Firearms training and Handloading Instruction keeps me busy most of the time. It seems like the first question I get from a perspective Handloader is, how much money can I save. This is sad but I understand where the question comes from especially today. In a world of auto correct, AI shortcuts, self checkout registers, and smart keys for your car, there seems to be less time to be a well rounded sportsman to enjoy the Handloading art. While it is true, that once the initial costs of startup is invested one can save money over factory fodder depending on his volume of shooting, one would be missing out on a fantastic hobby and understanding of the shooting world if he let money be the reason for not Handloading ammunition.
This review is about Handloading the 9MM. Of all the calibers that I shoot, the 9MM is my least favorite. However, in recent years, because of the competitive games centering around the 9MM, it is the majority of rounds per year that I fire. When I am too old to shoot anymore (my scores have been hinting this) the 9MM will be the first to go from my battery. Most of my followers know that I wished the all American cartridge 38 Super would have been the one chosen for the market to get behind but here we are.
There is a lot of different equipment out there for Handloading and one does not need to waste money in buying, trying and trading equipment that adds to the cost per round. Ask me how I know. The equipment that I use is the residual of many years of experience but by no means is definitive on what may be best for you. I don't believe that our best engineers and manufacturing firms have perfected the progressive press to the quality that cars, guns and everything else has evolved. Having said that, I use the RCBS Rebel press https://www.rcbs.com/presses/single-stage/rebel-press/16-9353.html for single stage Handloading and the 2 Dillon 550C's (one Large and one small primer feed) https://www.dillonprecision.com/s000224 for my metallic handloading. I am always asked why not the faster progressive presses to crank out more rounds in less time? Been there done that. Back during the peak of my shooting career I was shooting 25,000 rounds a year. with working a full time retail job, raising a family and shooting all over the country, I outfitted my bench with 2 Dillon 650's, 1 Dillon 450, and 3 Dillon 550's because time per round loaded was tight. Now, that I have retired I was able to downsize to a total of 3 presses, a single stage, 2 550C's for my metallic Handloading. I do not do auto indexing presses as I like more individual control over my Handloads and I have the time now to craft some of the best ammunition that I ever have. Often times, back in the day, a stoppage on a auto indexing press meant that the shell plate advanced before I could figure out the stoppage. I would end up with an uncrimped round or other mistake in my samples. Not good.
So after the you have the equipment that you like set up, now you need components. I keep once fired factory brass, reuse most of my own brass and buy once fired from trusted proven sources. Beware, there is some funky cheap weird third world ammunition that the brass has gotten mixed in with my good stuff and causes headaches. In one picture you can see the difference in primer flash holes. This Geco junk uses a flash hole that is too small for my de capping pins and causes me practice with bad words. This inconvenience is right up there with a .40 S&W case that fits neatly inside my .45 cases or small primer pockets in large primer brass loads, or ruptured cases found on the ground and somehow got in my stash.
After cleaning and inspecting my handloading brass supply, I store them in 5 gallon kitty litter containers. When I am ready to Handload I lay the brass out sideways on a towel and spray with a mixture of 10 percent lanolin and 90 percent alcohol https://www.dillonprecision.com/s000256. After a few minutes, I pick up the towel like a hammock and dump the lubed cases in my brass box on the bench. For the majority of my 9MM competition loads I load a CCI or Winchester primer under 3.2GR of Alliant (Hercules) Sport Pistol powder. https://www.alliantpowder.com/products/powder/sport-pistol.aspx. and top it off with a 147 Gr Acme bullet. https://www.acmebullet.com/Bullets/9mm/9mm-147. I like the heavy bullet and Truncated design coated and sized to .356. Very accurate indeed.
I keep my overall length running about 1.104 inches. The length will vary a tiny bit because of variances in brass, shell plate design , dirt and such but O.A.L. ranging from 1.104 to 1.108 is no problem in the real world. One will get this time to time with factory fodder. After I run 100 or so, I recharge the primer tube. I like to use the old fashion pickup tubes when handling primers. I have used vibrators and such but I like to see and handle each one from my pick up tray. Even then, occasionally I will get one upside down. That is why I gauge each round and put in a tray primer up to check for faulty primers. In the picture below, one can see an empty primer pocket or an inverted primer. They go in the recycle can. I keep two types of bullet pullers on hand for this purpose. I will pull those faulty rounds and make them right at a later date. When one will not gauge properly, it can be several different things. One is improper crimp. The picture will show the rim of a case that is not crimped. The case could also be split or have a damaged rim from an extractor or such. Then I bag them up.
With the high cost of component circus that we have today, my cost per 9MM round would be around 20 cents a round. As the market catches up for factory ammunition, one can find deals on cheap 115 Grain 9MM's sometimes for less than this. I used to be a customer of the many old timey gun shops that are shown in the picture but they are not answering their phone anymore. So wherever you can get your supplies, good luck. So financially, it may not make sense (cents) to go through the work required to Handload your own ammunition. That is of course, if you refer to it as work. I refer to it as an accomplishment in education, relaxation and an ample amount of variety and control over my sport.
See you on the bench,
Trapper
This review is about Handloading the 9MM. Of all the calibers that I shoot, the 9MM is my least favorite. However, in recent years, because of the competitive games centering around the 9MM, it is the majority of rounds per year that I fire. When I am too old to shoot anymore (my scores have been hinting this) the 9MM will be the first to go from my battery. Most of my followers know that I wished the all American cartridge 38 Super would have been the one chosen for the market to get behind but here we are.
There is a lot of different equipment out there for Handloading and one does not need to waste money in buying, trying and trading equipment that adds to the cost per round. Ask me how I know. The equipment that I use is the residual of many years of experience but by no means is definitive on what may be best for you. I don't believe that our best engineers and manufacturing firms have perfected the progressive press to the quality that cars, guns and everything else has evolved. Having said that, I use the RCBS Rebel press https://www.rcbs.com/presses/single-stage/rebel-press/16-9353.html for single stage Handloading and the 2 Dillon 550C's (one Large and one small primer feed) https://www.dillonprecision.com/s000224 for my metallic handloading. I am always asked why not the faster progressive presses to crank out more rounds in less time? Been there done that. Back during the peak of my shooting career I was shooting 25,000 rounds a year. with working a full time retail job, raising a family and shooting all over the country, I outfitted my bench with 2 Dillon 650's, 1 Dillon 450, and 3 Dillon 550's because time per round loaded was tight. Now, that I have retired I was able to downsize to a total of 3 presses, a single stage, 2 550C's for my metallic Handloading. I do not do auto indexing presses as I like more individual control over my Handloads and I have the time now to craft some of the best ammunition that I ever have. Often times, back in the day, a stoppage on a auto indexing press meant that the shell plate advanced before I could figure out the stoppage. I would end up with an uncrimped round or other mistake in my samples. Not good.
So after the you have the equipment that you like set up, now you need components. I keep once fired factory brass, reuse most of my own brass and buy once fired from trusted proven sources. Beware, there is some funky cheap weird third world ammunition that the brass has gotten mixed in with my good stuff and causes headaches. In one picture you can see the difference in primer flash holes. This Geco junk uses a flash hole that is too small for my de capping pins and causes me practice with bad words. This inconvenience is right up there with a .40 S&W case that fits neatly inside my .45 cases or small primer pockets in large primer brass loads, or ruptured cases found on the ground and somehow got in my stash.
After cleaning and inspecting my handloading brass supply, I store them in 5 gallon kitty litter containers. When I am ready to Handload I lay the brass out sideways on a towel and spray with a mixture of 10 percent lanolin and 90 percent alcohol https://www.dillonprecision.com/s000256. After a few minutes, I pick up the towel like a hammock and dump the lubed cases in my brass box on the bench. For the majority of my 9MM competition loads I load a CCI or Winchester primer under 3.2GR of Alliant (Hercules) Sport Pistol powder. https://www.alliantpowder.com/products/powder/sport-pistol.aspx. and top it off with a 147 Gr Acme bullet. https://www.acmebullet.com/Bullets/9mm/9mm-147. I like the heavy bullet and Truncated design coated and sized to .356. Very accurate indeed.
I keep my overall length running about 1.104 inches. The length will vary a tiny bit because of variances in brass, shell plate design , dirt and such but O.A.L. ranging from 1.104 to 1.108 is no problem in the real world. One will get this time to time with factory fodder. After I run 100 or so, I recharge the primer tube. I like to use the old fashion pickup tubes when handling primers. I have used vibrators and such but I like to see and handle each one from my pick up tray. Even then, occasionally I will get one upside down. That is why I gauge each round and put in a tray primer up to check for faulty primers. In the picture below, one can see an empty primer pocket or an inverted primer. They go in the recycle can. I keep two types of bullet pullers on hand for this purpose. I will pull those faulty rounds and make them right at a later date. When one will not gauge properly, it can be several different things. One is improper crimp. The picture will show the rim of a case that is not crimped. The case could also be split or have a damaged rim from an extractor or such. Then I bag them up.
With the high cost of component circus that we have today, my cost per 9MM round would be around 20 cents a round. As the market catches up for factory ammunition, one can find deals on cheap 115 Grain 9MM's sometimes for less than this. I used to be a customer of the many old timey gun shops that are shown in the picture but they are not answering their phone anymore. So wherever you can get your supplies, good luck. So financially, it may not make sense (cents) to go through the work required to Handload your own ammunition. That is of course, if you refer to it as work. I refer to it as an accomplishment in education, relaxation and an ample amount of variety and control over my sport.
See you on the bench,
Trapper
...but most of the budget munitions companies like Ammo Inc or Stryker can't load without almost reaching double-digit percentage error rates. You'd think it's a bunch of highschoolers loading ammo in someone's garage as a summer job. Backwards primers, low charge, NO CHARGE, backwards bullets too! This is the current landscape for bulk factory 9mm deals, usually remans with inferior components or steel imports if we're lucky.
