Used Reloading Equipment
#11
The nice thing about getting started in reloading is that no matter how advanced you get, or how fancy your equipment becomes, you'll always have a need for the things that you buy now. A close friend of mine has 3 Dillon progressive presses; one each for .223, 9mm, and .45acp. He works at a range and shoots a ton of bullets every week. Even with all of his stuff he still needs a single stage press for those calibers that don't get loaded often. I'm still using the RCBS jr2 press that I bought used 25 years ago as my main press. I even bought one of those $26 Lee presses just for expanding case mouths and resizing bullets. My favorite place to buy online is Graf and Sons. They have a $25 minimum charge, but there's no shipping fees, just a modest handling charge.
http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...categoryId/600
http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...categoryId/600
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location:
Posts: 1,985
Find someone that reloads and sit and watch them! You want someone with experience not a self proclaimed expert but someone that enjoys the time it takes and details involved! I do it to save a little money but also to unwind and to make me focus on details for saftey sake!
#13
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1
Hello all,
I've been on here for some time but have never posted.
A buddy of mine picked up a Lee Progressive Press for about 350.00 and got 1000 free Hornady bullets with the proof of purchase. Its a wash. 1000 bullets are about $350.00. I don't know if they still have that program going on.
Reloading will open your eyes to a whole new world, and you'll never buy a new box of bullets again. Unless you need the brass.
AE.
I've been on here for some time but have never posted.
A buddy of mine picked up a Lee Progressive Press for about 350.00 and got 1000 free Hornady bullets with the proof of purchase. Its a wash. 1000 bullets are about $350.00. I don't know if they still have that program going on.
Reloading will open your eyes to a whole new world, and you'll never buy a new box of bullets again. Unless you need the brass.
AE.
#14
A friend of my dad's gave me all his stuff back in 1997. He bought most of it in the late 1960s. It's still going strong. I have reloading manuals with $3 price tags still on them
The only thing that could really be screwed up are the sizing dies. The decapping pins could be broken or bent as well as the rod they are on. A quick visual inspection can usually tell you this. Even so, a new set of dies is about $30 so it wouldn't be the end of the world.
If you're getting old powder or primers with the equipment, you don't know what you're getting. I would buy new. I got old powder with the stuff I inheritted. It actually still was 100% fine. But I saved that for the target range and only used new for my hunting loads.
The only thing that could really be screwed up are the sizing dies. The decapping pins could be broken or bent as well as the rod they are on. A quick visual inspection can usually tell you this. Even so, a new set of dies is about $30 so it wouldn't be the end of the world.
If you're getting old powder or primers with the equipment, you don't know what you're getting. I would buy new. I got old powder with the stuff I inheritted. It actually still was 100% fine. But I saved that for the target range and only used new for my hunting loads.
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: S.W. Pa.-- Heart in North Central Pa. mountains-
Posts: 2,600
A friend of my dad's gave me all his stuff back in 1997. He bought most of it in the late 1960s. It's still going strong. I have reloading manuals with $3 price tags still on them
The only thing that could really be screwed up are the sizing dies. The decapping pins could be broken or bent as well as the rod they are on. A quick visual inspection can usually tell you this. Even so, a new set of dies is about $30 so it wouldn't be the end of the world.
If you're getting old powder or primers with the equipment, you don't know what you're getting. I would buy new. I got old powder with the stuff I inheritted. It actually still was 100% fine. But I saved that for the target range and only used new for my hunting loads.
The only thing that could really be screwed up are the sizing dies. The decapping pins could be broken or bent as well as the rod they are on. A quick visual inspection can usually tell you this. Even so, a new set of dies is about $30 so it wouldn't be the end of the world.
If you're getting old powder or primers with the equipment, you don't know what you're getting. I would buy new. I got old powder with the stuff I inheritted. It actually still was 100% fine. But I saved that for the target range and only used new for my hunting loads.
.... Unless the powder and/or primers were stored in a damp area, they should be fine. I rediscovered some primers I squirreled away over 30 yrs. ago.. they load and shoot just fine.
#16
Unless the powder and/or primers were stored in a damp area, they should be fine.
But, if you're buying used stuff from someone you don't know, don't take any chances with hunting loads. You don't know how they took care of it.
#17
I highly recommend the RCBS Rock Chucker for beginners.
I'm not a fan of Lee but that doesn't mean that it won't put out decent ammo.
I bought my press used off a buddy and bought all the dies new.
I tend to stick with RCBS on everything because I think that their customer service is top notch. They replace parts with no questions asked.
Probably will add another progressive press to my bench eventualy but would never get rid of my Rock Chucker. It will probably get passed down to my boy.
I'm not a fan of Lee but that doesn't mean that it won't put out decent ammo.
I bought my press used off a buddy and bought all the dies new.
I tend to stick with RCBS on everything because I think that their customer service is top notch. They replace parts with no questions asked.
Probably will add another progressive press to my bench eventualy but would never get rid of my Rock Chucker. It will probably get passed down to my boy.
#18
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1
Reloading Equipment
I was just wondering what type of gear you veterans would reccomend for a reloading equipment? I'd like to get into it, and I know that ultimately, Lee, RCBS, Dillon...just a matter of taste, but what would you folks reccomend?
#20
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Rivesville, WV
Posts: 3,192
If you are looking for a good used press I have a Lyman Turret Press I will ship to you for $75. It is in real good shape. It does not come with a priming arm. The press is in the bottom left hand corner of the photo below. PM me if interested. Thanks, Tom.