Getting ready to start reloading

[Scuba2do]

Sparky, I can't remember which electronic balance I got. The setup is sitting at my brother's and he lives about a mile away. I went to different e-railers and started reading reviews. I think I picked it up at Shop Shooting Supplies | Reloading | Gunsmithing | Hunting gear ? MidwayUSA . It cost somewhere between 30 and 40 bucks. Once the primed case gets to station 2, I take it off the press and weigh it on the little electronic scale and zero it. I put it back into station 2 and load powder into it. I take the shell off and weigh it again, adjust press and repeat process till the weight is reproducible. Once several shells have been weighed and it remains consistent. I put the little plug back into the hole and load a bunch of rounds. This is not rocket science, enjoy and have fun.

Tony

 

[Scuba2do]

I also recommend using an ultrasonic cleaner, Hornady makes a good one. The reason I went with that is that it doesn't raise up a bunch of dust in the room and the cleaner does a great job with processing the brass that you are going to produce. You are going to shoot a lot once you start reloading. It's kind of ridiculous .

 

[Old_Sparky]

Still debating on whether to use an ultrasonic cleaner, or corncob. I can clean the cases in the garage, but will be doing the reloading in the house in a quiet room, all by my self.

 

[Scuba2do]

Sparky, I quickly looked and found the scale on the midway site:
Frankford Arsenal DS-750 Electronic Powder Scale 750 Grain Capacity
It works great, simple , the battery has never been changed. I check it with check weights and it is spot on. Did I mention cheap?
You can pick up a primer flip tray (cheap on midway site), and a bullet puller. Might also want to get some plastic ammo boxes to put the rounds in.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

Still debating on whether to use an ultrasonic cleaner, or corncob. I can clean the cases in the garage, but will be doing the reloading in the house in a quiet room, all by my self.

Just in the "something to try" department go to a local food store and buy a small jar of Citric Acid. At home put a quart of hot water in a plastic or glass bowl and add a 2 tablespoons of CA. Then drop in a couple of handfuls of brass. Stir occasionally for a couple of minutes, remove, rinse 3X in clean water, and see what happens. CA is what you find in citrus products and will not harm the brass, to the contrary it "passivates" brass(makes it resistant to corrosion). And if you like it, Amazon sells 10 pounds for around $ 35.00, a virtual lifetime supply.

 

[Old_Sparky]

Citric acid...interesting. Would I have to use a 5-gallon bucket to soak my brass, and then rinse it? Maybe dump it out to let it air dry after rinsing? Just because someone has always done it a certain way does not necessarily make it the best way, or the only way.

More food for thought on this.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

Citric acid...interesting. Would I have to use a 5-gallon bucket to soak my brass, and then rinse it? Maybe dump it out to let it air dry after rinsing? Just because someone has always done it a certain way does not necessarily make it the best way, or the only way.

More food for thought on this.

I use a large plastic Folgers coffee container, soak for a few minutes, rinse 3X, then either put the brass in a cloth mesh bag and run it out on the clothesline or spread them in the sun on a black piece of landscape fabric. You can reuse the Citric Acid a few times, until the water is dirty. You could also use a larger container, just adjust the amount of CA to equal about 2 tablespoons per quart of hot water. Buy a small jar of CA and give it a try. Let me know if you like it.

 

[Scuba2do]

Cool thing about the ultrasonic cleaner is you can use it clean your guns with it. Have to use the correct liquid cleaner for that. My wife was wanting to try and use it for cleaning jewelry in it. There are several people that have made up a solution to put into it but have not tested those recipes out.

 

[Old_Sparky]

I am liking the citric acid method, will have to give it try on the casings I have collected so far to see how it works. Should the casings be deprimed first, or does it matter?