Recycling for the Shooter

The topic of cartridge reloading is truly huge and many books and articles have been written about it over the years. It might initially sound like a very dangerous undertaking but if you follow a few simple steps and abide by the relevant safety rules, it’s a safe and enjoyable part of the overall shooting experience. It’s been around for nearly as long as the metallic cartridge and was often the only way people living away from towns and cities could feed their guns.

Winchester used to sell very simple hand presses that could be used to turn old into new with only a few steps. Lee actually still make a very simple hand tool, which obviously does the job but most people tend to use more modern equipment; kit has come on in leaps and bounds since the 1880s but the basics are still the same.

Why reload?

Before we look at the actual process, it’s worth taking a look to see why people reload. Ammunition can obviously be bought off the shelf and it’s the biggest outlay once the rifle has been purchased. People who only shoot now and then will often be more than happy to just pop down the local gunshop and buy a box or two; in fact, deer stalkers may only shoot a few deer each year and apart from checking zero now and then, a box or two may last a year.

However, those who shoot pistol calibre lever action rifles and long barrelled revolvers could be shooting hundreds of rounds in a session, so buying off the shelf can prove costly. Those who take part in Civilian Service Rifle and Practical Rifle competitions can shoot upwards of 100 rounds per day and over a season, this soon adds up. Add in practice sessions and ‘The Imperial’ (a week of CSR matches each summer at Bisley) and it’s very easy to get through two or three thousand rounds per year and with NATO spec. 5.56mm ammo costing £40- 50 per hundred, it can be an expensive past time. Factory Match ammo is expensive but it’s possible to replicate similar loads cheaper at home, using quality components.

The potential reloader obviously has to weigh up the cost of buying the reloading equipment in the first place and this has to be taken into account before embarking on ‘rolling your own’. Simple, allinclusive kits are available, as a sort of package deal, and are fantastic for those starting out.
Another reason for reloading is to produce better ammo that you can specifically tailor to your needs over what’s off-the-shelf! Factory ammo obviously has to safely work in any gun that it’s chambered for but rifle’s chambers and bores are all slightly different (even though they must meet certain standards) so each can perform differently with various brands, bullet weights etc. By fine-tuning handloads, it’s possible to get the best out of your rifle accuracy-wise, as tiny variations in powder charges and bullet seating depth can make all the difference down-range.

One reason that people often overlook is the shear enjoyment of reloading! What might seem to be a real chore to some is actually a very rewarding hobby in itself and there’s a great deal of satisfaction to be had from shooting tiny groups with ammo that you’ve made yourself and I’ve shot my smallest groups, with many different calibres, using my own reloads.

The basics

Every time we fire a centrefire round we obviously lose most of the components! To start with, the primer is struck by the firing pin setting off the powder charge in the case body. The rapidly burning powder produces an enormous amount of gas, heat and pressure and the bullet is pushed out to engage with the rifling and down the barrel, and on its way to the target! The primer, powder and bullet are consumed but the brass case remains, so can be re-filled as it were; to become a new, unfired round of ammunition once again!

So now we need a way of achieving this re-birth by replacing and replenishing the consumables – primer, powder and bullet and putting it together in such a way that it can replicate; or even better the performance of your original factory-made ammunition. To this end items called die sets are used that removes the spent primer, re-sizes/dimension the case so that it can fit the gun’s chamber again. Also and once the powder charge has been inserted seat the bullet to the correct cartridge overall length (COL) and seal it securely and concentrically and consistently in the case neck.

But first, cases will become dirty when fired and it’s best to clean them, inside and out. This is done for a number of reasons: 1) you do not want foreign matter to be transferred inside the dies, which will increase wear. 2) Clean cases are easier to inspect for flaws such as cracks, imminent head separation and even foreign bodies on the inside, which can snap de-capping pins and jam dies, or if not removed be pushed up the barrel when fired. 3) Will allow easier head stamp (coding/information on the base) so the same makes/ calibres can be batched together.

A device called a tumbler is used for this purpose and there are three types: 1) Dry, a vibrating machine that uses a soft polishing medium like corncob. 2) Wet, here the cases are immersed in water or cleaning fluid and microsized stainless steel pins are agitated that literally scours the brass clean. 3) Ultrasonic, water/ fluid is vibrated at high speed to do the same job. The problem with wet systems is that the brass needs drying before reloading! Some military rounds have the primers staked in and this must be removed before re-priming.

A pressing matter

The heart of the reloading operation is the press, which is a bench-mounted or even handheld machine that offers a compound leverage system to force the fired case by a ram into its old shape and seat and crimp the bullet. Brass being ductile (able to be drawn into shapes) is an ideal medium for the case. The press mounts the dies and the shell holder (case/press interface) fits to the top of the ram. Using the various dies and other equipment the reloading process is as follows; re-sizing the case and removing the spent primer (de-capping). Re-priming, which can be done on or off press, measuring and dispensing the exact amount of powder and finally putting the bullet back in and sealing it in position at the correct COL. A crimp can be applied to the neck that grip the bullet tighter to stop it telescoping under recoil, which can happen if it’s too loose. Also it unifies ‘bullet pull’ – the pressure required for the bullet to be pushed out of the case. This will result in more consistent velocities too, but many people do not go this far.

One very important aspect of the job that many novices forget is lubrication of the case as it’s forced into the re-sizing die. A special re-sizing lube is used otherwise the case will stick in the die and also its rim may rip out of the shell holder. If this happens there are special ‘stuck case removal kits’. Too much lube is also counter-productive, as you just need a fine film, if it’s too thick it will bulge the case body by the hydraulic pressure created. Plus, once sized, you will need to remove the lube, if not it will attract debris that can be dragged in the gun’s chamber. Again not conducive to good practice!

Brass’ ductility can also work against the reloader, as it will stretch and in extreme cases may get too long and cause chambering problems. But there’s a solution in the form of case trimmers that are like mini, hand-operated lathes or cutters that trim it back to its correct length. For checking case and also length COL a vernier calliper is a useful tool. The company L E Wilson makes ‘case gauges’ for checking reloaded ammunition, which are very useful.

Read the manual!

Powder dispensing is critical as to amount and there are loading manuals that tell you how much of a certain type you need, as to calibre and bullet weight etc. To this end we use scales, either electronic or balance beam, and machines that can be set to dispense (throw) a specific volume. Equally, primers come in four types and three grades – small and large, pistol and rifle and standard, magnum and match/bench rest powers. It’s essential you use the right type; equally so the powder, otherwise you could be creating a bomb rather than a cartridge!

But the reloading manuals have all that information and answers, so adhere to them 100% and don’t think you can over or under charge with powder, as both have serious consequences. The more comprehensive ones also offer illustrated, step-by-step guides to case preparation and reloading, along with all the other minutiae of the process.

When viewed as a few simple steps, reloading isn’t quite as daunting as people might imagine. As long as all safety guidance is followed to the letter and you start out slowly, reloading is a very safe and satisfying process. Andy Allwood runs comprehensive reloading courses, so this is another option for the novice. I’ve been reloading for around 15-years now and certainly enjoy it; if I save money, produce a quality end product and also do my bit for the environment, it’s got to be worth the initial investment.

Contacts

Hornady bullets and reloading equipment, Hodgdon powder etc.
Edgar Brothers www.edgarbrothers.com
Sierra and PPU bullets, Lee and Smart Reloader Equipment Henry Krank www.henrykrank.com
RCBS Reloading equipment – GMK www.gmk.co.uk
Nosler. Highland Outdoors www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk
Quick Load. JMS Arms www.jmsarms.co.uk
Dillon reloading equipment Newavon Arms www.newavon-arms.co.uk
Wilson & Wilson Fieldsports www.wilsonandwilsonfieldsports.co.uk
Lyman. Sportsman Gun Centre www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk
Hannams Reloading Ltd www.hannamsreloading.com
Reloading Solutions www.reloadingsolutions.com
1967 Spud Reloading Supplies Ltd L E Wilson case gauges etc. www.1967spud.com
Andy Allwood Reloading www.tfsa.co.uk
Norman Clark www.normanclarkgunsmith.com
Remington www.remington.com