Using a single stage press to load 9mm

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Rzeancak

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A few years back I decided to soley concentrate on rim fire because the cost of center fire and sold all of my stuff now I have the funds and stability I want to get back into center fire. I'm geared up for rifle and I want to repurpose some of that kit for 9mm. I'm not worried about speed just safety and cost. Is anyone out there doing this or am I nuts

Thanks
 
I had a lee single stage press for 9mm it was slow but worked. I was off during the winter so had lots of time to do it. I found its best to (1) deprime 500-1000 (2) resize same ammount. (3) Then prime them. Things go better if you not switching die's around every 100 rds.
 
I am , had a dillon 650 and sold it, use a Forster coax now, takes longer but never a miss. I like inspecting each and every bullet along the process and have the time to do it.
 
Depends on how much you shoot. If you shoot a few hundred rounds (or sometimes a lot more) then single stage will soon become intolerable. If you just shoot casually then single stage should be enough.
 
I load for a .357 on a single stage. Sometimes I think what the hay am I doing here. It works and I do not have more space taken in my small room with a big as+ Dillon.

Size and deprime all first. Then I bell the mouths, prime, fill case with powder using my Harrells powder dispenser which I verify each and every charge on my scale. Lastly seat the bullets after a visual inspection in all cases verifying powder charge.

It is a slow process but I sit in the man cave in front of my HD TV and slowly crank out rounds. If I get 100 done an evening I am pretty happy with that. The most I ever shoot out of it in a session is maybe 100.
 
After spending 3 evenings and only reloading 1700 rounds on the single stage, I went out and bought a progressive.

Single is fine for low volume shooters
 
Budget 12 hrs to load 1000 rounds.

Batch lots is the way to go......

I was doing 1000 pieces at a time for each die.

Use a hand primer to prime cases in front if the TV.

It's ok if you are only shooting 2-3K per year, any more than that I would step up to a progressive......

If you are only shooting 1000 rnds a year I'm not sure I would bother reloading 9mm. You only save $80/1000 verses buying factory reloaded ammo.
 
Make friends with somebody that has a 650. Chances are they finished three years of reloads in two hours and it's sitting quietly under a dust cover. I remember all the 40s&w done on my partner press, it was an incredible amount of time.
 
I started with a single stage press, then bought a dillon, sold the dillon and went back to the single stage press. Call me stipid but I just like the single stage press better. It is very easy for me to load 3 to 4 hundred rounds in a eveing when I am watching a football game or hockey game in the gun room.

Graydog
 
I just started loading 9mm, so it's on a single stage, because I already have the press and got the dies for nothing.

If I get into shooting it more I'll either buy a second Pro 1000 or the parts to convert my current one (.38spl).

Some how it seems more tedious to load pistol on a single stage. Perhaps because for the time it takes me to fire 1 round of 45-70 out of the Sharps and reload, 8 9mm casings have hit the ground ;)
 
Waste of time....

A turret press is a minimum IMHO!

For the amount of time you are going to spend loading 1000 rounds you would be better just buying 9mm bulk.

Hell I have a turret and still buy a case of 500 rounds here and there, just because it can be found cheap enough to make reloading 9mm not worth the time on the turret.

If and when I get back into pistol shooting(kinda strayed for now) I will be investing in a progressive.
 
I've been using a single stage for a few years now. I shoot about 1200 rounds/year, so it works well for me. Make sure you're using a carbide die: saves lubing the little suckers. As mentioned, I break it into steps: over a week or two I'll decap/size, then spend a week or so priming, and later on powder and seat them. It's not so overwhelming that way. I also load for .38 S&W, and use the 9mm sizer for that as well.
And I load for .303 and .308 as well on this press.

added: if I can pick up the Berry's 124 gr bullets in person (saving shipping charges), I can get it down to around 15 cents per round.
 
i have reloaded 9mm, 45 acp , 38 special and 357 mag for 6 years on a rcbs partner press with carbide dies , hand priming tools , rcbs manual powder dispenser ,an old school scale and a lyman tumbler . it is time consuming but i never had a double charge or a squib! plus it is kind of a meditation thing for me. Also like cleaning and polishing your car by hand vs going to a car wash.
 
DIRTYCLEAN said:
i have reloaded 9mm, 45 acp , 38 special and 357 mag for 6 years on a rcbs partner press with carbide dies , hand priming tools , rcbs manual powder dispenser ,an old school scale and a lyman tumbler . it is time consuming but i never had a double charge or a squib! plus it is kind of a meditation thing for me. Also like cleaning and polishing your car by hand vs going to a car wash.
Click to expand...

Thats basically my setup. I have a Lee and a RCBS press, hand priming tool, RCBS scale and a lyman tumbler. Not sere if my dies are carbide (Lee makes them).

thanks all

ill give it a try.
 
notsorichguy said:
If you are only shooting 1000 rnds a year I'm not sure I would bother reloading 9mm. You only save $80/1000 verses buying factory reloaded ammo.
Click to expand...

Cost depends on several factors. 9mm brass is essentially free as you can pick it up in quantity at most any range. A decent target 9mm load runs around 4 grains of a common powder like Bullseye or Red Dot. With powder costing around $15/ pound you can get over 1700 rounds per pound or about 1 cent per round. Primers run 4 cents each. The pivotal factor is the bullet. If you cast your own and can get cheap or free casting alloy they maybe run 1 or 2 cents each. That works out to only about 6 to 7 cents a round or $3-4 box which is damn cheap shooting. Even non-reloadable commercial ammo can't come close to that.

On the other hand, if you have to buy commercial bullets at 8-10 cents each then you're up to $7-9 box. Add your time to that & reloading may not be worth it if you shoot a limited number of rounds.

I would do it no matter what for the satisfaction of making my own and being able to tailor the load to my needs. However, if that's not a factor for you reloading might not be so attractive.

A final factor is in play right now. If you have the components you can always roll your own. In times of shortage like now, if you rely on commercial ammo you may be out of business if there is none available to buy.
 
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I have reloaded everything on a single stage press for 30 years this coming summer. I enjoy reloading as much or more than shooting so I have never felt the need to churn out 1,000 rounds per hour on a progressive that has a much higher chance of producing dangerous ammo.

It's all about your needs, goals, $$ limit, preference and time. In the end it's all up to you.
 
couple years ago I loaded 1000 rounds on my rockchucker for my IPSC black badge course.
I quickly went out and bought a progressive after that.
I enjoy reloading, but the quantities you go through during the year if you train and compete, no way is it worth it if using a single stage.

Been using a Hornady lock and load for the past few years. Nice machine. No real complaints.
Recently picked up a used Dillon 1050, and just finished cleaning and getting it all set up.
It is a phenomenal press.
I'm debating getting an autodrive so I can just sit back and watch it churn out ammo.
 
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