Survival Reloading - Ammo

Reloading 40 years and marked a few points . The more powerfull the gun the faster the brass go.
cleaning only to get the grit off,exeption after black powder use,the wash them real good.For bad times a good idea is to get a modern gun in a old cartridge.Why simple the will burn from smokeless to black !I reloaded a .45 colt with black and it even repeated !
My choice .45 acp and 45-70 rifle,brass will last forever.A 12G shotgun with brass shells cost much but WOW do the last.
my 2 ct

 

I have just gotten into the portable reloading........... first in 44mag,& spl and like you AA in 45-70 . I will next experiment in loading the cases with 777 and pyrodex and record the data on 3x5 cards to be stored with each calibers die set. PS...I have been loading at home for a few years also.

 

I've had this same conversation many times over, and with many different people too.

The following conclusions seem to be, more or less, universal: The biggest drawbacks to reloading are (1) when you're out of primers your reloading days are over; and (2) the possession of reloading supplies and equipment will require you to be, 'chained' to your home base — Something which may, or may not be a realistic thing to do.

What limits the useful life of a brass cartridge case? Case stretch, caused by repeated firing, is a primary cause. It's through case stretch that the following problems occur: (1) incipient head separation, (Which is, sometimes, difficult to spot!) (2) embrittlement (also caused by repeated firing), and (3) split case mouths and sidewalls (caused by both embrittlement and repeated bullet seating).

However, in some 45 years of handloading and reloading, the biggest and most frequent problem I experienced came — not from any of the above, but — from (4) enlarged primer pockets! I lost more used brass to enlarged primer pockets than because of any other reason.

Whoever 'TR' might be (I heard 'GunKid' is dead; but who knows?) he/she/it is not, however, 'all wet' on the ideas that have been put forth. There's a valid and useful place for all different sorts of: snares, traps, pitfalls, deadfalls, tripwires, 'bird lime', and drags in anybody's practical (and sustainable) survivalcraft. If need be, these devices can also make useful burglar alarms and 'trespasser deterrents'!

The other gunmen I'm friendly with all believe in and many of them own both spring-actuated pellet guns, and black powder flintlock rifles. Finally, I do think that calibers should be, more or less, standardized. My own principal choices are 12 gauge, 5.56 x 45mm (M855, but anything that chambers will do), 22 LR, 9 x 19mm, and 45 ACP.

I'm an American; I'll be defending an American homestead; and, if I am able to beat off the: starving zombies, cannibals, and packs of wild dogs, then, I'm going to need weapons that feed and chamber the most commonly available AMERICAN rounds.

Consequently, my secondary choices would be 308 Win/7.52 x 51mm (not quite the exact same cartridge, OK!), 30-06 Springfield, and 30-30 Winchester; but, I would use these calibers as sparingly as possible because, sooner or later, they'll all be increasingly difficult to come by.

 

Survival reloading? Lee classic loaders for every caliber in the compound .. actually doubles and maybe triples.
Not chained to a reloading bench. Just need the kit, components and a hammer.
Voila' Ammo!

 

There is a company called "Sharpshooters" (cannot recall the whole name at the moment) that sells a kit for reloading 22LR. and it comes with a liquid type mixture that is applied to replace the primer mixture inside the 22 cartridge and can be used in a kit to form primers from aluminum cans for black powder.

 

Gun smiths use a product called Rock set to secure certain components.
It is similar to lock tight however it works more like glue .
I just bought some from Midway to set a barrel.
Avid shooters wil go to many lengths to polish their craft , the more time one has to fritter away, the easier it is to take the time to clean, sort, measure, catalog, pidgin hole, and load each component .Usually something guys do while it's snowing. ME
I have Lee loaders and a rock chucker, but my policy in reloading is minimal charges. it is both better on me, the gun, and the brass as well. I use factory Mag loads for hunting.
Part of the process sorting brass I have never seen any one include, is using a microscope . Having several, I can add that to the process of cleaning and sorting.
In the old days knowing the amount of expansion told you volumes on the condition of the chamber. those of you with older guns should be aware of this .

 

That's a great idea thanks .

 

GUNKID is out of prison already ???
I thought he got like 20 years for an unregistered can, and 30 for child porn.

I did not recognize his posting without the refernces to "long pig", "canned .22's", or "shooting other survivalists and taking their stuff".
You know he is so infamous that many years ago he was written into a PAW fiction story at Frugal's, right??