Reeder Custom Guns - Just the basics

Back in the last quarter of the 20th Century I learned to reload full brass 32 Gauge shotshells using nothing but a knife to remove the Berdan primers, the flat of the knife to tap in a fresh primer, the plastic measure that came in the powder flask to measure out the powder, a dowel to seat the over powder wad and the over shot wad. Hard to get more basic than that.

So the past couple days I've been laying in a few rounds of ammo using a fairly basic setup as it's being done on Mom's dining room table as I spend time with her. A Lee hand press along with a set of carbide dies in the appropriate caliber, a Lee dipper and a Lyman scale to give the desired charge weight of powder and a Lee Ram Prime for seating the primers rounds out most of the paraphernalia. A good loading block keeps things running orderly through the various steps. Still, it takes a while to run a box of shells through the various steps. With a 50 round loading block it takes about an hour and 10 minutes or so to put up a box of ammo. No speed records and definitely not the best way to run out a bunch of competition ammo, but it's given my hands to do as I answer for the umpteenth time Mom's questions about the old family picture on the wall. 32 S&W, 45 Colt and 44 Special have all been processed as above so far, not sure what will come next, need to see what's in the brass box.

Anyway, I've used more modern and convenient presses and such, but the old hand press gets it done and the carbide dies sure beat lubing and cleaning brass. It's also a lot less noisy than the old Lee Loader (of which I still have a couple in hand). I do, however, admit to an itch to break out the Lyman 310 and crank out a few rounds of 38 special - but using Hornady One Shot which makes it easier than having to clean after sizing.

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loaded on my old Lyman 310 tool. Sometimes the simple things are the most rewarding

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I loaded up a few boxes of 38 SPL for the police in the small town where we resided at the time. They supplied the brass, I did the casting and loading - using a Lee "whackem" loader and a Lee mold. They said it was the most accurate ammunition they ever used, and weren't concerned with the lack of "propriety" in using "illegal ammo". But the less noisy methods of sizing brass are more conducive to enjoyment of pass time. Also, I've never had a primer go off while seating with less violent means than tapping it into place with a Lee Loader priming tool. I DID experience a loud noise related to seating a primer sideways this week, but that was the cry of anguish generated by the realization that a momentary distraction had lead to the destruction of a difficult to replace primer. No further harm was done, other than almost straining my leg kicking myself for allowing such a distraction. Extra care was taken in throwing powder charges. Since it's about occupying my hands while sitting still and not about some race against the clock, each charge was weighed and carefully transferred to the case. Then a bright light used to confirm no double charges.

A stop at a local gun store where they had a couple of the calibers I'd loaded available for purchase reminded me that loading one's own ammo is still an economically feasible endeavor if one has more time than money.

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Just the basics

I'd like to have a nickle for every box of shells I've

Before I found out the lack of legality...