Having A Place To Reload Or Not

[Wyandot Jim]

Hey Guys,
I posted a response to a comment in a post that stated they didn't have a place to reload since they lived in an apartment.
That got me to thinking, which is bad, maybe some others on here feel the same way.
For those that think they don't have the space or that they need a special heavy duty 2000# reloading bench. Well here is what I'm able to do on a cheap arsh little table. So far it has worked for many 1000s of rounds. Anyway just my opinion which isn't worth much.

So if any of you that want to get into reloading I hope this helps.

From the other post.
Not sure if this helps or not. I have found that you really don't need that solid of a Made For Reloading Bench ONLY. I have all of my presses bolted to a piece of 3/4" plywood that I "C" clamp to this cheap table. You can see that it works just fine for loading of 32s, 9mm, 38/357, 45 acp, 45 Colt, 44 MAG, 44WCF, 30-30, 30-06 and 45-70s.
I wanted to make my presses portable so I could take them with me when I was assigned to out of town jobs. This allowed me to have something to do on my off time besides watch TV.
So if you have a place to eat you also have a place to reload.

I just keep the stuff not being used in a closet.

 

[Hvymax]

I can keep mine in a rolling toolbox or a desk drawer!!!

 

[Snake45]

I loaded tens of thousands of rounds on a press bolted to a piece of 2x4--first a RCBS Rock Chucker and later a Lee Progressive 100--which was in turn C-clamped to the kitchen table. At the end of a session, everything got put away. It CAN be done.

 

[RoninPA]

He will not be using a press, he will be using the Lee Loader (where you pound the case into the resizing die and then pound it back out.) He will need something pretty solid to do that. That's what I started reloading with and it get tiring just doing 50 rounds (I did my reloading out on the front porch and used a 6x6 to put the die on). I knew that I needed to save so money and get a press (my first one was an RCBS Junior single stage press). Used it for many years until I needed something that would do bigger cartridges. Finally, I progressed to a Dillon 550 which does everything I need to do.

 

[BearBiologist]

We wanted to have a separate reloading room for me. Our house had a "mother-in-law kitchen" in the basement. We installed an extra fridge and a table. Have a Dillon and an RCBS. Unfortunately, the wife has been remodeling and using it for storage.

 

[turd]

I used to C clamp my rock chucker to the coffee table in my apartment. Loaded over a thousand .41 mag that way.

 

[txramfan]

Back in 1947 when my parents married my dad had his keg of black powder in a closet. Mom found it and it was moved somewhere away from the apartment.
Pop has kept his hand loading equipment in the garage for 60 years now. Along with his cap n ball revolvers.

 

[Hvymax]

Back in 1947 when my parents married my dad had his keg of black powder in a closet. Mom found it and it was moved somewhere away from the apartment.
Pop has kept his hand loading equipment in the garage for 60 years now. Along with his cap n ball revolvers.

I'm not allowed to have a Garage or shop within 100' of the house.

 

[RSIno1]

He will not be using a press, he will be using the Lee Loader (where you pound the case into the resizing die and then pound it back out.) He will need something pretty solid to do that. That's what I started reloading with and it get tiring just doing 50 rounds (I did my reloading out on the front porch and used a 6x6 to put the die on). I knew that I needed to save so money and get a press (my first one was an RCBS Junior single stage press). Used it for many years until I needed something that would do bigger cartridges. Finally, I progressed to a Dillon 550 which does everything I need to do.

It's what I started with at 18 in 1968 (still have it). I sat on our back steps and hammered away. I bought the hand primer to end the occasional primer going off when being hammered in. A couple years later I too stepped up to a Jr. Then a Rockchucker and RCBS progressive. Now I've downsized to just the Rockchucker.

 

[Kevin]

I started reloading on a 3 foot by 2 foot table. Nothing special. Single stage press, and minimal accessories.

I was in the basement, but could have been at the kitchen table just the same.

 

[BearBiologist]

I used to C clamp my rock chucker to the coffee table in my apartment. Loaded over a thousand .41 mag that way.

My brother did that for years!

 

[Bullthrower338]

I would sleep on a cot before giving up dedicated reloading room! A man has to have his priorities!

 

[Wyandot Jim]

He will not be using a press, he will be using the Lee Loader (where you pound the case into the resizing die and then pound it back out.) He will need something pretty solid to do that. That's what I started reloading with and it get tiring just doing 50 rounds (I did my reloading out on the front porch and used a 6x6 to put the die on). I knew that I needed to save so money and get a press (my first one was an RCBS Junior single stage press). Used it for many years until I needed something that would do bigger cartridges. Finally, I progressed to a Dillon 550 which does everything I need to do.

Ron,
I realize that he was going to use the Lee Loader. But I got the impression the reason was because he didn't have a place to reload with a press since he was in an apartment.
I started with the Rock Chucker that was given to me. Once I started shooting SASS I was spending all of my time reloading.
Bought the Dillon 650 and now life is good.

 

[gunzo]

Remember to big table top TVs, not a potable actually, this one had a 21" screen I think. Had one shoved in a walk in closet until time to haul it of. I wound up bolting my first loader to it, a Pacific DL 105 shotshell loader. I'd slide the TV out of the closet, sit in the floor & have at it.
Same apartment, one of those big old Victorian style 2 stories made into 2 apartments so it was roomy. When I got my first centerfire press the TV didn't work. Scrounged a 30x42" sturdy table & put it in a corner behind the kitchen door.
Moved to a little tenant house in the country & put my bench in a little closet on the back porch. Cold,,,, turn on space heater & go watch TV for 30-40 minutes to let the closet warm up. Lived there 8 years & loaded 10's of thousands of shells in that closet.
Moved again................... I could go on but mention these things & think about them when I hear, "no room" for the excuse not to reload. Snake mentioned the 2x4 clamped to the kitchen table. I 've seen several like set ups. A firm believer in it can be done if one really wishes to.

 

[Bob Wright]

I started on our Formica dining table using the Lyman 310 tong tool. Slow, but accurate and it did make do for awhile.

That 310 Tool was given to me by a girlfriend when I was in High School. Another girl friend gave me Redding reloading scale.

Looooong time ago!

Bob Wright

 

[Ray Newman]

This bringing back a few memories! Like many, I started out with a .38 Spec'l. Lee Loader and a mallet on my office desk workbench in the garage. slowly bought better "stuff". Press was a blue color and resembled the RCBS Rock Chucker. For some reason, the press name of "Bair" rings a bell. Powder measure was the Lee scoop, then bought a Redding oil damped scale.

Cannot recall what happened to it all as about 1984 I bought a Rock Chucker to load .45-70 for a Browning B-78. Today, I still have RCBS as well as a Redding T-7 for rifles and a Dillon 550 for pistols. Powder measures are Belding and Mull for smokeless and a modern day Belding and Mull from Montana Vintage Arms for Black Powder cartridges. Scale is the old tried and true RCBS 10-10.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I started with a Lee Loader, fifty rounds at a sitting. After about six months, my wife told me it was either her or the pounding racket.

We agreed that I would buy a Rock Chucker "package".

 

[g5m]

I'm not allowed to have a Garage or shop within 100' of the house.

Ouch!

 

[RoninPA]

Jim,
oops, my bad. I have been talking with him (conversations) about reloading and the Six series revolver he has.

When I started shooting PPC, I had to go from a single stage to a progressive because of the amount of rounds we fired in paractice and matches. I started with a Square Deal B (1989) and it did yeomans work for a good number of years. Then got the 550 (and upgrades) and sold the SQB to a friend who was just getting into competitive shooting. He ultimately upscaled to a 650 and sold the SQB to a new shooter and as far as I know it is still running good and has had not any problems over the years.

Mr. Wright, I still have a similar tong tool but mine is a bit newer and made by Lee. I got it to deprime and resize the .38 spls I was shooting in PPC to make things a bit quicker (I could do that while sitting and watching TV at night). Still in great shape. I look at it every now and then and think about selling it but always talk myself out of doing that, same with the 2 single stage presses I still have a Rock Chucker and a Big heavy Lyman Crusher press.

 

[g5m]

View attachment 28482
I would sleep on a cot before giving up dedicated reloading room! A man has to have his priorities!

I couldn't tell from the photo, but, I didn't recognize a 7.5x55 Swiss there.

I started with a Herter single stage about 65 years ago. I don't remember where I got it but it was one heavy iron press. Also a couple of Lee tools then on to RCBS Rockchucker and Lee single stage and ultimately Dillon 550. All worked and did their jobs.