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skunkhome
USA
12824 Posts |
 Posted - 01/07/2013 : 08:34:00
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quote:
Originally posted by wlewis379
quote:
Originally posted by Cvans
First I will get the legal stuff out of the way. Tell your Wife I'm sorry! Next I'm sorry you hurt yourself but I will accept no responsibility for your injuries.
Being a mechanical freak I have to say that I really like the way that loader works. The .38 is not a bad round and if that loader were mine I would be trading guns so I could use it. While the .45 is a man stopping beast the .38 is still an effective round and more enjoyable to use for pleasure shooting. Just my opinion.
Nice you dug it out and got the bugs worked out. The surface rust on your loader is very similar to what was on the lathe I acquired. A little elbow grease, and oil and you should have it looking and working like new.
Oh yeah, tell your wife I'm sorry.
Better yet go buy a 38!
I have an old .38 spec in a S&W mod 10- 5" that was imported from Canada in the 1970's. (A refugee of gun control)
It is pristine and shoots straight and true. Reportedly this press is capable of loading 1000/ hr but I will never do that, IMO that is just too fast. And you would have to stop to reload the empty cases and primers. One danger of this press is a primer can go off in the primer feed and ignite the entire column. That is why there is a blast shield around the tube. Though it is no real danger to the operator wearing safety glasses the primer follower (a weighted rod) can be propelled through the ceiling or floor above if you are loading in the basement. I have never know anyone that that has happened to with this press but my old boss was a manufacturer and it did happen in their motor driven fully automatic re-loader. They used to turn out 10,000 in an afternoon when all was right. |
  Phil
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
Benjamin Franklin |
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Cvans
USA
4405 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2013 : 11:25:13
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| That is a huge amount of ammunition for a small piece of equipment like that. I can't help but wonder what the life span of the loader would have been at that rate? Be careful with that thing. Is it a good idea to have it grounded for static? I've never used a reloader before but it seems like a good idea. |
East Central South Dakota
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson
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skunkhome
USA
12824 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2013 : 20:58:16
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| I dont think static is an issue. There is nothing that will respond negatively to static electricity but I do wash plastic bins and measures with soapy water without rinsing so the soap residue will prevent static buildup and allow the powder to flow without sticking. Biggest concern is not following closed procedures that will prevent a double load from occurring since these pistol cases will hold 2-3 times the powder charge that is considered safe. On target loads the powder used burns so rapidly (relative) to other powders that only a small amount is necessary or permissible. It may sound counterintuitive but more powerful rounds use slower burning powders in larger quantities that may in some cases actually be compressed by seating the bullet but in these target loads these high energy powders rattle around like a BB in a boxcar. |
Phil
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
Benjamin Franklin |
Edited by - skunkhome on 01/07/2013 21:24:16 |
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Cvans
USA
4405 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2013 : 23:23:04
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I follow you. Less powder in the cartridge means less chance of dieseling. Your S&W .38 sounds like a nice gun. I kind of like revolvers. They are noisy though. If you don't hit them you will scare the bejeebers out of them.
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East Central South Dakota
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson
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Edited by - Cvans on 01/07/2013 23:23:22 |
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skunkhome
USA
12824 Posts |
Posted - 01/19/2013 : 19:27:02
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Finally the first rounds come off my Auto Champion progressive reloader. When I got it it was set up to shoot 148 gr bevel based wad cutters backed by 2.7 gr of Bullseye powder. It turns out that neither of those are currently available like just about anything for pistol reloading. I have cast bullets on order for .45, .38, and now 9mm. Not sure when I will get them. I found out that CH Tool still produced the powder bushings for the loader so I ordered 5 of the available 14 to widen my choice of powders. Since Red Dot powder could be used with the BBWC's I picked up a pound of it. Them I came across bulk packs of Hornady Hollow Base Wad Cutters (HBWC) so I bought them immediately. I really don't like swaged bullets or the HBWC for that matter but hey, they are at least bullets.
O
Then I discovered that the only charges of Red Dot that I could throw with the available bushings were too hot for the fragile hollow base bullets. Rats, I had 500 rounds of these bullets coming and no suitable powder to put behind them unless I loaded them with my single stage press. The only way I was interested in compromising with swaged bullets was to have something to load thru my progressive press. I had to start looking for a new recipe.
Yesterday I came across a can of IMR 700X which is a fine old school pistol powder and it just so turned out that if it bushings threw 2.4 gr of 700X as listed in the charts then it would be perfect for the HBWC.
It took me about an hour to turn out the first round. I ran a number of test cases through first to check to see if the powder measure was throwing consistent loads and then weighed each of them on my scales and determined that the measure was throwing a consistent load of 2.1 gr of 700X. To me, that was even better than 2.4 gr as it was just 0.1gr over the starting weight. As I said it took me about an hour to set up for the first live loading but the remainder of the 50 rounds took about 10 minutes to pump out despite my moving with great caution. I think everything went fine but will not know until I shoot someday this week or next. The loaded cartridges for the flush seating HBWC ( was developed for use in .38 special semi auto target pistols) is ugly in my opinion as compared with the SWC or BBWC but if loaded right should cut paper very well. 
BTW: a pound of 700X will load approximately 3400 rounds, the primers are .05 each and the bullets a dime. That means at current prices each rounds cost me less than $.16. |
Phil
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
Benjamin Franklin |
Edited by - skunkhome on 01/19/2013 20:45:21 |
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Cvans
USA
4405 Posts |
Posted - 01/19/2013 : 23:00:00
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That is cheap shooting. Enjoy yourself. Your very lucky you found the supplies to reload with.
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East Central South Dakota
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson
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skunkhome
USA
12824 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2013 : 01:04:31
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| Well, Chris, it's all your fault! You asked me why I got rid of my progressive press and that prompted me to finally put it into service for the first time for me. I have been busy ever since trying to come up with a workable combination. I want to load some more but need to visit the range first and see if I have the right load. If this works/shoots well them this could become my prime range load for .38 special. |
Phil
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
Benjamin Franklin |
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Cvans
USA
4405 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2013 : 10:11:19
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I'd hate to get hit by one of those wad cutters. I can just imagine what kind of wound that would make.
Actually it was your fault. If you hadn't posted pictures of that reloader this wouldn't have happened.  |
East Central South Dakota
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson
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skunkhome
USA
12824 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2013 : 10:41:22
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| No, Chris, if you come down here you will have to sleep in the dog house. |
Phil
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
Benjamin Franklin |
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Cvans
USA
4405 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2013 : 19:04:59
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If we could go out for some Southern fried Catfish and fried pickles the wife and I might enjoy your dog house.  Absolutely the best fish we have ever eaten bar none. |
East Central South Dakota
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson
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Edited by - Cvans on 01/20/2013 19:05:26 |
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Started rolling my own again!
