GETTING SET UP TO RELOAD.

Its hard to prepare accurate reloads without the right equipment and the right surroundings. I will try to focus on your loading location, whether it is at home or in the field. Most reloading activities take place in the home at a workbench, in the garage, basement: attic or even at the kitchen table. I will discuss reloading in the field later. So for now, I will focus on reloading at home.

 

I have spoken to hand-loaders who load in very tight surroundings, where space is limited. I knew of one individual who had about 500 square foot bunker dedicated to reloading and firearm maintenance, along with a shooting range. Regardless of your own situation, lets talk about some basics for a reloading area and some nice to have features.

 

The number one priority on your list should be to choose a location for your reloading, where you can work undisturbed. Reloading, especially precision reloading: requires your complete and undivided attention to the task at hand. Its fine to sit in front of the TV and do some case preparation chores, but when you are actually loading (handling powder or primers) try to give it your undivided attention. This is why a corner of your basement or garage is a pretty good location.

 

Your next priority is a solid reloading bench. The general rule of thumb is to make it as thick and as sturdy as possible. It doesnt have to be a big work area, but you need to fasten it to the floor if possible or, at a minimum, secure it to the wall. By eliminating bench movement you have eliminated another variable in your reloading equation. Make your bench as comfortable as you can. If you are serious about your hobby you will end up spending countless hours loading and trying new things. If you can make your bench at least five feet wide you will have plenty of room. Make sure it is at a comfortable height for you. It should be at least 38 inches high which enables you to use it standing or sitting on a standard 24 inches stool.

 

Pre- built workbenches are available almost anywhere, including home centers, hardware stores just to name a few sources. Be careful of these ready-made benches, as some of them can be quite shaky and would not be suitable for reloading unless they are beefed up considerable.

 

When you have located your reloading bench in the right spot, surround yourself with as much pegboard and sturdy shelving as you can. Prior to bolting any equipment in place, you may want to clamp your big tools down for a short time until you can get the feel of where to put everything.

It is commoon knowledge that brass-work hardens with bending, but the only place this could happen to a significant degree would be along the radius where it rounds out from bottom to sides. There is no need to worry much about hardness in that area since it isn't where the firing pin strikes. There have been instances where that area became so hard as to be brittle, and there could be tiny perforations when the primer was fired. Some makers include an annealing step to prevent this possibility. But since there is no "work" done to the bottom of the cup, it is much less affected and remain essentially as it came from the mill. Still everyone who reloads has probably experienced a misfire, and found that the firing pin impression on the primer was much smaller than normal. It is perfectly to conclude that the primer was hard, but the trouble can almost always be traced to other causes. Very often that primer will fire if it is hit again.