Here's half of mine.

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Big Fred

Hello All,

New to reloading (just starting), also new here, but read this thread extensively to get an idea of where to start.

I'm posting this because someone may be in the same situ I was. Hope this helps.

My predicament was lack of a permanent work space. I have a nice oversize garage with great light and space, but.... Living in the frozen tundra, even though my garage is fully insulated I figured reloading in the wild temperature swings would probably not be a good idea.

I have a finished basement. I floated the idea of converting the downstairs guest bedroom into a reloading room, and I got "that" look.

So my challenge was to come up with a way to work and reload comfortably, but get everything out of the way and out of sight when not reloading.

List of materials:
1) one pair of inexpensive saw horses ~ $30
2) one hollow core door 36" x 80" ~ $28
3) one sheet of 3/4 plywood finished on one side ~ $25
4) one tube of construction adhesive ~ $3
5) 6 or so 1/4-20 x 5in Bolts + washers and wing nuts ~ $8
6) a few plastic storage containers to store lead, brass, powder, etc.

Nice thing was that I got everything at the man store in one trip. I had them rip the sheet of plywood to the right width for free as I didn't have a table saw, then all I had to do was to cut to length with my circle saw and glue it on. I used the extra piece to cut out small square reinforcing plates for the underside of the door to mount my press to give it extra strength.

Takes about 15 to 20 minutes to set everything up and start to reload. It's nice to be able to listen to music ow watch the big screen while reloading too! Only bad thing is that my rump can only take sitting on that stool for a few hundred rounds! That will be my next upgrade for sure.

Hope this helps someone.

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Morte tyranni

We all have to start somewhere and as long as it works for you that's all that counts. My only comment is you say you are new to reloading I certainly hope you are not watching that big TV while reloading. You don't want to be distracted in anyway.

I just got an M&P .40 (my first hand gun), don't have my CPL yet so I have to wate 5-11 days until I can pick it up. Anyway, I want to get set up for reloading and was wondering what I'll need to get started and how much I should expect to spend. I have a SLIM budget so I cant break the bank on this; However, I do want to reload safe reliable ammo. Any thoughts/suggestions?

thanks,
-P

Use the search feature on the forum, and look up getting started. You'll find a lot of threads on it. The way everyhting is, you are going to have a harder time getting into reloading, with the demand for equipment and component being so high. Search your local swap and sell flyers, craigslist, etc for used equipment too.

The Binford 6100 fully automatic reloading system

If you aren't into a big hurry, you might find an entire set up at an estate sale, garage sale, used sporting goods column in the newspaper, etc. You might find everything but your caliber specific dies. If you try and buy everything new, with a single stage press and everything to go with it you are probably looking at between $400- $500.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

For now, I wont be shooting more than 400 per month, is it even worth reloading for that amount of ammo?

Yes it is. Last box of 45 I picked up for friends and family at Wally World as WWB for about $43/100 OTD. I load my own 45 for around $6.00/100 with home cast bullets (primer $.03, powder $.01, lead $.02). Even if you bought jacketed bullets, it would probably only be about $20/100.

Wow, that's a pretty dramatic savings. I'll have to get started with reloading one piece at a time. Right now I can't dump $300-$500 to get up and running but if I do it piece by piece, eventually I'll be up and running. I know what will be on my Christmas list, that's for dam sure.

Here's my reloading nook. Still finishing the basement.

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Semper Fi

Thats why I started small. Bought the case tumbler and saved my brass and ammo boxes and would collect and clean as I shot. Then I would clean and store it. Next bought the little hand press and just de-primered everything. Ran across some primers actually in stock so I bought a box and primerd everything that I had empty ammo boxes to store them in.

Don't remember if I posted mine in this thread.

I load for, 9mm, 10mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .45 GAP, .357 Sig, .357 magnum, .38 Special

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Rob

Here is my humble reloading room.

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Mitch
SWCA 2597

Bello,
I like the bench. I assume you sit to reload and stand for other bench duties. I'm building a new home may try the two tier approach. Thanks for sharing.

Mitch, nice spot you have! A place to focus....a place to prepare fore more NICE racks!


I've gotten the most recent addition up on the bench....a Dillon 550 a friend gave me....after the $45 refurb at Dillon it's like new now! I'm going to use it for .308 and .223 and other rifle ammo as the need arrive for large runs.

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

I can't get my boxer to lay down bye me when I reload but she can sniff out a good primer that hits the floor!

Hey! Speaking of that. Notice my temporary setup for reloading above a few posts. I just discovered how "exciting" it can get around the house when the wife finds a live primer lost in the shag with a vacuum!

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Morte tyranni

You both may find it more than exciting if the vacuum cleaner picks up enough loose powder!

Yes, you will be able to "tune" your rounds to meet your specific needs. Light loads, heavy loads, projectile shape, weight crimp and so on. Off the shelf you get whatever is put together for multiple guns. I shoot about five hundred rounds and I tailor these for my lovely wife, for myself and for different guns from a snubby to a Rossi 92. Plus, loading is a great relaxation at the end of the day. For me, reloading on a T-7 is worth doing, not for the savings but for all the other benefits.

I'm new to reloading also, so I bought a used TrueLine Jr off Ebay (I think about $70) that came with the 44 mag dies and the woodworkers table came from Harbor Freight ($130). The rest of the bits and pieces came from all over the place. Don't know if I saved any money doing it this way but it was a lot of fun searching and putting it together. I'll eventually add another press as I get more experienced.

Right now I only load 44 magnum (see picture) but plan to broaden out to 9mm and 357.

(By the way I stole the idea for the powder measure stand from an earlier post on this thread. Works great thanks!!!)

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I have been using this for about 3 years I load all the hand gun ammo for my self and my nephew my wife calls it "your cabinet"

Its a mess and I really need a day to clean up but I can make good ammo. Dillon 1050 on the far end with various trimmers, presses lubesizers and assorted stuff.

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NRA Certified Instructor & RSO

Here is a shot of mine as built last year when we moved into a new home (after 25 years of reloading in cramped undedicated spaces. ) Given that I reload, pistol, rifle and shotgun in a total of 18 different cal/ga, versatility and efficiency was important. .General specs. 8’ long, 24” deep, 32” high and constructed out of 2x frames and 3/4”ply surfaces. The whole thing is glued and screwed as well as anchored every couple of feet into the concrete basement wall . ( Read: it’s rock solid) Press mounting is modular. I have 4 stations with identical 4 bolt patterns in the top of the bench. All press base’s have matching hole patterns. This allows me to swap out any number of my 7 presses to any position at will just by loosening four bolts. (Bench holes are backed with fixed T nuts so all wrenching is on top. Storage is organized so I can find stuff fast.. RFI Brass and reloading manuals are stored on top. Bullets, shot and common materials just below. Die sets, spare parts, spent brass, case tumbler, MT ammo box’s, wads etc. on the lower shelves. ( Coffee cans are color coded and labeled to help keep me from doing something stupid) Common wrench’s knifes, etc. are hung on the end. A 4' light fixture hangs overhead to help my aging eyes.
I do have some overflow in shotgun hulls and a few on my underused MEC presses which get stored next to my powder and primer locker (top left of pic.) as that stuff just tends to grow! So far, it’s working better for me than anything I’ve been able to cobble together in the past.

Ps.. Good thread!

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Dave

This is my setup. I use this bench to reload then have another nice oak cabinets with storage space below and Formica top to weigh charges and process loaded cases and empty brass. Just applied a fresh coat of paint to brighten the room.

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Finally mounted a cabinet on the wall with a fluorescent light underneath. Now I need to add a small bookshelf for my reloading library.

Here's my bench/reloading table/workshop bench/etc... I'm military so I got this so it can move with me. It's messy, just finished some projects on the Loadmaster.

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5

Ah, but you still have the toaster cozy/dust cover. (For whatever reason it makes me smile. Excellent "second life").

It's all about keepin' up with the Dillons...I mean Jones'.

One for large primers and one for small primers.
Stu

I use a corner of my shop. The bench is a woodworker bench I made out of rock maple. I mount my reloading press to a 1" plywood top that has 3 cleats underneath it that fit into the bench vices at the corners of the bench. When I need to do some woodworking the top can come off (that was the idea but in reality I've never taken it off since I made the setup )

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	Dillon 5.JPG (144.8 KB, 260 views)

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Minimize the variables

After 35 years of reloading I am still only using my original RCBS Rockchucker press. My set up is in the basement. Reloading table works great but I need to do something to better organized the components and finished ammo storage, ha.

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Better organized!!!??? Your shop looks much better organized than any I have seen! I would imagine the quality of your handloads would reflect this same quality.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

YOU GUYS ARE TOO NEAT. THIS IS WHAT A WELL USED LOADING BENCH LOOKS LIKE. JP



THESE PHOTOS LOOK LIKE A NEED A NEW CAMERA. BUT I'M TOO CHEAP TO BUY ONE. JP

I thought I was BIG Stuff with my 3 550s. WOW…my kind of mess!

OK here is my mess.

I have about 20 years worth of range pick up brass I am filtering through a little each time. yes….I have a problem.

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if you're gonna be a bear...

Still a beginner but here's mine.

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Get off my lawn!

I built this out of 2x8 in a few hours. I don't have a lot of room so had to keep it small. I only reload for three cartridges, also 12 and 20 ga. I keep most of my supplies in a cabinet to keep my work space clear.

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That's just somebody talkin.

Small works too, looks like you have it well organized!. (I didn't have more than a 1 car garage space until I retired, now I get lost in the 1500 sf shop and can't find anything. )

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Minimize the variables

The reloading section is in the 1st picture. Hope I am not hogging up a lot of room but I would like to share the rest of my gun room. Thanks.

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Thread resurrection with an updated pic.

Quote:

Show us your reloading setup!

It's in there...... somewhere.....

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

Mine looks something like this.

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i keep it simplehttp://s1370.photobucket.com/user/irish6611/media/IMG_0276_zps338d1768.jpg.html

Mine would just be a picture of a desk. Because I mounted my press to a piece of 2X4 that I clamp onto the desk when I reload. All the 'stuff' fits in a couple boxes kept in the closet.

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But then, what do I know?

My life is a work in progress...much like the reloading bench.

Been reloading for about 4 or so years now. Started in the garage and the S.C. summers were fun trying to keep the sweat out of the cases. Earlier this year I talked the wife into letting me build this bench in the laundry room. Much better with A/C! Nothing fancy and the closest thing I'll ever come to a man cave.

Raised my bench up last night, as it was just too low to work from standing or sitting comfortably to use my stool . Think this height is going to work out much better for me. Going to add a couple shelves on the end for my reloading manuals.

I'll play too!

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Square Deal B and Lee classic turret on the side.

Amazon has a pretty good price for the Rock Chucker Supreme Master Loading Kit for $243. Add a set of dies and a shell holder or whatever to get it over $300 so you get the $50 rebate. You get some nice equipment for around $250. A good start anyway.

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I don’t have a dedicated man cave/reloading room and for reloading use a corner of an office I share with my wife.

I use a B&D Workmate 225 for a reloading bench. I removed the top and replaced with doubled 3/4" oak plywood. My Rock Chucker 2 and powder dropper are mounted to a RCBS bench plate which is C clamped to the top. I also screwed a rail to the front so I could hang Akro bins.

This setup is pretty sturdy and the whole thing breaks down/folds away in a few minutes. It has worked great for my needs.

Where I like to spend cold winter days

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