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Posted: 5/22/2009 6:37:46 PM EDT
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Hey guys, plan to get into reloading in the next couple of months and I'm trying to come up with a nice basic kit that will fit my needs.
Going to be reloading for just a smith and Wesson model 10 .38 special, maybe a few hundred rounds a month maximum right now. Here's the list so far. Smith & Wesson Dial Caliper 4" Stainless Steel Lee Universal Shellholder #1 (38 S&W, 38 Special, 357 Magnum) Lee Chamfer Tool Lee Carbide 3-Die Set 38 Special, 357 Magnum Lee Primer Pocket Cleaner Lee Hand Press Kit Lee Safety Magnetic Powder Scale couple of reloading trays Obviously going to need primers, bullets, brass, and powder. Should I bother getting a case trimmer?How about a powder measure? If so what kind should I look into.I'm in an apartment for awhile so a hand press would be a little hard to mount. I already have a couple of reloading manuals, a kinetic bullet puller and a lee improved powder dipper set. thanks a lot for your help. I'm trying to keep this kit very basic, just something I can crank out some reloads on, and not have to put more than $150-200 into. |
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maybe a funnel and loading block and a trickler. Just be careful with the powder. Pistol powders are so unforgiving. Weigh your powder charges to start with.
Will the Lee hand press do the primer insertion? If so, looks like you are good to go. Measure your as-fired cases to see if you need to trim. Some pistol loaders here say they never trim. Welcome to the hobby. |
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Your hardest find will be primers. Unless you have a supply or store nearby, you should drop some $$ by buying lots of em on an internet order due to the hazardous material cost. Powder can be that way as well.
As far as your equipment goes, it looks like you are doing fine. I would suggest a Lee Loader (around $20-25) as a cheap back-up, travel loader. Cast your own bullets and save! A lee mold and resizing die, cast iron or stainless pot, stainless ladle, and heat source, (like a camp stove) and of course lead will get you on your way! Lead can be found at tireshops as in wheel weights. I almost forgot a fluxing compound like beeswax as well. An note on powder, I have fantastic results in my .38's with a 150 grain lead bullet with 3-4 grains of Green Dot powder behind it. Good plinking load. Green Dot is in my opinion easier to find than other powders at the moment. Don't forget a tube or two of case lube. The hand press is lots of fun! Got to love a reloading tool that is portable! Buy a cheap plastic carry case from Wally-world and keep your kit stored in it. Lots of fun and practicality with a portable reloading station. |
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Thanks a lot for the advice. The lee hand press does primers and comes with a funnel.
Guess I'll have to check out a powder measure and a powder trickle. Lee loaders look kinda interesting, I was actually thinking about just getting a Lee Loader at first, but it might a little hard to use, I'm living with two roommates, they would probably get annoyed by me constantly hammering a rubber mallet, I guess the price is right for em, and they would be easy to stuff into a range bag. I've already started looking for small pistol primers and powder, kinda tough going though. One last question I noticed that bullets come in two diameters .357 and .358. Is it safe to use larger .358 bullets in a .38 special? Loads I have listed don't state the bullet diameter, Just bullet weight and grains of powder. |
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Quoted:
Will the Lee hand press do the primer insertion? He's got the hand press kit which includes the Lee Ram Prime setup to he's GTG. If the OP has the chamfer tool I'd recommend he invest a few bucks more in the Lee lock stud, cutter, and a .38spl case length gauge for trimming his brass. .38 brass won't need to be trimmed after every firing but eventually you'll need to if you want your roll crimp to fit neatly into the bullet's cannelure. Another option down the road is to score a Lee Reloader Press ("C" Frame). It's the least expensive mountable single stage press available and they do work. Mount it on a piece of scrap lumber and clamp it to whatever surface you have with a pair of C clamps. |
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"Lee Safety Magnetic Powder Scale"
I really think you would be better off with a Lyman, RCBS, Hornady, Forster, Redding or anything besides this scale. I bought one several years ago. I found it hard to read and I ended up trashing it. Forget the case trimmer - you don't need one. A powder measure will save you a whole bunch of time. Weighing each charge is slowwwwwwww! |
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Make sure you have everything on the list here http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=486 for the appropriate category(Bare Bones, recommended, or progressive) |
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I loaded a bunch of 38 spl on the road with pretty much that exact setup. I have a laptop case and the whole setup fit in there.
I took a cardboard 50 round pistol cartridge box and cut it in half so I had a rimmed piece of cardboard. Used a hole punch to make a primer sized hole in the corner. Then I would put the primers in there, position the Ram Prime under the hole and scrape a primer into it. That save a bunch of fiddling with the primers. But really I would suggest that you buy a Lee hand priming tool. Really. I didn't have any problems with the Lee scale. It is a bit confusing at first and you need to pay attention to the vernier scale thing. But it is cheap and accurate. Plus it is durable so if you are on the move it isn't going to get damaged. I used the Lee powder dippers with this set up. I rigged up a straight edge above the bowl of powder I was dipping out of. That way I could dip and scrape it level with one hand. I used the deluxe 4 die set. I really like the factory crimp die. It might not be needed but it sure doesn't hurt. Later when you get a turret press or a Dillon it will really make sense. But you can always buy it later. For reloading trays I used plastic trays from ammo. IIRC I used a 45 ACP tray for my 38. |
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I'f you're going to use the Lee Ram Prime with your hand press I'd suggest you get an RCBS primer turning tray ("flip tray"). About five bucks.
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=466211 |
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The ram prime has got to be slow and clumsy as all get out with the handpress.
I'd bet you can always find a place to put one of these... 
Lee Reloader Press An outstanding value. Exclusive balanced lever that can't drop down to pinch your fingers. Unlimited hand clearance that only a "C" frame can offer. Works equally well with the right or left hand. Even if you already own a press, an extra press is always useful for decapping, bullet seating or bullet sizing. Lee Reloader Press 90045. Then get one of these... 
Commercial reloaders or competitive shooters first choice! Elastomer wiper and teflon coated metal casting make this the smoothest operating measure. Will not cut powder and almost totally eliminates leakage. Large hopper with shut-off valve is attached with brass thumb nuts for the ultimate in disk changing convenience. Increased safety with positive pull-back lever. Includes swivel adapter and spring return lever with spring. Includes all four disks! Auto-Disk Powder Measure 90578 Pro Auto-Disk Powder Measure and maybe one of these... 
Adjustable Charge Bar Infinitely adjustable between .28 and 1.6 cc. Lifetime nylon with solid brass, zero backlash micrometer. Easy to set. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––- Possible Reloading sequence with above equipment. Size all the cases with your hand press while you watch TV or a war movie. Just make sure to dump the primers before you get full, otherwise everything gets jammed up and you'll have a heck of a time getting the shellholder out. Luckily I think they hold like 45-50 small pistol primers. I dump mine out in a heavy duty 6x9 ziplock. no mess in the living room. Prime with a hand primer. Lee works and is affordable. So does the RCBS one. But the red will match your other stuff. 
Bolt the reloader press to a board, and double C-clamp to your kitchen table or something. Mount your powder through expander die and your Autodisk powder measure to it. That kills two birds with one stone. Expands the case mouth and powder in one step. Set the cases in a loading block if you like to use loading blocks, I don't. I like to get a visual on powder level and then seat the bullet immediately. You could seat them with your handpress, but you'd need two 38/357 shell holders. It is also a bit of jugling and you will eventually dump the whole works on the ground. 3 grains of bullseye isn't going to be nearly as bad a 50 grains of rifle powder, but it is still a mess to clean up. If you had a side-by-side setup with dual lee reloader presses, you could expand, powder, verify the powder, place the powdered case in seater press and seat a bullet. You could fit them onto a 2x6 or a 2x8 about 18 inches long and it would clamp to the edge of nearly any table and the whole works would only weigh maybe 12 pounds. But it would only be suitable for handgun reloading. The c style reloader press is pretty light duty for large rifle cases, but it would be all you'd every need for handgun stuff. Then just go back through with your crimp die in your handpress. You could do it while you watch TV. Gives you a chance to wipe off the case lube too. But that would be three presses, and you'd have a lot more capable equipment for the same money if you just got a Lee Classic turret. But you'd have more weight, and the mounting solutions would be more difficult and space consuming. You've decided that you want to try reloading. That is a great decision in-and-of itself. If you decide that you like it, you've just made the first step down a long road. I wouldn't worry much about what sort of equipment you start with, because you will always be able upgrade or change, so they are no real bad decisions. Once you start, you can't stop. Brett 
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Quoted:
I'd bet you can always find a place to put one of these... http://www.leeprecision.com/graphics/shoppingcart/reloader.jpg Lee Reloader Press The c style reloader press is pretty light duty for large rifle cases, but it would be all you'd every need for handgun stuff. Last week I dug out a Lee Reloader press and bolted it to a piece of scrap lumber. Right now, it's clamped to a counter. Not too shabby for a $25 press! Primers are ejected through a slot cut in the ram and are routed into the chassis of the press. Best thing to do is mount the press using wing nuts then loosen them to get rid of the used primers. I wouldn't bother drilling a "drain" hole for that purpose. I also lubricated all bearing surfaces with graphite grease then wiped down the ram with a lightly oiled patch. Yeah, it's a cheap press...but it runs like a top. Hell, I might even invest in a Lee disc powder measure. I'm currently looking for a local woodworker to fashion a much nicer piece of lumber to which to attach that press. The rear bolt will be shorter and the nut and washer will be recessed to allow the whole thing to sit further onto whatever surface it's clamped. ETA: Lee Factory Sales www.factorysales.com has this press for $22.80 plus shipping. Nice price. |
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Wideners has the best deal I have seen on the Lee Reloader Press, the Press and the Lee Modern Reloading 2nd Edition for $20.40 and its in stock:
http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=6536&dir=210|212|237 I would absolutely get a powder measure. The Lee Perfect Powder Measure has worked well for me, and its only $19 and also in stock at Wideners: http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=1880&dir=210|212|236 I have both the hand press and the Reloader in addition to several other presses of various types. The hand press is portable and stays in an ammo box with some components and dies for loading on the go. I use the Reloader for light duty tasks (though I could use it for a lot more than I do). I'd get the Reloader over the hand press unless I have absoutely no where to attach it. The Reloader and PPM would attach nicely to a length of 2x4 that could then be C-clamped to, for instance, the kitchen table. |
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Thanks so much for all of your help and advice. Sorry I haven't responded sooner, but work has really been nuts the last couple of days.
I think I might go with a hand primer tool and the C style press, I didn't realize how inexpensive they are. I'll check out some powder measures too. Thanks for clearing up my question about bullet diameter for the .38 special. Probably going to order this stuff by the end of next month, I think I've been bit by the reloading bug
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Quoted:
"Lee Safety Magnetic Powder Scale" I really think you would be better off with a Lyman, RCBS, Hornady, Forster, Redding or anything besides this scale. I bought one several years ago. I found it hard to read and I ended up trashing it. Forget the case trimmer - you don't need one. A powder measure will save you a whole bunch of time. Weighing each charge is slowwwwwwww! The Lee scale works fine. The 100 grain capacity limit sucks donkey balls though. |
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Quoted:
The ram prime has got to be slow and clumsy as all get out with the handpress. I'd bet you can always find a place to put one of these... http://www.leeprecision.com/graphics/shoppingcart/reloader.jpg Lee Reloader Press An outstanding value. Exclusive balanced lever that can't drop down to pinch your fingers. Unlimited hand clearance that only a "C" frame can offer. Works equally well with the right or left hand. Even if you already own a press, an extra press is always useful for decapping, bullet seating or bullet sizing. Lee Reloader Press 90045. Then get one of these... http://www.leeprecision.com/graphics/shoppingcart/PROAUTODISK.jpg Commercial reloaders or competitive shooters first choice! Elastomer wiper and teflon coated metal casting make this the smoothest operating measure. Will not cut powder and almost totally eliminates leakage. Large hopper with shut-off valve is attached with brass thumb nuts for the ultimate in disk changing convenience. Increased safety with positive pull-back lever. Includes swivel adapter and spring return lever with spring. Includes all four disks! Auto-Disk Powder Measure 90578 Pro Auto-Disk Powder Measure and maybe one of these... http://www.leeprecision.com/graphics/shoppingcart/ADJUSTABLE%20CHARGE%20BAR.jpg Adjustable Charge Bar Infinitely adjustable between .28 and 1.6 cc. Lifetime nylon with solid brass, zero backlash micrometer. Easy to set. I'll be damned. That's easy. Get the Lee Pro Auto-Disc Powder measure, replace the discs with the more precise Charge Bar Adapter, mount the thing on top of the Lee Expander Die, and simply trip the bar by pulling the lever...or does the case automatically do this? With a setup like that there's no need to use a crank-type powder measure. another way to speed up single stage reloading. Thanks! |
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Yeah, it is case actuated and it expands the case mouth at the same time.
You don't have to get the variable charge bar, but they're like 10 bucks, and you'll find a use for it in no time. For example, my autodisk throws were spot on with Win321 and I was entirely satisfied with the loads I made, but I was going to try this big"ol keg of green dot, and the disc chart was way off, I had to go to a way bigger disc to throw proper grain weight. Well, by the time I got to proper throw weight, there was only one hole that would throw between min and max. That wasn't going to work with 30 year old powder with possibly different results than book listings. So I used the charge disc, opened it up to min throw weight, and then just kept opening it it up and checking velocity until I came up with a good load. Now I don't want to mess with it, and I just want to buy more charge discs for different loads, calibers, etc. People trash the lee stuff sometimes, but some of it is really nice and functional equipment for the price. Brett |
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Does the Lee Pro Auto Disk powder measure clamp or bolt onto the top of the expander die? It would have to in order to allow the flared case to actuate the powder measure. Otherwise it would just push the entire powder measure off the top of the die, would it not?
ETA: OK, found it, that large, hex shaped powder funnel adaptor simply unscrews from the top of the die. You remove it, remove the O-ring and place it on the threaded end of the auto-disk measure, then screw the entire auto-disk depenser onto the top of the expander die. Cool. |
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