Original Article
Reloading, now and in the future, is the best way to ensure your ammunition independence instead of relying on supply chains and retailers to provide a secure supply of ammunition. Reloading affords you the freedom to create your own ammo outside of the ups and downs of the global economy.
By Mr. Smashy of SurvivalCache.com
This article also appears in this month’s Complete Survivalist Magazine
Preparing for the Future
While it’s still a good idea to secure a good supply of surplus or bulk ammunition when prices dip,it’s also a good idea to get proficient at reloading. The key to proficiency at reloading is getting the tools and skills you need now and knowledge through practice and practical application. The more you reload, the more you will understand what forces are at play and why you need to do what you’re doing. This will be vital when the time comes when supplies become scarce, and you need to make substitutions.
One thing you need to keep in your inventory and continue to replenish so that you’re at
Bullets
For high-power rifles, you’re going to need to fire copper jacketed rifle bullets. It doesn’t makeReloading Basics
The basics of reloading is taking a spent case, clean it, and use a press and dies to remove the spentThe best firearms to reload for are ones in common calibers that take brass cased rounds that are boxer primed. You can reload steel cases, but most are berdan primed and not worth the effort to reload. Steel pistol cases can usually be reloaded, so don’t discard these without checking the primer type. If you are going to reload military surplus brass, be aware that the primers are crimped in and you will need a tool to remove the crimp to allow the brass to be reloaded.
The most basic tool for reloading is the reloading manual. Get a good one, both from the bullet manufacturer you plan to use and for the caliber you plan to reload. Getting the knowledge to use your reloading tools in a safe and reliable manner is probably the best way ensure your immediate survival when reloading; reloading can be dangerous and you need to be able to make the right choices when purchasing powder and working up loads. Keeping good notes is also vital; you need to keep records of how you run your reloading process what your final recipe is. All these records should be stored both on paper and electronically.
The core reloading tool is your reloading press. What press you decide to purchase is going to
Dies are next big component in your reloading kit. I’d recommend getting the best quality dies you can afford, with titanium carbide or carbide dies. Carbide coatings reduce the possibility of a case getting stuck and destroying the die, which would be the worst case scenario. Getting the best quality dies will also help you make the best quality ammunition. Even if you plan on running a progressive press, you can still make match grade ammunition using high quality dies and careful reloading.
A stuck case remover kit would be a wise investment to protect yourself from a mistake that could jeopardize your entire reloading operation. A stuck case remover taps into the base of a stuck case and removes the stuck case from a die with mechanical force. With any luck, the case will separate from the die and you can continue reloading.
You will need a means to clean your brass. Popular methods are vibratory tumblers with a corn cob or walnut based media. In a lights-out situation, a hand-cranked tumbler with corn cob media will do the trick. You’ll also need a media separator to remove the brass from the media, some types which can also be used as a hand cranked tumbler.
Some other tools you’ll need are case gauges (to be sure you re-sized brass properly), primer
Overview of the Reloading Process
Dirty brass, either fired or bought in bulk, is cleaned, usually in a tumbler. Brass is then inspected for cracks and split necks. The clean brass is then lubed. Lube can be water based, oil based, or even animal fat based. Lubed cases are pressed into the resizing die where the used primer is knocked out. If this is military brass and is being reloaded for the first time, now is when the primer pocket crimping is swagged off, using either a primer pocket swagger that presses out the crimp, or a tool that cuts off the crimp. The re-sized case is then filled with powder. Depending on your die, the brass may be “belled” slightly in order to accept a bullet more readily. A bullet is then seated to a set seating depth. Next, depending on the round being loaded, a crimp may be applied to remove the bell and crimp in the bullet.Electricity has brought some of the modern convinces into the reloading room; vibratory tumblers, electric brass trimmers, etc. There are hand tools available to perform this work. Reloading will take more time, but these tools will allow you to continue without disruption. They are cheap and I’d recommend purchasing a backup set of tools, in case the first wear out.
Summary for the Survivalist
The key points a survivalist needs to take away from this are to stock up on supplies that can’t beAll Photos by Mr. Smashy (click here for photostream)
Great post. I just saw a good video on YouTube that was talking about a new hand-loader. It was pretty cool. Reloading is a very good thing to know for survival/preparedness.
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