Sunday, March 31, 2013

Back to reloading .38s.

I spent my morning over at a friend's house using his Lee turret press to reload .38s with 158 grain lead semi-wadcutters. (We don't have the Dillon RL-1050 components to run .38s on it. They are bloody expensive.) As I mentioned before, I sold my .38 to pay some bills recently, but since we have the components I figured that loaded rounds were a better investment for the future. The only problem was that after almost 250 rounds, the powder hopper on the Lee FELL OFF.
This is apparently a congenital weakness of this version of the Lee press, and fortunately my buddy had a pro version of the powder measure and hopper that is much more robust. (Pictured below.)
We finished up the run of 500 for my son Matt.
.38 Special 158 grain SWCs loaded in ammo box inserts scrounged from range trash barrels. I take these and put them in baggies, tape them to form fit with a tag indicating what they are, and store them in GI ammo cans and crates just like the .45s we ran last month.
My buddy then cast up about ten pounds of 158 grain leads for himself, which we will load later.
We'll continue loading .38s until we run out of components.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm doing the same, only rifles too. Been processing brass all winter, now that we're starting to get good weather (somewhat) I've worked up and settled on loads and will begin loading coffee cans full of brass. Loaded up on components over the last 20 years and been sitting on them, but now it seems they'd be a lot more useful loaded than broken down. Like you, I'm loading .40 S&W and don't even own one, but as some one once said "guns? guns are easy". I just shake my head at the dearth of components. Been telling people for years to get mags & ammo, some listened, most didn't. I expect I'll be supplying both when the time comes. There are MANY others like me out there that will surface when the time is right.

Anonymous said...

Same here. Been processing brass, and loading for rifle and pistol all winter. Had loaded up on components over the last 20 years, but felt now they would be more useful loaded than broken down. I shake my head at the lack of ammo today. I've warned people for years to get their mags & ammo squared away but most didn't. I expect I'll need to supply some of both in the future if needed. And to those of you new gun owners who are short or out of ammo, there are many old gents like me out there who will surface when the time is right to provide "the tools to do what is necessary"

bystrom said...

I'll be putting together .303 British later today.

Anonymous said...

Now a 1914 303Brit SMLE with a 1907 bayonet - THAT is an 'assault rifle'!

Worked well enough toexpand the Empire and win two world wars.

What is it will modern hoplophobes getting all upset about semi-autos?

Kiwi III

Liberty or Death said...

I have been reforming 5.56 brass to 300 BLK. It's not a quick process but it certainly is rewarding watching the gallon ziplocs fill up. Some will be loaded for my nieces first white tail hunting trip, some with MK 319 Mod 0 bullets but most just blasters for drills.

Either way, one can never have too much ammunition, eh?

Anonymous said...

Get her something special. A .38 special.

Dakota said...

Must be the season for it. I been running a large brass polisher almost around the clock for a week now and I sure made a huge project. Fingers sore from trimming and deburring and got a long way to go before I sit down at the press. Also ordered a cast for 00 Buck and #4 Buck all in one. Reviews gave it thumbs up so I ordered one. 3 to 4 weeks behind schedule even. Shotgun reloaders are prolific as pheasants so I got more work than I can do for a long while.