You will rarely handle individual primers, so that should not concern you. You will likely dump a pack of 100 primers into a primer tray, shake them until they are all upside down, flip them over with the lid on, and then pick them up with a primer tube. You will mainly handle cases and bullets during the process. If you can put those into place, you should be fine.Thanks everyone, I want to reload 45 acp for range use. I am going to look into it. My concern was perhaps with the primers I thought they might be too small for me to perhaps work with.
You will rarely handle individual primers, so that should not concern you. You will likely dump a pack of 100 primers into a primer tray, shake them until they are all upside down, flip them over with the lid on, and then pick them up with a primer tube. You will mainly handle cases and bullets during the process. If you can put those into place, you should be fine.
At this time with components being scarce and expensive, I would do some calculations. Price ammo at sale prices. For comparison, price components and see how much loading a box of 50 will cost. If it is cheaper than sale ammo, then add up the cost of reloading equipment and calculate how many rounds it will take to break even. That may influence your decision.
I realize cost is not the only reason to reload. I initialy started for that reason over 41 years ago, but soon learned I could tailor the loads to my gun/purpose. Tailored loads are my main concern now for reloading. Heck, I have 13 different loads for just 38 special. I have 87 loads for 25 cartridges. That does not include shotgun; 12 & 28 gauge.
Determine why you want to reload and make the comparisons I mentioned. That should help. Handling primers should not be a factor.
Like Whip said, primer flip tray and pickup tubes. I also have a set of spring loaded tweezers(spring keeps them closed on a primer) I use when needing to pick up a single primer when my fingers wont cooperateThanks everyone, I want to reload 45 acp for range use. I am going to look into it. My concern was perhaps with the primers I thought they might be too small for me to perhaps work with.
This is where I am heading or am at now. I used to say that the time wasn't to be a factor since it's a hobby and I enjoy it. Which is true.Another consideration is how much time you have to invest in reloading. The initial learning curve, on top of slow production and redundant safety checking may itself add up to noticeably more investment than just buying ammo in bulk?
Then you have to try to find components at a decent price along with your initial loading equipment purchase (that is hardly ever not ongoing.)
I'm beginning to wonder if we won't soon find cheap 9mm rounds selling for less than than small pistol primers?
I've been reloading for some 35 years now and it is not that difficult of a process by any means. Most important when reloading is to devote your full attention to the task at hand. Making mistakes in reloading is easy to do if your mind is wandering.Looking into possibly getting into reloading. Specifically 9mm and 45 acp rounds. What I am wondering how intricate is the process of reloading? Is it something that requires exceptional fine motor skills? If a person were to have somewhat low manipulating ability would that preclude you from doing it?
Thanks
I agree with this. When I started reloading, I picked up equipment cheap plus I have minimal equipment anyway. I got my ROI in less than a year.Fine motor skills... meh, it doesn't really take much depending on what tools you use.
As for getting into it now, that's a whole other story. With primers at $100+/1,000 and powder at $240 per jug along with the cost of the equipment, it's going to take a long time for it all to pay for itself at this point in time. If you use a decent plated projectile and use free range brass, you're still talking $310/1k for 45 ACP... not to mention the headache trying to find the primers and powder.
You'll have at least $500+ worth of equipment on top of it for a cheap press, calipers, scale, dies, primer tool, tumbler etc.. I would seriously consider how much you want to reload and how much your time is worth before jumping into it at a time like this and I wouldn't recommend my friends getting into it right now for a single caliber like 45 or 9mm. However, everyone has their opinion and their reasons, and maybe your reasons justify the cost at this moment.
Same here! I was at Camp Perry several years ago and bought 5000 small pistol and 5000 lg pistol primers which were $149 per case. Wish I had bought more! I just opened the lg pistol case not long ago , so I started shooting more 45 auto here recently.Of course for me, stocking up meant buying 5K primers which looking at the situation in the last few years I wish I had bought them in 50K increments!
Just really looking to help out new to the 2nd. Learned a. Long time ago if you have to buy ammo in the aftermath of things getting stupid, you have had an epic fail somewhere along the line.I say if you are going to do it do it right away. It's fun to do and it's the next part in shooting. Prices may come down, but you know as soon as something stupid happens or is said. Prices will go up. Shooting is a great hobby and great hobbies cost money.
For me I have found critical Duty to be the most accurate. Surprising how man people do the realize the variance between one brand versus another.I've been reloading for some 35 years now and it is not that difficult of a process by any means. Most important when reloading is to devote your full attention to the task at hand. Making mistakes in reloading is easy to do if your mind is wandering.
The cost of and limited availability of primers is what is most detrimental to someone wanting to start out in reloading. Powder and bullets have gone up but they are can be found. I was fortunate enough to have a few primers on hand pre-pandemic that will last me for a few years.
As to price of loaded ammo compared to factory ammo I have saved quite a bit over the years. Everyone likes to compare bulk 115 FMJ 9mm or 55 FMJ 223 to reloaded ammo. The magnum handguns like 357 or 44 mag I would not even be able to afford to shoot if it were not for reloading. Or even calibers that have fallen out of favor like the 32 ACP.
When shooting for precision or accuracy I can get significantly better results reloading with Hornady/Nosler JHP for handgun or match bullets for 223. WIth 45 ACP I'll take my reloads over factory 230 FMJ any day of the week.