First Loads

[garyb]

Just finished building my custom fit loading bench to match the furniture in the room; Installed the LNL AP press; figured out how to adjust all the dies, etc... and loaded my first batch of (qty50) .40S&W's to try out this weekend on the range. I took the loading process very slowly, frequently checking powder charge and measuring the bullet seating. Everything went very well and consistent. I've wanted to do this for about 35 years and finally made it. We'll see how they cycle in my PM40 very soon.

[MW surveyor]

You should not have any problems if you followed the loading data for the powder that you used.

Just a question. Did you load all 50 with the same charge weight or did you load say 10 with starting load, then increase the load in stages? Nothing breaks your confidence more if the gun goes bang and no hole appears in the target! Also, some starting loads may not cycle the slide. Ask me how I know. :( Luckily only had a single shot semi for 8 rounds :)

[Cap'n]

Sounds like you're learning reloading on a progressive press (I have a LnL, too).

Apologies if this is old news to you. CAUTION: Almost all pistol brass can be accidentally double-charged without overflowing ... not so with rifle cartridges (although a standard charge of the WRONG powder will wreak havoc, too). Point being to ensure you don't double-charge a case. This is easier to do unintentionally on a progressive than a single stage because so much is going on with each stroke of the press handle.

After 20-30 years reloading on a single stage, I found it difficult to transition to a progressive -- a problem you won't have :) -- but after a year I'm more comfortable with the process. Still, you'll probably find it handy at some point to acquire a single stage press for odd jobs.

Enjoy. Reloading is a great hobby and can fill the "empty" hours between range sessions.

[Tilos]

garyb:
Way to go!
Why'd you wait so long?
Reloading can be very gratifying and it sounds like you're hooked already.
I would suggest you remove the barrel from your gun and use it as a chamber gage when you are developing a load.
We're here to help should you need it.
Tilos

[garyb]

Good input guys. Thanks.
I started VERY slowly with the first 50. I actually weighed the powder every round for the first 25 to ensure the powder drop was consistent and accurate. Then I backed off to every 3rd. The load I used was out of the Hornady book. I picked a velocity rated the same as my win target loads - around 1100FPS or so with 155 Hornady JHP's (free with the reloader). I understand your point about reloading fewer and testing fewer. It is an excellent suggestion and I should have done this. However, with the excitement of finally loading and it being late in the day, I was on a roll and wanted to use the loader. So I stopped at 50. It is amazing how fast things can go once on a roll, even with my double and triple checking everything. WOW. I am hoping for some range time this weekend to try them out. I hope they cycle.

I also have a powder cop and double checked every load to ensure that there was powder and not a double charge. Based on the Powder cop, I could clearly visualize that the drop was consistent and ALSO double checked this by weight. I was much more cautious than necessary, but as a rookie it was prudent to be overly cautious. It was important to me to assess the consistency and accuracy of the machine. It is amazingly consistent. Impressive.

The bullet 40S&W seating was exactly 1.125 to 1.127 and I measured every single bullet. I had the first 3 which were overseated to 1.10 and I am discarding them just to be safe, although they could have been test shot according to a friend who is a reloader. I am simply not taking any chances. I understand from the Hornady manual that overseating increases pressure, so I am again, overly cautious about this too. Good suggestion about removing the barrel and using it as a chamber gage. My PM40 cycles bullets seated to 1.125 just fine....however I have not compared velocity of the loads. I have a chrony and will do this in the near future. My carry load also cycles just fine, so it appears that higher velocities will also cycle fine. In fact, I have never had a FTE of FTF of any kind with Win target 165, nor Win ranger talons 165.

Eventually I'll get into rifle, but it looks as though I'll be loading .380 auto's next because my wife is getting into handguns now. She was the Fl black powder women's State Champion 3 yrs in a row. Spunky Italian woman. She hated modern firearms and it took me 23 yrs to finally convince her to get a handgun. She looked at dozens after dozens for the past 4 weeks and settled on the S&W Bodyguard 380, due to an encounter with a dirt bag while she was out alone walking in the country for exercise. It scared her. It is a nice little affordable handgun with lots of nice features for her. Her biggest challenge was working the slide on larger calibers and she did not like revolvers. She can work the slide on this little 380 just fine. It is simply her feeling comfortable, but Success! Hopefully she will enjoy it as much as she enjoyed her smokepole. We had many, many days and years shooting together...fond memories together. She loves to outshoot me..haha.

Still a TON to learn about reloading but progress has been made on all fronts. It is an exciting journey that adds pleasure to the shooting sports in my family. Thanks for the input and encouragement. Keep safe! I will.

[garyb]

Took my first 50 new reloads to the range this afternoon. (Finally, it is not raining today and work was slow.) All 50 rounds shot perfectly at 10 yards. No failures of any kind. This PM40 seems to eat everything so far and it is really fun to shoot. The 155JHP reloads were a tiny bit snappier than the Win 165 target loads but shot amazingly well. I even found my brass. I am very impressed and semi-automatically hooked on reloading. It was fun putting the components in AND letting them fly out. I seem to spend about the same amount of time doing both. BANG BANG BANG :D

[MW surveyor]

garyb - Good report and I'll bet it felt good to know that the rounds you put together worked properly. Once you start feeling more comfortable with the loading operations, it will go much faster.

On last Sunday afternoon after all of the tribe left, I noticed I was completly out of 9mm reloads. Cranked out 400 rounds in less than two hours on my turret press. That's what I had already cleaned, sized and reprimed. Now awaiting my 45 cal bullets to come in so that I can start reloading for the new 1911. Already have over 200 primed cases ready to go plus another 300 cleaned and ready to deprime, resize and prime.

[Tilos]

What other hobby do you spend your time tediously building something, and when you're done...can't wait to blow it up!
Tilos

[MW surveyor]

Well, I used to build model planes, boats and cars. Then after about a month see how they destructed using a fire cr^cker. Does this count?

Wierd forum nanny

[garyb]

Got a chuckle out of that... taking time to build something and blow it up. Never thought about it that way. How true! Oddly, it was a good feeling. Especially seeing how nicely my PM40 cycled my home brew. This little gun is amazing, as is the LNL AP press. I realize I shouldn't write about this on a Kahr forum, but I hope my wifey's new Bodyguard 380 works as well. She really liked the way it fit her, how well she could work the slide and everything else about it. It has received good reviews and we did not want to spend the money on a P380. Looks like I will be ordering more dies for my press. That's OK to me, especially if she is enjoying shooting.

[Tilos]

You'll pinch your fingers loading 380...stock up on bandaids.
Tilos

[MW surveyor]

^^^^My thoughs exactly. Just be glad it's not a 25!

[Tilos]

Do you put powder in a 25acp...or just a primer?
Tilos

[Bawanna]

Do you put powder in a 25acp...or just a primer?
Tilos

Touche Tilos, you killed me right there......................

[MW surveyor]

Tilos, my post was a joke and your reply was good. You made me look up the powder weight just to make sure. Depending on the powder and bullet, anywhere between 0.9 and 1.8 grains.

Of course you need to use magnum pistol primers!