Batching reloading steps

L

locknloader

New member
Do you guys who use progressive presses tend to break your reloading down into batches by each step in the process, or do everything at once?

For example, this is my current process:

- Decap (universal die to keep my resizer's clean)
- wet tumble
- reload (all the dies on the progressive at once)


However my last session i noticed that the resizing die was not flowing very smoothly, and causing my bullets not to seat all the way due to the non-fluid motion and gave me a good arm workout fighting the press handle.

So i popped my resizing die into my single stage press and resize a bunch of brass, then used that in my progressive setup WITHOUT the resize die so i had a much smoother handle pull. I noticed much more consistent bullet seating and powder charges and plan to do this from now on.

Any other tips? Thanks!
 
Reload

What progressive press are you using?
What dies are you using?
What caliber are you reloading?
Are the bullets jacketed or cast(BHN?)
When was the last time you cleaned the dies on the progressive?
We need lots more info, please.
 
I do all my loading in batches and do not own a progressive press. Progressives add many variables: sizing, primer seating, etc. For bottleneck cases, there is too much that can go wrong. If I loaded a lot of handgun straight walled, I would want a progressive.
For rifle I like to have each step completed properly, before moving to the next step. I like to have sized, clean, primed cases that then just need powder & bullet seating. Primed and ready cases have a shelf life.
 
@ammo.crafter -

Press is Hornady LNL
Lee Dies
9mm
Plated 115gr bullets in this instance
Last time i cleaned the dies was before my last reloading session, so i had probably done 2-300ish rounds on them after they were clean, and just cranked another 100 out on the "dirty" dies. Since my dies are only seeing clean brass, shouldnt that lengthen the amount of time between cleanings?
 
Are your dies carbide? (It might go easier with carbide)

Are you using lube ( You aren't required to with carbide,but it does not hurt)

Is your brass mixed? (nickel,etc)

I can't say I gave you the answer. Maybe places to look. I'd expect your original plan (decap,clean,then run) to work..

If your Lee dies are carbide,but only have a carbide ring at the entrance to the die,then they are forcing the 9mm case to be cylindrical.Maybe.

The 9mm Parabellum case is supposed to have about .011 taper over the length..
Don't get me wrong,carbide dies are certainly used successfully to load 9mm.

I'm guessing not all carbide 9mm dies are created equal...but I don't know that
 
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I use regular, non-carbide, dies with no lubricant often. Nickel plated especially. Straight walled pistol cases dont need much of anything, just clean first.
 
They are indeed carbide, no lube on pistol cases tho, don't want another few extra steps if i can avoid them. Brass is all the same type, speer once fired range brass (i know for sure it was once fired).

Wondering if the problem is unique to me or something others have run into.

Love this forum, always great answers and no hating on us newbies who are still learning the ropes :)
 
In my vague recollection,there is something about the center bolt working loose on the L-N-L
Youtube has a LOT of info on trouble shooting these presses.

FWIW,it would not hurt to try some lube on 20 or 30 cases.

All of us were newbies once.
 
I run pistol and plinking .223 on the progressive and I do batches of 200 - 500 at a time cleaning, sizing, and priming then store them in ziplock bags until I get ready to put the powder and bullets in

In my vague recollection,there is something about the center bolt working loose on the L-N-L
Youtube has a LOT of info on trouble shooting these presses.

FWIW,it would not hurt to try some lube on 20 or 30 cases.

All of us were newbies once.
Click to expand...

Yeah if the center bolt that holds the shellholder loosens it will cause a multitude of problems. Also if a granule of powder gets in the primer slide it will bring the operation to a full stop. Cleanliness is next to Godliness when using a progressive, they are precise machinery and close tolerances must be maintained and the work area kept clean

I don't use mine that often anymore but it gets cleaned and lubricated before each use and I keep a small shop vac and paintbrush nearby to take care of any spilled powder granules
 
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Just a FYI on the LNL. My BIL has my dad's old LNL. It is a dedicated 45ACP loader that has blue locktite on the center bolt.

I am running a Dillon 550B. I also use a vibratory cleaner with corn cob media.

On pistol cases I clean the cases then run them through the press. I have Hornady and RCBS dies in pistol with the a Lee taper crimp for each of my calibers. The first station resizes/decaps and on the down stroke re-primes. The second station bells the case and adds powder. The third station sets the bullet and the fourth is the taper crimp that is set just to straiten the case. It is an easy strait forward process and I can run 100 cases to finished bullets in about 15 minutes.

I also load rifle and with the Lee sizing/decap die it tends to load up and require cleaning. I don't have that problem with any of my other dies.
 
Take a very strong magnification lense to your lee dies and you will probably find that they are as rough as sandpaper. Replacing that with a good die will make all the difference in the world. Top grade dies are mirror finished.

I personally batch my loads at 1-200 lots with a single stage, I just don't feel that a progressive press would fit my needs, and that is one of the concerns. Set up sounds tough. The best thing about a progressive, IMO, is that you can run a round from one end to the next automatically and that should eliminate some possible mistakes.
 
I spray my cases with Hornady one shot case lube and it helps a little. There are no extra steps above and beyond the 5 second spray.

9mm has a slight taper to the case and your Lee carbide die doesn't have a taper so you are in effect resizing the whole case down to the correct size for the neck however this resizes the mid and rear section of the case more than otherwise would be necessary. This is one of the reasons 9mm seems harder to resize than other pistol rounds.

How tight is the resizing die to the shellplate. You're supposed to turn it down all the way so it touches, however I back out the resizing die a bit and it makes the whole process run smoother.
 
Any other tips? Thanks![/QUOTE]


Seems to me way too much work for 9mm. Best method for me...

1) Wet tumble. No pins.
2) dry the brass in a Frankfurt arsenal
3) reload in a LNL or Dillon

Never an issue. Never had to clean the flash hole in a pistol caliber.

Same process for all pistol calibers.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for the tip about the shell plate, i already have thrown a split washer on there to keep it in place since i read about this a while back.

What are some reputable carbide dies to get instead of the lee's? I am going to be doing alot of 9mm so i'd rather invest in a good set of dies then rough it out with the lee's if they are crappy.
 
Locknloader - do you clean the inside of your dies? I generally run a cotton swab, dabbed in denatured alcohol through the inside of my dies every few loadings.

I've batch processed when using a single stage press - everybody does

All other cases are done simultaneously on a progressive press. Sometimes I will vibrate before the reloading process, sometimes no. Depends on the looks of the cases. I've found the heavier the charge, the less need for cleaning for each reloading.

The only exception to that are military rounds [which I have just started to reload - 223]. I started on the forum for the specific reason that I've busted a few decapping pins, depriming 223 cases. The process for these, I haven't quite developed yet - but will probably decap [if newly acquired brass] first. After decapping, run them through like any other.
 
Seems some people go to a lot of trouble to defeat their progressive loaders.

If you are wet tumbling, that brass is VERY clean and generates a lot of friction in the sizing die, even carbide, any brand.
Give it a LIGHT spritz of One Shot or other spray lube and the effort will be less. A light enough spritz and you won't even have to re-tumble to get it off.
 
What about tossing some wax in when they are wet tumbling, or using a car wash soap that has wax in it instead of dish soap? I just use a squirt of dish soap right now, was going to get some lemi-shine like everyone suggests but mine come out clean without it.

Yes i do clean the insides of my dies, i usually spray down with Hornady cleaner and brush the inside then wipe with cloth till clean.


@NorthOf50 - i am in the process of reloading some 223 as well, still cleaning cases as i have about a 5gal bucket full of them. I got the lee universal decapping die specifically for this reason, i ran into a few cases where the primer just did not want to come out so i tossed them in the trash. Had the pin raise up a few times but has not snapped yet.

Once i get all the brass cleaned i need to swage the primer pockets, i will let you know how the LNL swage kit works out for me.
 
LnL - I ended up with the RCBS reamer for the primer pockets. Hooked to a drill - very easy...and cheap. But, like written - the cost of commercial rounds is so cheap - I may just buy.

But - I hear you on having a lot of brass. That's the only reason I purchased a 40SW. I was given about 5,000 cases. I had nothing to do with them. So...had to buy a pistol. Made sense to me. The Mrs. didn't quite get it.
 
@rebs - i already have the materials for the lanolin mixture, i will have to give that a try on the cleaned 9mm, was planning on using it for the 223 cases.
 
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