If You Built a Reloading Press...

[Ken226]

Love my Benchmark barrel on my F-Class rifle. Didn't know that the rifling machine was built right here in our area.

The barrels are made nearby too. I went down to their shop a couple rears ago with Cliff and had lunch with him and Ron Sinnema, the owner. Benchmark makes great barrels and Ron is an active PRS shooter. He uses his own barrels in competition, and does very well with them.

But, unless its one of their CNC cut rifles barrels, it was made on a hydraulic button pull machine.

Only their cut rifled barrels are made on the LaBounty CNC rifler.

 

[IamNotImportant]

As far as I know, Chombart didn't publish books, but was a fan of 3-lug bolt designs. He was an active forum guy for a long time before he passed. Very knowledgeable.

And a designer

 

[bretthl]

The suppliers are doing all they can to meet demand. Look at the number of new gun owners in the last 2 years, there was a huge spike as people got scared about covid. A percentage of them became reloaders, combine that with others hoarding everything they could get their hands on and it leaves us where we are today with shortages. Browse a few of the forums with reloading content and you will find people bragging about their hoards of components they have amassed at the expense of every other reloader.

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I suspect that manufactures of powder, bullets and primers are diverting most of their available capacity to production of factory ammunition (better margins). Do you agree? So meeting demand begs the question - whose demand? They are not meeting the reloading community demand. That is a fact Chief.

 

[pontiac428]

I suspect that manufactures of powder, bullets and primers are diverting most of their available capacity to production of factory ammunition (better margins). Do you agree? So meeting demand begs the question - whose demand? They are not meeting the reloading community demand. That is a fact Chief.

I don't have to agree, the CEO of Vista Outdoor (owners of CCI, Federal, and Alliant) already said they only care about meeting the demands of their own manufacturing of packaged ammo first. The interview is on YouTube. Millions of new gun owners want to walk out of the store with a couple of boxes of ammo to go with their new guns, which is millions of boxes of ammo. Reloaders like me and you make up that tiny 1% market interest, so, despite our undying enthusiasm, we are a back-burner market. Reloaders demand bulk pricing too. We're a low-return market compared to retail ammunition. Basically, we're hosed until they grant us access to components on their terms, when they're ready, and at their price.

A few years ago, primers cost $0.03/ea when bought by the thousand. Now they are $0.10/ea, a triple increase in just a couple years. All the guns in the world are useless without ammo to feed them.

 

[.LMS.]

In the short time I have been reloading (less than a year) I've seen primers go up almost 100%. Projectiles, brass, and powder have not had anywhere near that percentage increase - very small amounts actually. Total gouging and greed by the manufactures. But we live in a capitalist country and we have to take the good with the bad. Supposedly a new primer manufacturer in texas is coming online and word is they will limit their retailers to *only* $80 / 1000. Still nuts compared to a year ago, but hopefully a step in the right direction.

 

[Papa Charlie]

My CCI BR-2 Primers use to cost me $59.99 for 1000 (Before Plandemic), Brownells is selling them for $139.99, plus Hazmat, plus shipping.
I will be forced to buy some here as I am down to about 700 or so. Maybe less. Have some brass that just got cleaned and now I need to start the prep process. Had our first match on 3/12. Love the sport and will probably pay what ever I have to in order to shoot. Just don't do a lot of shooting unless for load development outside of matches.

 

[bretthl]

What's really ironic is by choking off reloading supplies the manufacturers are hurting the the sports (match shooters) that probably consume most of the ammunition per capita. Those are the shooters that understand the value of reloading (and it ain't for saving money). Then there is the average person who suddenly wants a gun and some ammo, they shoot it a couple of times and then never use it again followed by the hunters who go to the range, sight in, go hunting and maybe shoot 20 rounds. Overall it's just a lousy long term business strategy. Anyone with half a brain knows building a loyal long term customer base has much more value than catering to the one-off buyer. If manufacturers are interested in protecting 2nd amendment rights then it would be in their interest to build a strong sporting base to bolster support.

 

[Papa Charlie]

What's really ironic is by choking off reloading supplies the manufacturers are hurting the the sports (match shooters) that probably consume most of the ammunition per capita. Those are the shooters that understand the value of reloading (and it ain't for saving money). Then there is the average person who suddenly wants a gun and some ammo, they shoot it a couple of times and then never use it again followed by the hunters who go to the range, sight in, go hunting and maybe shoot 20 rounds. Overall it's just a lousy long term business strategy. Anyone with half a brain knows building a loyal long term customer base has much more value than catering to the one-off buyer. If manufacturers are interested in protecting 2nd amendment rights then it would be in their interest to build a strong sporting base to bolster support.

The majority of the component manufactures primary business is to make ammunition. They are more concerned about government contracts with deadlines and performance clauses, not to mention the large big box type customers also on contracts.
The don't consider us to be much from a direct dollar point, but fail to realize that those competitions bring people to the sport and many of those will be buying ammunition and a lot of it before and if they get serious and begin to purchase components.
It is a vicious circle.

 

[Navy Chief]

The majority of the component manufactures primary business is to make ammunition. They are more concerned about government contracts with deadlines and performance clauses, not to mention the large big box type customers also on contracts.
The don't consider us to be much from a direct dollar point, but fail to realize that those competitions bring people to the sport and many of those will be buying ammunition and a lot of it before and if they get serious and begin to purchase components.
It is a vicious circle.

Yep, they make considerably more on orders of 5,000,000 rounds than they make on reloading components. We are not their primary market, we are a sideline business that buys their surplus.

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[David2011]

After reading a few pages and skipping the rest, my 2 cents:

If I got the urge to attempt to improve on my existing presses, I would study the Rock Chucker and the Boss. I would have spent primers eject through the center of the bottom of the ram for easy collection into a container. All pins would be supported in needle bearings. The ram would run in linear bearings. The German built Turban Prazipress 120 would be a good guide.