TonyBen's M14/M1A Reloading video

TonyBen

TonyBen

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It's finally done!

Before you watch this video, be warned that this was made with the novice in mind, who knows NOTHING about reloading for service rifles, or just reloading in general. It is detailed, thorough and I'm long-winded. I am an old Marine, so I made this video so that it would be so clear and detailed, a Marine could understand it.

Look at it from this perspective. This is what it would look like if you came to my shop and asked me to walk you through all the important steps for hand loading service rifle rounds.

This is not the only way to do this. There are many other ways to accomplish the same thing. Find what works best for you.

Items covered:
-Measuring brass headspace
-Difference between commercial and military brass
-Primer pocket uniforming
-Primer seating depth
-Case trimming
-Neck tension
-Crimping
-Using check weights
-Measuring COL
I hope you can endure it and I hope it answers most of the commonly asked questions.

Tony.
 
Watched it all, thanks for posting.
I have been reloading 1200 rounds of .40 per month on a progressive for the past 4 years.
For pistol.

I am new to the concept of reloading for rifles.
I had an idea it was very involving, and your vid confirmed it!
Comes to say at this point and time, i cannot make time to reload 308 in my life, but someday will and looks fun
For pistol i spend 2 hours to crank out 1300 rounds give or take, the attention to detail is much less

I saw some stuff that i already do and at least saw similarities.
i.e. Using weight scale checks, or when trying new rounds or recipies check magazine fitment before cranking 200/300

Thanks for posting loved it!
 
Hey Tony. Quick question. My brass bases sometimes get deformed from the extraction.

Is this normal? What would your remedy be?

Right now I just use a flat granite block and some very fine sand paper to get rid of the tiny bumps cause by the extractor.
 
I've been loading for my m1a for awhile now and 5 min. Into video I'm wondering if I can do it better / safer or not .
I'm scarred of a slam fire with this thing . It has doubled with all Ammo I've tried except my handloads once I got the #34 primers .
I throw my brass after 4 firings ( if I count right ) I have a N. m. Chamber so i have been small base sizing for extra Safty .
Now my question- is it safer giving it more chamber room to avoid the bolt hitting a not fully chambered round or safer going off the headspace that came on gun certificate back 10 thou to avoid case seperation and a bolt hitting a shell out of battery ? Opinions ?
 
Keithjohn said:
I've been loading for my m1a for awhile now and 5 min. Into video I'm wondering if I can do it better / safer or not .
I'm scarred of a slam fire with this thing . It has doubled with all Ammo I've tried except my handloads once I got the #34 primers .
I throw my brass after 4 firings ( if I count right ) I have a N. m. Chamber so i have been small base sizing for extra Safty .
Now my question- is it safer giving it more chamber room to avoid the bolt hitting a not fully chambered round or safer going off the headspace that came on gun certificate back 10 thou to avoid case seperation and a bolt hitting a shell out of battery ? Opinions ?
Click to expand...

Smaller is always better. What was the headspace tag on your rifle? 1.625" should be plenty of wiggle room. I'm concerned that there's something wrong with your safety bridge and firing pin. Doubles can also be caused by not holding the rifle tight in the shoulder and not following through with the trigger pull.

Tony.
 
yomomma said:
Hey Tony. Quick question. My brass bases sometimes get deformed from the extraction.

Is this normal? What would your remedy be?

Right now I just use a flat granite block and some very fine sand paper to get rid of the tiny bumps cause by the extractor.
Click to expand...


Yes, it's very common to have dents on the case body, deformed mouths and bumps around the extractor. As long as you're not headspacing off the bump, you should be okay. The brass is very soft and any bumps will be flattened when the round goes off.

Tony.
 
Is the Safty bridge supposed to safeguard all but 100% bolt engagement? 75% ?
I find dented primers all the time when the bolt has closed 100% and have found the bolt not quite 100% closed more often than I like
 
Keithjohn said:
Is the Safty bridge supposed to safeguard all but 100% bolt engagement? 75% ?
I find dented primers all the time when the bolt has closed 100% and have found the bolt not quite 100% closed more often than I like
Click to expand...

I would perform the tilt test (it's in my YouTube video library) and see if there's something slowing down the action when chambering. The safety bridge is supposed to slow the firing pin down when the bolt goes forward, but there's still some residual inertia left when it fully closes, so mildly dented primers are common.

I'd also strip the bolt and check to see that the rounds you load are chambering and that you can easily close a stripped bolt on a finished round. If the case headspace is long, the inertia from the bolt closing will force it into the chamber, but they may be so tight that your bolt is closing just enough to allow the firing pin to clear the safety bridge.

The camming surface on the safety bridge also functions to retract the firing pin when the bolt unlocks. If the firing pin were allowed to stay in the hole when the bolt unlocks, it can stress the tip of the firing pin and it can break. The firing pin hole is actually slightly offset from center (I can't explain why, but it was specifically designed that way) and the firing pin needs to retract before the divot it made in the primer is out of alignment when unlocking.

Another feature separate from the safety bridge is the spur on the face of the hammer. The spur has a corresponding cutout in the back of the bolt. If the bolt is unlocked, the spur will kick the bolt closed before the stress is applied to the firing pin if it's not clear of the safety bridge cutout.

You need to figure out why your bolt is not closing 100% on its own. How long is your operating rod spring? it should be at least 15" long. You should send your gun to an M14 specialist, along with your handloads.

Tony.
 
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