Reloading BS thread

Anyone interested in a couple of Frankford Arsenal reloading benches? I wound up with three, but decided that I can just get by with the one - 3 just take up too much room - even folded up.

1 has a Lee bracket on it - $135
1 has holes drilled for the Lee "C" press in 2 locations - $110
Each includes one of the blue cartridge bins.
If you want both, $225

I am located in Brooksville, FL. Not really wanting to ship, but will meet within 30 miles of Brooksville or if you are between here and Central S.C, I can meet you along the way the 1st week of February.

 

Let me know if you find any. I've had decent luck w/Powder Valley, MidSouth, and Reloading Everything. I scour the usual sites everyday Midway USA, Natchez, Brownells etc. I've also found out when the trucks come in at the local stores and get in line b4 they open.

 

I put bout a tablespoon of mineral spirits and a drop of Carnuba waxin my dry media. Brass looks awesome. Dust is a big problem in SW AZ where the humidity is zero.

 

I'll disagree. I've been using a Lee 4-hole turret press for 10 years, along with mostly Lee dies (handgun cartridges. Rifles I use Hornady). Loaded thousands of rounds.

 

Is still some once fired 9mm brass if anyone is cringing.
Feels like giving away a secret fishing hole...
https://precisionbrass.net/product/9mm/

 

That’s cool. I don't know what you want me to do with this. There are tons of guys doing things wrong their entire lives that don’t know any better. That means nothing to me.

Your Lee turret press was literally made to make handgun ammo shoot. For everything else, for precision, for super low ES and SDs with rifle, and for distance, etc it’s not the right tool. It will have more runout then say a rockchucker from rcbs, or a coax press.

As far as the dies they are as good as any but... for setting good neck tension on handgun ammo, Lee dies have been garbage. To make ammo that doesn’t rely on a crimp, you would have to order a custom mandrel from Lee. If they just made dies with the correct neck tension in the first place I wouldn’t be talking shit. Cheap die sets compared, if you use rcbs, all of a sudden neck tension isn’t a issue. Maybe I’ve just been getting Lee lemons all these years oh wait...then Lee started selling undersized FL resizing dies separately ( U dies) for all the people who knew what was wrong with their normal dies which gave the normal measure neck tension. For my guns at least, in match grade chambers as well as the rest of the world and competitive shooters.

 

I have only ever seen two kinds of brass offered for sale, new and once fired. I'm sure most of the "once fired" brass has indeed only been fired once, but there really isn't any way to tell for sure. I always interpret "once fired" as "fired at least once."

 

On autos you can usually see the extractor mark.

Was just sorting a bunch of 223, someone that i was shooting with, their gun was ripping the bottom shell case with the extractor.

No affiliation with that site, i have bought and will say cases look very good and clean.
Will have no hesitation reloading it.
Was just trying to give a heads up for them that needs 9mm brass.
As everything is gone right now.
Stated as range pickup.

 

I have used Lee dies, Hornady dies, RCBS dies and Forster dies and for hunting, plinking and general shooting, Lee dies work just fine. I doubt the average shooter will notice a significant difference in accuracy at hunting and plinking ranges, which means that for handgun, Lee is perfectly fine. I you are shooting 400 - 600f - or 800 yards with a rifle, you might notice difference worth noticing. I have reloaded a bunch of ammo with a Lee Loader, single stage and Turret presses for both rifle and pistol. They are consistent and accurate for my purposes. Of course, like all things firearms - use what works good for YOU, because in the end, that is what matters.

Cheers!

 

just for fun, couple pics.
precision brass and a heavy extractor mark of AR, granted not always as clear.

 

I do use what’s good for me. Lee is shit. Neck tension is handguns is garbage unless you buy their U dies. U dies are made because their regular handgun dies suck ass and give no neck tension. For rifles and at long range, it’s kind of my thing. No one is professionally using a Lee die except a few poors down at sniperhide who use the collet dies. Even so, they still use it paired with a Redding body die for sizing/bump. I know what I’m talking about.

Lee dies are great if:
1) you’re a poor
2) making plinking ammo
3) don’t know or care about neck tension
4) don’t care or know about run out
5) don’t care about case life and work the brass to much.

For the long range community, a bushing die and mandrel. There’s already known formulas for this type of shooting from 600y out to 2 miles depending on cartridge.

Most common start points would be with .002 neck tension, .002 seating from jam. Sizing measured with ejector and pin removed from bolt until it goes in. It ends up being a .002- .003 bump usually. FL for gas guns, and a lot of people use no less than a .004 neck tension. It’s not really up for argument. Pretty much anyone competitive in F class, PRS or certain ELR venues use some form of these methods without getting into neck turning and concentricity. None of the neck sizing that some of the “average shooters” try doing.

 

I use a Lee press to load 180gn Speer HPBT's in a .300WM w/a benchmark barrel, regularly (on a good day) I shoot 1/2-5/8" inch 3-shot strings at 300 yards (which is the longest range available to me) off the bags. Good days being subjective because I have M.S. that messes with my eyes. Some days I can't see well enough to hit a barn. Or two barns. So I carry two guns (props to Doc Holliday) Also load for a couple bolt .223's with same press getting sub MOA results using 69gn speers. Me Lee serves me well.

 

I was not trying to cast aspersions on that site, and hope it didn’t come off that way. I just think it’s humorous how “once fired” gets thrown around like “owned by a little old lady who only drove it to church on Sunday.”

 

Its all good.
Not forcing anyone to buy.

...some of them "little old ladies" can shoot like nobody's business.

 

So, as I said, unless you are into precision long distance shooting, Lee works pretty well. I use Lee dies for my 9, 40 and 357 - and have yet to have a neck tension issue - over THOUSANDS of rounds. YMMV, but as I said, Lee works well for the average shooter - even the above average shooter. Precision may be a different story - that sounds like it is your area of expertise so I will take your word for it because people pay big $$ for different brands for a reason. An interesting side note, at one point the lowly Lee Loader held the world record for 7 years. Would have to look up the specifics, but it is true. Anyway, not trying to pick a fight - putting 10 reloaders in a room and asking the best way to reload is a lot like putting 10 carpenters in a room and asking them how to frame a house - you'll get 11 answers...

 

I think as you’re eluding, our definition of “working well” is different. If work well means your load goes bang and sends sends a bullet in a direction, then it does it well if that is the standard. However I can literally go load some .45 acp for you right now and push the bullet into my case on the bench. I have historically for Ipsc, GSSF and pretty much everywhere else I use a pistol competitively, I use .469 of neck tension, Lee gives me .472...after fcd crimp.

I’m not saying people need to spend the $1000s of dollars on match dies like I have, especially if you don’t do much more than plink, I’m just saying Lee is sloppy. Again, there’s a reason they sell U dies for pistols. Same with the collets too. Guys will sand those down in a drill to whatever neck tension they are going to run.

Hornady factory load


Bullet I just loaded for you will a regular Lee die.

 

Older pic. Forster Co-Ax for precision, XL650 dedicated to high volume rifle, XL650 dedicated to high volume pistol

 

Got two 9mm bullet molds I’m not making use of , anyone want to trade for a 44 mold ? swc or wfn preferred .

 

I've gotten better accuracy paying attention to how far a bullet is seated off the lands after determining a good powder and load. If I had a 1000 yard range available I'd maybe pay attention to run-out after seeing what my current loads do. Would love to build a .300 PRC but will wait for things to calm down (if they do)