I reload 9mm ammunition for my shooting partner and myself. And, even here, I probably spend more time prepping brass than most would. Most of our brass comes right from the range where we go to shoot, I collect all the 9mm brass I can find thru out the year. Then during the cold, wet winter days of Orygun, I put on a pair of rubber gloves and dump said brass out. Usually we'll have any where from 3000-5000 cases, some times more, never less.
I have an odd assortment of bins and such that I use for sorting. All brass is inspected and seperated by headstamp with a seperate 'pile' for military type brass and another for nickel cases. This also gives me the chance to get out any LR rimfire brass that was hiding inside cases and pull out any errant 40SW brass that got mixed in.
Alot of work? Surprisingly not. After doing a few 1000 cases you develop an eye for headstamps. I can usually spot any Berdan primed case during this stage and cull them before they hit the sizing die. 85% or more of this brass is once fired commercial and clean, I rarely clean any 9mm brass until after it has been sized. In case your interested, most the brass we pick up is R-P or Win. stamped. Fiocchi or PMC would be next in line and then it is up in the air as to what was thrown in the can.
Next I set up the RCBS Ammomaster to full length size/decap at the 1st station and bell the case mouth on the second. Yep, then I run it all thru. Once you get a rhythm going this step is quick and easy. Every once in awhile I pull the sizing die out and clean it. I don't have an exact method here as I don't count the number of cases sized in between cleaning. Its more or less when I feel like it.
From here it goes into the tumbler.
Once the brass has been 'sifted' ei; all tumbling media possible removed, I set down and run it thu an RCBS Prep Mate Center set up to clean the primer pocket and brush the case out. I also set up the Flashhole deburring tool but not to debur flashholes. It works great to poke out that piece of media that got stuck in the flashhole. I don't trim 9mm brass so I don't debur the case mouths. If one looks rougher than I like? I cull it. Hell its free. The reason I bell the case mouths 1st is....Usually, if a case is going to split it will split at this stage. This way I can cull any bad cases out during the 'prep mate' stage and not while its going thru, or worse, after the actual loading stage. Now I set up the seating die on my AmmoMaster, set a midrange powder charge, fill the primer tubes and I'm ready to load it up. This is where I get paid. My shooting partner buys all the primers, powder and his own bullets. When I order bullets I usually get 3-4K. My Partner may buy 1000-1500, I make sure he gets good R-P or Win cases, I shoot everything left over.
After spending this much time on prep work and loading I put the finished ammunition in 50 rnd. plastic boxes with label and lot number. Any excess is put in well labeled Ziplocs and stored in a regular old ammo can. As empty boxes start coming back from the range, I just refill them until that lot is gone. You will not find us at the range with ammunition stored in empty butter dishes or baggies.
As I stated before, I don't trim cases. As a result there is a chance for error. And, we get an occasional miss fire because the slide won't go into battery to fire, 'Because? The case is too long. Hey, this is reloaded 9mm ammo what ya expect? We use this strictly as casual plinking ammo and I'm not going to waste alot of time on it.
If we get more than 5 duds in a given lot of brass then that lot is disposed of. Other wise I'll load a given lot # up to three times and then it is disposed of.
You can get more loadings with this brass I'm sure, but why? We have so much coming thru here, For Free, there is no reason to. Usually after 3 'reloads' 9mm brass is looking pretty rough anyway and its definitely getting close to needing a trim. And I ain't trimming 9mm brass.
Compared to just running the brass thru the AmmoMaster and coming out with loaded ammo I guess this is a lot of time spent on 'reloading'. I have never figured my time involved in this, it never mattered. Maybe the next time I 'reload' 9mm I'll keep a time card. It sure is a nice way to spend cold winter days tho.
Now, what about the other calibers I shoot? My little 17K Hornet jumps right up in my mind.
How do you 'reload' a case that doesn't exist in the first place? First you have to painstakingly form the brass. And the 17K is a pain to form. That little piece of brass is handled many, many times before the end product is finally chambered. Every step in forming could result in crumpling that thin Hornet brass if one hurries or uses to much force. It takes patience and a calm touch to make.
And then there is no guareentee it won't split when being fireformed.
Tho not 'wildcats' Brass is rather spendy and ammunition is non-existent in this area for my 25-35, 7-30 Waters.
The 25-35 requires quite a bit of care in handling to form from 30-30 brass whereas the 7-30 Waters is easily formed from 30-30 with one pass through a properly adjusted sizing die.
As far as the 38-55 and 38-40, new brass isn't that spendy and still easily obtainable thru mail order.
Once the brass has been formed or sized each piece is measured and trimmed to a uniform length, primer pockets are all cut 'square' and uniform. Case mouths are carefully deburred inside and out as is the flashhole.
I have sorted cases by weight but don't usually practice this step.
"Well once you shoot it you 'Reload it."
Well, in a sense I guess you could argue that.
Once I get back from the range with X amount of now, newly formed brass, the first thing I do is carefully inspect it for splits in the neck/shoulder area. Then I knock the spent primer out with a universal decapper.
Brass changes shape with the first firing. Some changes are quite noticeable and some changes are quite small. I like to take measurements in the head, shoulder area for future referance. I also like to measure the case length as this number is going to change from our initial trim length.
Now, I'm actually ready to re-size the case. Just screw the die in, lube the case and run it thru, right?
For the most part. I have never had a problem with headspacing but, if one does then they will need to adjust dies to correct any problems. This can require quite a few measurements and a few 'special' tools along with a bit of patience and some trial and error.
The only time I ever full length size is with brand new or newly formed brass. After the first shot I set my dies up so they just squeeze the neck. I know this is a controversial method and, probably more so because I use full length die sets and, most of my shooting is thru Contenders. I won't argue this point. I'm lucky. I have only been using this method on Contenders for 10 years and tho I have never had a mis-fire or any other problems really, the day may come when I do. Then you can say ' I told you so'
After the 're-size' I double check my length and cut to the new trim length. Then each case is carefully cleaned and de-burred.
After the brass has been fireformed and all the measurements corrected for the 'new case' I set a couple cases aside to use as dummies to help determine the correct bullet seating for the paticular caliber/barrel I happen to be using. I don't feel there is much sense in doing this with the first fireform load as I mentioned before, all the measurements are going to change any way.
Here again there are special tools to assist you in this area, I use the trial and error method. Seating a bullet down in small increments until I get a proper 'bullet to lands' fit. Bullets vary and to get a truly perfect lot of ammunition each bullet has to be checked and seated properly. Again, I am lucky in this area and personally I don't think it is that critical of a measurement. If all my finished ammunition has an over-all length within 2-3 thousandths I'm happy.
If a paticular barrel/ caliber is going to shoot its going to shoot. If it ain't then it ain't. All the fine tuning in the world won't help it.
Enough of my opinions and back to the brass on hand. All the other cases are then primed.
Now, some guys will set up a powder measure to throw a given charge and start pouring powder.
I weigh each charge to the exact weight I want to use.
I have pre-determined my seating depth already so I can then carefully seat the bullet in the case.
I make sure my load data is recorded properly, give that paticular 'batch' of ammunition a lot number and box it up.
I treat the last case exactly the same as the first one.
Now I am ready to go shoot again.
Some guys would add some steps and I probably left out some details. But, this is my process in a nutshell. Some of the things I do may be unnessasary and some, admittedly, are controversial.
Oh Well. My ammunition turns in some respectable groups at the range. Even my 'reloaded' 9mm ammo turns in some good groups.
In conclusion...
I do 're-load' 9mm brass. However...
I 'HandLoad' carefully prepared cases for all my other shooting applications.
So? What are you? A Reloader? or a Handloader?