Manuals and Supplies

[unit44justin]

Thanks for the advise. The Lee Classic Turret kit comes with the lee safety powder scale and the auto disk measure. She ordered me the adjustable charge bar as well so I will be able to fine tune the charge to I spec that I will like. I decided on the turret press over a true single stage mainly because I can buy an extra turret for $10 and set the dies only once. All I have to do to change calibers is take the turret out and replace it with one that has different dies in it. Here is a link to the kit and all it contains http://www.titanreloading.com/kits/lee- ... -press-kit
I will be making a trip up to gunstop tomorrow morning before work for some manuals ans other supplies.

[Seismic Sam]

Well, getting seperate toolheads is a prefectly good idea, for somebody starting out, getting your dies set perfectly and leaving them that way is a good idea.

HOWEVER, seeing as you will be loading 38 Special AND 357 Mag, you will be using the SAME dies for both calibers, so you need to be very careful about going from one to another without adjusting them.

1: The size die does NOT need to be adjusted! Just set it so it contacts the shellholder, and you're done forever. I hope you got the carbide size die!

2: If you use it, the expander die WILL have to be adjusted substantially between 38 and 357, and you'll know if you screwed up! Generally, you have to use the expander for cast bullets, and you may be able to NOT use it with jacketed bullets. Also, the expander stem on the Lee dies is the suckiest one of any brand out there, and you may want to chuck the stem in a drill and polish it down with silicon carbide sandpaper. DO NOT use aluminum oxide, as this will grind down the stem!!

3: Just due to the different length of the cases, you will have to reset your seating die for each caliber AND each bullet! The good news is that the Lee seating die makes this very easy, so provided you are NOT crimping the cases, this is quite simple. If you ARE crimping the cases (and for 357 you probably should be...) then you are going to have to unlock and reset the seating die each time you change calibers.

4. If, however, you are using the Lee Factory Crimp die as die #4 (and this is HIGHLY reccommended!!) then you can set the seating die with no crimp and just dial in the crimp on either caliber on the FCD with your fingers.

You're off to a good start, but remember to keep track of your 38 and 357 die dettings, and stay safe out there!!

[unit44justin]

Well, getting seperate toolheads is a prefectly good idea, for somebody starting out, getting your dies set perfectly and leaving them that way is a good idea.

HOWEVER, seeing as you will be loading 38 Special AND 357 Mag, you will be using the SAME dies for both calibers, so you need to be very careful about going from one to another without adjusting them.

1: The size die does NOT need to be adjusted! Just set it so it contacts the shellholder, and you're done forever. I hope you got the carbide size die!

2: If you use it, the expander die WILL have to be adjusted substantially between 38 and 357, and you'll know if you screwed up! Generally, you have to use the expander for cast bullets, and you may be able to NOT use it with jacketed bullets. Also, the expander stem on the Lee dies is the suckiest one of any brand out there, and you may want to chuck the stem in a drill and polish it down with silicon carbide sandpaper. DO NOT use aluminum oxide, as this will grind down the stem!!

3: Just due to the different length of the cases, you will have to reset your seating die for each caliber AND each bullet! The good news is that the Lee seating die makes this very easy, so provided you are NOT crimping the cases, this is quite simple. If you ARE crimping the cases (and for 357 you probably should be...) then you are going to have to unlock and reset the seating die each time you change calibers.

4. If, however, you are using the Lee Factory Crimp die as die #4 (and this is HIGHLY reccommended!!) then you can set the seating die with no crimp and just dial in the crimp on either caliber on the FCD with your fingers.

You're off to a good start, but remember to keep track of your 38 and 357 die dettings, and stay safe out there!!

Thanks for the advise I will definitely keep this in the back of my head. Also I did get the carbide dies. Does anyone know where I can get some small primers? Gunstop was out when I went on Friday. I picked up the Speer and Lyman manual, some 115gr 9mm, 147gr 9mm, 125gr .38, 142gr .38, and some Win 231 powder.

[Seismic Sam]

A couple of things to be aware of:

First, do NOT start off loading 9mm with the 147 grain bullets!! This cartridge was invented in 1902, and was intended for use with 125 grain bullets, and 147 grain bullets just came along in the last 10 - 15 years. They can be made to work, but a bullet this heavy also has a reputation for causing high pressures and broken guns if you mess up the load at all or try to push things too far, so consider yourself warned.

Second, 231 is a good powder for 38 Special and light 357 Mag loads, but for REAL 357 Mag loads you should read the fine print in the Lyman manual and it will probably tell you that a slower powder is used for the best full power loads. Also be aware that with 231, a double charge is VERY possible with 38 Spl or 357, so you will have to check every case after you charge it with powder!! The way I do it is to load up a full block of 50 cases, and then take the block over under a ceiling light, and check all 50 cases to make sure that the powder in each case is at the same level. You might even want to deliberately double charge a case to see how much difference there is, so you will know for sure what you are looking for in the way of a mistake. And yes, a double charge of 231 WILL mess up your day and your gun, so it's a very serious mistake.

While I wouldn't normally make this offer, I could sell you a couple hundred small pistol primers for $6, provided you do most of the driving to get them. I live in Afton, and will be in St. Paul Wednesday and Friday afternoons about 4PM-ish.

[OldmanFCSA]

Sam,

You check your powder loads the same way I teach checking powder loads. I even purposely double-charge with a fast powder and a slow powder to show how it can happen. Good job, Sam.

I teach loading with 115 grain 9mm bullets only.

I am starting to use Bullseye in 9mm as people request, although I prefer Blue Dot for my own loadings. Big difference in powder performance.

For 357 Mag. I use WIN296 with a very healthy WARNING of its usage only in very strong action revolvers. For light 357 loads, I use 38Spcl cases and loadings with WIN231.

I have 357 loads I will not teach anyone, they are result of years of testing in MY GUNS.

Small pistol primers are selling for $%0 per thousand near me and are available.

[unit44justin]

Fair enough I will only bring the 115gr. As for checking loads, my plan was to do what you do in checking them. I have a bunch of the factory trays that I saved as well as some of the MTM plastic cases that I bought when I would buy ammo in bulk. I'll probably make another stop up to gunstop next week. Do you guys prefer cci primers over federal? My understanding is that federal are better for guns that have reduced mainsprings.

[OldmanFCSA]

Buy whatever primers you can afford.

My training classes are using more primers than I.

[Seismic Sam]

Sam,

You check your powder loads the same way I teach checking powder loads. I even purposely double-charge with a fast powder and a slow powder to show how it can happen. Good job, Sam.

Well, it seemed like the best idea at the time, and I've never had a motivation for trying to improve on it or change it. Plus, with 50 cal pistol cases, it's REALLY EASY to see the powder levels, even without your glasses!!!