What did you do in the reloading room recently?

Got my inline mount today and although I planned on mounting to the roll top desk it’s a little too high for my liking there so opted to keep it on my other table for now. Mounted it’s perfect height to stand and reload. I couldn’t justify spending the $50 for the Dillon bullet tray so was looking around found an old plastic screw box I modified for the time being. That until Pastera cooks up a nice bullet tray to go with those powder funnels! Also decided to mount the mec as seen as it’ll be used for early load development and odd jobs. It’s a lot smaller package. I’m sure I’ll move them again in a week or so 😂
 

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For those reloading bottleneck cartridges, how many of you anneal, how often, and HOW do you do it?

(.223, .308, 6.5C, & 6.5G for reference)
I’ve thought about it for .223/5.56 and was hoping to find a vendor that does it. I am curious how much longer the brass lasts, since integrity of other parts of the case are changing with each reload. Thinking of the web area.
 
It is a nice little shop and I don't know if you saw the powder battery but its impressive! I always wanted to walk in to the shop with a lit cigar and start walking that way to see how quick he moves lol.

What did you get and what were the prices like @Klal
The place was absolutely packed with merchandise. No idea how he finds everything, but he was able to pull obscure products out of nowhere. He sold a couple handguns while I was in there. Surprised how many guns he has on the shelves. Normal pandemic prices from what I saw. Not as elevated as some other shops I've seen. Lots of self defense ammo too, but I didn't need any.

I got a can of Longshot to load some hot .357. Bad move on my part, but I have no idea what I paid for it. I gave him a bunch of cash and shoved the change in my pocket with the other change from who knows what. I'm thinking I paid around $30.
 
Cant really rate it yet. But for a little over 6o bucks, I figured id give it a shot. At least it adds a little more precision than the factory drill stop. By the way, i put it on a Harbor Freight, Central Machinery drill press. Im going to test it out on some aluminum stock first, then ive got a few muzzle brakes to do. Will report back with results......
You can do it without a DRO but that makes it easier than stacking shims between the casting and stop nuts.
 
I'd love to get one of each please!
Like an idiot I made a change and didn't check the result before printing - woke up to a perfectly sized pour spout with no threads [banghead]
Fixed that at lunch and started a print - just checked it after getting back from the range *** and because 8lb jugs aren't round the spout is 150° off.
Rotated the threads in the model and have a new print going right now.

I may make the spout two parts so you can rotate it (but that might suck for fine powder)

*** - new bifocal contacts are awesome for red dot sights. Couldn't see a fiber optic front sight at all [crying]. My eye doc is on maternity leave and the fill in didn't get that I don't want near sight for reading. Have a different left eye prescription waiting to try, just need to go pick it up.


Long story short - I should be able to have a few done this weekend if my latest version works out.
@Michael J. Spangler - do you have any large jugs of powder to test and see if the spout lines up? I only have Hodgdon and would like to test at least one other manufacturer.
 
Like an idiot I made a change and didn't check the result before printing - woke up to a perfectly sized pour spout with no threads [banghead]
Fixed that at lunch and started a print - just checked it after getting back from the range *** and because 8lb jugs aren't round the spout is 150° off.
Rotated the threads in the model and have a new print going right now.

I may make the spout two parts so you can rotate it (but that might suck for fine powder)

*** - new bifocal contacts are awesome for red dot sights. Couldn't see a fiber optic front sight at all [crying]. My eye doc is on maternity leave and the fill in didn't get that I don't want near sight for reading. Have a different left eye prescription waiting to try, just need to go pick it up.


Long story short - I should be able to have a few done this weekend if my latest version works out.
@Michael J. Spangler - do you have any large jugs of powder to test and see if the spout lines up? I only have Hodgdon and would like to test at least one other manufacturer.
Yessir. I have an 8# of red dot and I think there’s one of 2400 or Unique in there too.
 
Got my inline mount today and although I planned on mounting to the roll top desk it’s a little too high for my liking there so opted to keep it on my other table for now. Mounted it’s perfect height to stand and reload. I couldn’t justify spending the $50 for the Dillon bullet tray so was looking around found an old plastic screw box I modified for the time being. That until Pastera cooks up a nice bullet tray to go with those powder funnels! Also decided to mount the mec as seen as it’ll be used for early load development and odd jobs. It’s a lot smaller package. I’m sure I’ll move them again in a week or so 😂
Ackro bins take forever to print

Skin flint it:
Or get the good ones:
 
Started loading some 30 Carbine tonight. Hadn’t loaded that caliber in over 5 years.
What’s everyone using to crimp? I had a lee FCD but it literally does nothing to remove the flare/bell on the case - started to wonder if its defective. Then I realized the Lee seating die allows to seat and crimp which seemed to work okay. Better if all cases are uniform in length.

Just cracked open my last container of W296. I could use another pound or 2. Really want to save the 2400 for 357 mag only.
 
Started loading some 30 Carbine tonight. Hadn’t loaded that caliber in over 5 years.
What’s everyone using to crimp? I had a lee FCD but it literally does nothing to remove the flare/bell on the case - started to wonder if its defective. Then I realized the Lee seating die allows to seat and crimp which seemed to work okay. Better if all cases are uniform in length.

Just cracked open my last container of W296. I could use another pound or 2. Really want to save the 2400 for 357 mag only.

Are you using the 296 for 30 carbine? I have Lil Gun which works great with 1 cc of volume under a 110gr bullet.

I use the FCD but it sounds like you don't have it cranked down far enough if its not removing the flare.
 
I’ve thought about it for .223/5.56 and was hoping to find a vendor that does it. I am curious how much longer the brass lasts, since integrity of other parts of the case are changing with each reload. Thinking of the web area.
Depends on the firearm , i do anneal sometimes.
my 30-06,308 and 223 in the semi autos tends to get rim damage and split necks even if I anneal.
if i can get 8 reloads out of the M1a and Garands im doing well. Good thing is I have enough brass to just keep grabbing another 100 cases to put in rotation. Eventually I will go through the " many X fired bucket" anneal and load those with bulk surplus bullets and powder for plinking.
 
Are you using the 296 for 30 carbine? I have Lil Gun which works great with 1 cc of volume under a 110gr bullet.

I use the FCD but it sounds like you don't have it cranked down far enough if its not removing the flare.
Hmm. I did screw it down all the way until I felt a good amount of resistance (when running the round through it) but it doesn’t look like it’s doing anything to the flare.
 
Like an idiot I made a change and didn't check the result before printing - woke up to a perfectly sized pour spout with no threads [banghead]
Fixed that at lunch and started a print - just checked it after getting back from the range *** and because 8lb jugs aren't round the spout is 150° off.
Rotated the threads in the model and have a new print going right now.

I may make the spout two parts so you can rotate it (but that might suck for fine powder)

*** - new bifocal contacts are awesome for red dot sights. Couldn't see a fiber optic front sight at all [crying]. My eye doc is on maternity leave and the fill in didn't get that I don't want near sight for reading. Have a different left eye prescription waiting to try, just need to go pick it up.


Long story short - I should be able to have a few done this weekend if my latest version works out.
@Michael J. Spangler - do you have any large jugs of powder to test and see if the spout lines up? I only have Hodgdon and would like to test at least one other manufacturer.
I have an 8# jug of alliant and an 8# jug of winchester. Send me the STL once it's ready and I'll print out a spout to try on these jugs.
 
Hmm. I did screw it down all the way until I felt a good amount of resistance (when running the round through it) but it doesn’t look like it’s doing anything to the flare.
Are you sure tour using the correct FCD?
They are not easy to ID unless you actually read them. I have mixed up a few here and there over the years
 
Are you sure tour using the correct FCD?
They are not easy to ID unless you actually read them. I have mixed up a few here and there over the years
Ya it says Lee 30 M1. Maybe my eyesight sucks and it is working lol. They shoot and function just fine so I’m prob good.

Just finished loading the last of my 30 carbine brass. Got 304 Berry’s bullets left. Those seemed to have dried up
 
Thanks guys. It doesn't seem like it does much but maybe its just my eyesight. They shoot just fine so it's probably not an issue lol.
 
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