most popular handgun cartridges such as the 9mm Luger and.40 S&W. A reloading press is the first tool. While I prefer an “O” frame press to make rifle cartridges stronger, a “C” frame press will work well for straight-walled pistol cases. The Lee Breech Lock Reloader Single Stage Press is available for just $40. The Lyman Brass Smith C Frame, which is more rugged and made from cast-iron, is just shy of $90. Both are solid choices, but I would choose the Lyman Brass Smith C Frame, which is more rugged and made of cast-iron, for just under $40. Massaro Media Group. Reloading dies are used for several purposes. They can reduce a case to its original dimensions, knock out a primer, flaring the case’s mouth for bullet seating, press a new bullet into a case, and crimp that bullet in place. Lee has dies that are great for beginners and I highly recommend them. Lee also includes a shell holder, which can be used with any press, and a scoop to measure powder volumetrically. You can even get load data based upon the scoop volumes. The Lee set is usually less than $50, so while there are more expensive dies, it will do the job. The carbide dies are my favorite–they don’t need any case lubricant. For beginners, the balance beam is the best choice. There are many models available at different price points. But don’t choose the cheapest. The RCBS Model No. 500 is a good choice at $75 and the Redding Model No. 2 for less than $100 This is a crucial piece of gear as an incorrectly weighed powder charges could prove to be devastating. The Lee Case Length Gage and Trimmer (about $8) can help you trim your cases to the right length. However, it will require some elbow grease. Because the roll-crimp required to keep the bullets in their place is dependent on the length of the case, trimming cases is crucial for rimmed revolver cartridges. I recommend the Lee Primer Pocket Cleaner. This tool is two in one. It has a scraper on each side to deal with both large and small primer pockets. You can’t go wrong at a street price of $6. A Lee chamfer/deburring instrument is $5. This will remove any sharp edges from the inside and outside case mouths after trimming. This will result in ammunition that is more compatible with semi-auto handguns. Frankford Arsenal sells a digital caliper for $20. Hornady has a dial-caliper for $40. There are many others. A digital caliper from RCBS costs about $20, Hornady sells a dial caliper for $40, and there are many others. Massaro Media Group. To seat new primers in your cases you can either use the priming cup and arm on your press (if it has one) or use a hand primer. The RCBS Hand Priming Tool (about 40 dollars) and Lyman E-Zee Priming Universal Hand Priming Tool (35) are my favorites for priming my cases. You can also buy a mechanical powder thrower, the Lyman Brass Smith Powder Measure, for as low as $45. However, I prefer to use a Lee scoop or a spoon to weigh each powder charge. Alliant’s Unique and Hodgdon’s Titegroup are two powders that will go a long distance. There are 7,000 grains per pound and many pistol loads can run on five grains or less of powder. This equates to approximately 1,400 shots per pound of powder. Let’s assume that a pound of powder costs $25 before shipping and the HazMat fees. This means that you’ll be paying less than $0.02 per shot. The biggest problem, at least as of this writing, is the fact that many of the components and tools are selling quickly and are out of stock. This dissertation sheds light on the minimum investment required to start reloading ammunition. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. Get Free Targets