Reloading Area Evolution

[big5ifty]

I've just completed setting up a new reloading area. This is the third iteration of a dedicated reloading area, which I never had before. Prior to that, I only had a wheeled cabinet that I would move into place next to a couple of press bases of the type in the Phase 1 picture below.  Prior to that, I clamped my Lee challenger press to any rigid enough table.

It's taken me around 30 years to get to this point. I wonder if there is a term for one who evolves exceedingly slowly.

This is my first iteration, which was in an alcove of a room, about 2 meters x 1.5.

The floor area -



and the shelving along the top.




The next phase was a dedicated room, 4 meters x 1.5. The picture is a juxtaposition of two photos, one from the left corner, and one from the right, meeting in the middle.



The current phase moves away from dedicated working space for each press, to a single bench mount, to which presses are fixed when needed, then removed and stored. The presses are stored on the steel table to the sides of the press mount, with additional storage for presses on shelving off picture.



Wall mounted cupboards are an arms reach from the press mount, and a comfortable high chair completes the setup.

And center on the table is the same cabinet I first used for my reloading stuff, which was originally mounted on wheels, more or less fifteen years ago.

What have you done to your reloading area lately ?

[Treeman]

Gees that is neat and tidy, my desk has things of interest and unusual finds cluttered everywhere.

[oafpatroll]

Nice setup there. Particularly like the press mount. I also mount my presses as required and use wing nuts on M8 studs that engage in three hole patterns with speed nuts set in the bottom of the table top. Save a load of space over having all three mounted permanently.

[Ds J]

My current setup is really small: an old, small jeweller's bench customized to fit a press, and standing in a built-in wardrobe.

Extras are in boxes beneath, and things are really cluttered. I have been contemplating cupboards or something similar but could not decide which system to follow.

[oafpatroll]

Extras are in boxes beneath, and things are really cluttered. I have been contemplating cupboards or something similar but could not decide which system to follow.

When I last cleaned up my reloading area I was amazed at quite how much stuff there was. If i were to have to pack up to move house I think it would easily fill three moving boxes. The 12g stuff especially takes up a lot of space.

[Ds J]

Extras are in boxes beneath, and things are really cluttered. I have been contemplating cupboards or something similar but could not decide which system to follow.

When I last cleaned up my reloading area I was amazed at quite how much stuff there was. If i were to have to pack up to move house I think it would easily fill three moving boxes. The 12g stuff especially takes up a lot of space.

I barely get to shoot once a month. Not much stuff necessary for that   

[big5ifty]

Phase 3, Mark 2.

Turned the table 90 degress, and doubled the usable space on it.

[Treeman]

Still too tidy 

[big5ifty]

The latest evolutionary phase of the reloading area.

[oafpatroll]

The latest evolutionary phase of the reloading area.

Wowser! That is impressive. I don't like doing jealousy but here we are.

[Treeman]

Ya - I also looked at that and had some thoughts, mostly around like "wow!" and then recount the press's.
There is a lot of playtime waiting to be unleashed.

[Ds J]

@414gates:

If I may: what are the different presses for?

I have one 40+ year old Rockchucker, and I reload everything on it. That said, I am pretty sure you shoot more in a week or two than I do in a year.

[Treeman]

@414gates:

If I may: what are the different presses for?

I have one 40+ year old Rockchucker, and I reload everything on it. That said, I am pretty sure you shoot more in a week or two than I do in a year.

***********************************
I have also asked 414 this question. Turns out he is a perfectionist and each one is set up exactly for a specific job .

[big5ifty]

@414gates:

If I may: what are the different presses for?
 

I've got four progressives, each setup for one handgun caliber. I was planning to use just the two - one with small pistol primers, one with large, so I recently put the other two of them up for auction on Classic, and received no bids. I decided to keep them after that. They are worth more to me than basically giving them away.

I have one Classic Cast that I use for sizing all the rifle calibers, and another Classic Cast mainly for bullet seating. I could just use one one for both, but it's very convenient to have two next to each other, especially when loading for seating depth tests, or you need to pull the odd rifle bullet while reloading.

I have one Lyman Spar-T which is a dedicated station for the Lee Quick trim dies, and primer seating with a Lee Ram Prime. I wanted precise settable seating depth for the rifle primers, and the most reliable tool I've come across for that is the Lee Ram Prime. The seating depth is controlled by raising or lowering the die holding the shellholder, and the press has a hard stop. One of the conditions for primer seating control is that hard stop, which not all presses have.

Prior to that, I mainly used a RCBS press mounted tool that uses the APS strips. It has a settable primer seating depth, but mine doesn't prime reliably. Every twenty or so rounds, it jams up, then I have to disassemble and reassemble to carry on working.

Using the Lee Ram Prime takes less time overall, because there are no glitches.I use a large tweezer to pick up and place the primers, because my fingers are too fat.

The Spar-T has a short stroke, and not too much leverage [ not enough for rifle brass in fact ] - it was designed for handgun reloading, and the tactile feedback for primer seating is ideal for me.

Then there's a Hornady BMG press. I use it to seat the long bullets in the RUM. I could do that on the Classic Cast, it's just more pleasant to have more than enough clearance to work with.

And in case one day I get myself a BMG. I nearly got one now. I was about to pay the seller, and remembered to ask to see the license card first. Unfortunately, the license is in for renewal, the existing card is expired. I'm assuming he just forgot to tell me in the weeks leading up to that.

[big5ifty]

@414gates:
I have one 40+ year old Rockchucker, and I reload everything on it. That said, I am pretty sure you shoot more in a week or two than I do in a year.

A single stage is all anyone really needs.

When I reload handgun, I need around 200 rounds per session. A single stage turns a hobby into work when you repeat that a couple of times a month.

The main reason for this re-org was to facilitate getting back into shooting more often in 2024.

I've been to one IPSC club shoot in the last year, and I did just enough with the rifles to secure the DSS with Natshoot. I didn't attend any BASA shoots the past year.

These last few years have consumed my time like a black hole and I can't even recall on what exactly.

My 2024 resolution is to shoot more. A lot more. I will remain focussed.