[canebreaker]

No reloading. I received a large flat rate box of mixed brass from a member off of a facebook group. I mailed 500 223 bullets today for the swap. I can't get on facebook on this Mac so shipping to her return address and can't send tracking info. Small flat rate box is now $7.15, wish I could have shipped saturday.

 

[canebreaker]

Could be an expoxy sealer instead of paint. If baked it's like trying to remove weld. 09, guess that's production year, so 7 years to cure more.

 

[canebreaker]

No reloading, waiting on metal to finish pellet trap.

 

[canebreaker]

I delivered the first pellet trap to the ROTC unit today between showers. My grandson was the only one that got to shoot at it since some of the period was used to set it up. I went back at 5 pm to carry him home and asked what was wrong with it. I used the small size binder clips to catch the targets. He asked about using larger Bulldog Clips. I ordered 36- 2 1/4" for less than $7 through Ebates, will get 1% cash back and a free $10 walmart gift card.

 

[canebreaker]

I run mine through the sizing die before cutting (decapping rod removed). This adds an extra step at the end but I find I get much better quality that way. I do trim with a cordless drill and a CTS trimmer that I like much better than the WFT; it just seems faster to me.. For the rest I use a RCBS prep center that works well and is pretty fast as I can perform all needed operations at once. Each stage take about an hour; decapping (Lee Universal Decapper), Sizing, cutting, trimming, clean up, and final sizing. So 1k cases takes me about 12 hours give or take a little. I'm sure its not the fastest way but its the habit I developed and since it works well I haven't looked to change it. Got about 14k cases done this way, 10k in 300 blk and 4k in 277 wlv.

"I use a RCBS prep center that works well and is pretty fast as I can perform all needed operations at once."
How many operations are there?

 

[canebreaker]

Inner chamfer; outer chamfer and primer pocket uniforming are the steps I take

So that's 1 step or 3?

 

[canebreaker]

So that machine can do 3 things at once.
Or you Inner chamfer then move to outer chamfer then to primer pocket uniforming?

 

[canebreaker]

This morning I swapped 3 buckets of brass for 500 55 gr 24dia Hornady bullets. One is 40 sw, one 38spl.357 mixed and one 223/556 mixed. Looks like I'll be inspecting, prepping cases all week.

 

[canebreaker]

Still prepping cases, finished 1 bucket of 40sw.
Working on pellet target traps for rotc. With spring break I thought I'd have a few cadets here to help, no shows. I didn't ask for help, but everyone knows I'm working on them.
Working on a minnow run for tuesday. I guess everyone would rather pay $3 per dozen than to deal with 0.75 per dozen.

 

[canebreaker]

Yard work troubles. I'll post it in off topics

 

[canebreaker]

I shoot a 110 gr LRN bullet 2.4 gr Bullseye with a mag primer in a 38spl or 357case. With a standard primer I need 2.7 grains of powder.

 

[canebreaker]

I got an invite to dig in a private berm. 2 shovels deep before I find bullets then the owner shows up. All she shoots is 5.56 and 7.62X39 factory ammo. Wasted day for me.

 

[canebreaker]

I brought home a bucket almost full of cases and hulls from my son's house sunday.

 

[canebreaker]

I ran 1,000 223 cases through my 38spl sizing die so I can prime them.

 

[canebreaker]

I've done that splainin a few time. I worked on this for almost a year.
I bought 2 buckets of 223/556 cases years ago. They sat in the rain on the range a few days before being picked up.
(1) I ran them through the tumbler for 8 hours with walnut media, still black. I inspected them with a bore light for Berdan primed ones. De-capped the boxer primed ones, first use of a shell holder, they fit fine. Inspect case length, second time in shell holder, they fit fine. Trimmed everyone that was over 1.760 to 1.750, third time in shell holder, they fit fine.
I finished my wet tumbler at that time. I ran them through the tumbler for 2 hours. They were bright again. Ran them through the dryer tumbler for 45 minutes. Carried a can full to prime while keeping the granddaughters. 1 out of the first 10 fit the primer shell holder. So I put them away until I got home. I have 21 #4 shell holders and they wouldn't fit in any of them. I ask everyone for a fix, here, Lee, facebook groups, 3 other reloading sites and anyone I saw at a store in the reloading section. Most everyone said I needed a set of RCBS small base dies so I bought them, no fix. Some people said I needed to throw them away and buy more. I know there a fix somewhere and I'm not throwing away $60 worth of cases, at 4 cents each.
So that batch sat while I did another batch. They ended up the same as the first. So they sat and I asking again for a fix. Still the same replies and no fix. Third time into a facebook group a guy says a friend was having a problem with the cases fitting the shell holder. He removed the guts from his 38spl sizing/decapping die and used it as a bulge buster. I have Lee dies and it won't work. I ask what brand of dies he has. a few days later he replies they are lyman. Well I guess I'll look for a Lyman sizing die. Another person says he has some cases that won't fit the shell holder and he has a Lyman die. He'll try it before I buy. An hour later he replies, I removed the guts from the die and used the .357 cast bullet pusher to send them through the die, it works it's a fix. Expect to have to press extra hard on the handle, use an O frame.
I ordered a Lyman 38spl sizing die from ebay for $15. I removed the top cap and removed the guts. Pressed a case through and placed it in a #4 shell holder. Then another one. Finally a fix.

 

[canebreaker]

"I'm going to have to get a swager. I'm starting to run into allot of 223 and 9mm brass that I can't get the primer into and it looks to have a thin ring in the pocket."
At a hardware store in the welding section I got a carbide grinding tip, ground the tip some so it bottoms out in the pocket. Use it in my cordless drill. If the case is pressed to hard it will spin in your fingers. It has a 1/4" shaft. In this link it's like the one on the right.
Nail Art File Drill Electric Manicure Tips Toe Grinder Polisher Tools OK | eBay

 

[canebreaker]

The Super Swage is your friend

Not at the prices I saw.

 

[canebreaker]

Been busy moving, got to be out by 2/1. Finding reloading stuff everywhere.

 

[canebreaker]

I went to McInver's gun range at Sardis, MS today to do some shooting. Talked with the range officers. about the cases. You can collect your cases, you can collect others cases. We collect cases and they go to the trash by state rules. I brought home 5 buckets of cases. Some are steel, aluminum and brass. Now the sorting begins.
At Stone's river gun range, southeast of Nashville, TN we had yellow buckets for brass and white buckets for aluminum and steel cases. All cases were sorted, steel, aluminum and non reusable brass, sold as scrap. Reusable cases were tumbled, bagged per 100 and sold. Depending on caliber $3 to 8 per bag. I got a check from the state for travel to and from the range the days I worked, $0.40 per mile, $80 plus per month. The money collected from rentals and sales was averaged into your time at the range. At end of year, Christmas dinner I carried my landlord, $20 per plate is what I think it cost but free from our sales plus a gift card for $85 for my 3 months of service.
I gave them 3 1/2 months the next year, came home to garden.

 

[canebreaker]

Been sorting cases. Got a bucket almost full of steel, easy with a magnet.
Got the tumbler running with a mix of 9mm and 380's