Buy one of these and tune it properly, it will virtually eliminate the chance of a squib or double charge (I say virtually because someone must be stupid enough to mess it up, but I can't imagine how).
[STRIKE]I have no idea what that is. [/STRIKE]
Nevermind, I didnt see the link. Thanks, but I dont think that will fit in an LnL.
I do not see why it would not fit an LNL. I have been using rcbs carbide dies for 9mm.just buy the quick bushing for hornady. One of the reaons why i chose it over the dillon ( great machine as i have read).
Nevermind, I didnt see the link. Thanks, but I dont think that will fit in an LnL.
LnL's dont screw in, they just push in and twist. Unless Im missing something, which I probably am.
Had aprogressive years ago and didn't like it. Too many things happening at once to watch
For errors. I still like my single stage cause it's simple. You are learning a new craft and you
Will make mistakes...a single stage may allow you to catch them sooner. You will always find uses for your single stage once you graduate to a progressive
Young man, you asked a very good question. As an old(er) man, I'll give you a very good answer.
There is no reason not to get a progressive for your first press, but there are a lot of good reasons to get a single-stage or a turret-style press, instead.
Say you wanted to learn how to juggle knives or chainsaws...would you start out with 3 or 4 at at time, or would you figure out how to juggle one, perfectly, before moving on to 2 and then 3?
Reloading ammunition IS potentially dangerous. If you don't understand and respect that, you simply should not reload at all...ever. This isn't like making cake pops or hair clips...you screw THIS up and hot scraps of metal are flying around your face and hands.
You have asked questions about several things that has me suspicious, or HIGHLY concerned, for someone who is about to start gunsmithing school. I mean, you said "case widening"...that could be taken to mean a variety of things, but demonstrates a lack of fundamental knowledge concerning metallic cartridges. If gunsmithing school has an entry exam...you just failed it.
Get a reloading book and read the sections on reloading (not the recipes) several times. When the stars begin to align and you can see the constellations (you "get it") then come back and you'll have far better questions to ask. I say that with all due respect, because you're seemingly very green for someone who is planning to load tens of thousands of rounds for a fully automatic weapon.
Another thing to consider, if you really do pursue becoming a gunsmith, is that a lot of your potential income will be derived from guys who want very accurate rifles. They may not care at all about pistols, AR's or automatic anything, which means you will need to become familiar with a segment of the shooting world that I dare say has escaped your notice, thus far. If/when that happens, a single-stage press will be on your radar. There is nothing "fast" about reloading VERY accurate bolt-action ammunition.
I think you're being sincere, and not a troll; I certainly hope that is the case. If so, you need to pump the brakes a little and slow 'er down. Read up on reloading until you can have a meaningful dialog about it. Then, remember the old adage about learning to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run. A Dillon progressive press is a full-on sprint, in the reloading world, and trust me...you ain't ready for that, yet.
CT, I'm just getting into reloading and initially bought a Lee 4-hole turret press. It's got "auto-indexing", so you can essentially work through those same stages as a progressive, just one bullet at a time. This helps you account for the quality control everyone has been mentioning. You can also get the turret plates for Lee presses that are quick and simple to swap out if you decide to set up another caliber.
I do more "precision" loading instead of the bulk loading like you are wanting to do, so I've recently added a single-stage RCBS press and an older non-indexing turret press to do all my reloading with.
I just put up my extra RCBS single-stage and the Lee turret up for sale in the classifieds. I live over in Orange County if you would like to come over and see the process of using a single stage or a turret, and could probably set you up nicely with that Lee turret to do what you need it to do (minus the dies) if you decide that's the direction you want to go or want to start out with a cheaper turret before making the investment in a full progressive set-up. Let me know if you might be interested in doing something like this.
To anyone else reading, Im about to buy the ABC's of reloading handbook, but I have to buy another one to get free shipping. What should I get?