Jean-Pierre BEURTHERET Freddy DRUBIGNY CARTRIDGE HANDLOADING C MPM NENTS T LS PR CEDURES BALLISTICS TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD III Secant Ogive 39 Why handloading ? III Hybrid ogive 40 Lead bullets 40 SPECIAL THANKS V Lead bullet casting 41 The metal 41 SECURITY RULES 1 Melting gear 44 About handloading 1 Melting and casting 45 Rules to enforce: 1 Sizing 47 As general rules in the fi eld of shooting sports 2 Copper plated lead bullets 48 Jacketed bullets 48 MEASUREMENT UNITS 5 The monolithic bullets 52 Length 5 The bullet selection 53 Mass 5 Using the molybdenum disulfi de (MoS2) Pressure 6 on jacketed bullets 53 Temperature 6 The minute of angle (MOA) 6 THE PRIMERS 57 Security rules 57 THE METALLIC CARTRIDGE 9 Historical 57 The evolution of fi rearms 9 Berdan primer 57 The pinfi re cartridge 14 Boxer primer 57 The rimfi re and centerfi re cartridges 14 Boxer primer types 59 CARTRIDGES DESIGNATION 17 TO START OUT 63 The essential reloading tools 63 THE CASE 21 The standard reloading process 64 Security rules 21 Case manufacturing 21 THE PRESS 67 Functions of the case 23 Where it all began 67 Structure of the case 23 Bench presses 70 The neck 23 1 - The single station press 70 The head 24 2 - The turret press 73 The body 24 3 - The progressive press 74 Types of cases 24 Rimmed cases 25 WEIGHING AND MEASURING Semi rimmed cases 25 THE POWDER 77 Rimless cases 26 Security rules 77 Belted cases 26 The scales 78 Rebated rim cases 27 The balance scales 78 History 27 The electronic scales 82 The automatic scales 84 THE BULLET 35 The standard masses 88 The ogives shapes 35 The powder measures 88 Tangent Ogive 38 Using a powder measure 90 2018 F B D P J V I Table of contents THE RELOADING TOOLS 93 Examples of the relationship between the The tools of the trade, except dies 93 chamber and case headspaces 125 The loading tray 93 If the case headspace is greater than the The caliper 93 chamber headspace 127 The case lube pad 94 If the case headspace is shorter than the The neck brush 94 chamber headspace 128 The case trimmer 94 Checking the chamber headspace 129 The burring tool 95 Checking the case headspace 130 The powder funnel 95 1 - The RCBS Precision Mic 130 The primer fl ip tray 95 2 - The Hornady tool 132 The comparator and its stand 96 3 - The Wilson gauges 133 The borescope 96 4 - The sticker 135 The tools to remove the primer crimp (swager or reamer) 97 CASE RESIZING ADVANCED TECHNIQUES 137 The primer pocket uniformer 97 Full length external resizing of straight The primer pocket cleaner 98 wall, conical or slightly bottleneck cases 137 The fl ash hole reamer 98 Steel sizing die 137 The Lyman kit 99 Carbide sizing die 140 The trim die 100 Full length external resizing of rimmed, The case neck concentricity gauges 100 semi rimmed or belted bottleneck cases The neck wall thickness gauges 101 (steel sizing die) 141 The case length gauges 103 Full length external resizing of rimless or The universal decap die 105 rebated rim bottleneck cases (steel die) 142 The headspace gauges 105 The cartridge overall length gauges for a CASE NECK RESIZING 147 given fi rearm and a given bullet 105 Conical or bottleneck cases 147 The cartridge concentricity gauges 105 Neck resizing only 148 The impact bullet puller and the collet Straight wall cases 149 bullet puller 105 Why neck size only 151 The reloading dies 106 Partial resizing with a full length Set for straight wall cases 106 resizing die 151 Set for conical or bottleneck cases 106 Small-base full length sizing dies 108 NECK ANNEALING AND THINNING The die lock rings 108 DOWN 153 The neck annealing 153 SORTING THE CASES TO RELOAD 111 Theoretical considerations 153 When annealing the necks ? 153 STANDARD RESIZING OF THE CASE 117 The method 154 Case lubrication before sizing 117 1 - With molten lead 154 Case resizing 118 2 - With a propane torch 154 Preliminary remarks 118 Thinning down the neck 155 The decapping rod 119 1 - Neck reaming before resizing 156 The standard setting of the full length sizer die 120 2 - Neck reaming during resizing 156 Steel sizing dies 120 3 - Neck turning after resizing: 157 Carbide sizing dies 121 REMOVING A STUCK CASE THE HEADSPACE 123 FROM A SIZING DIE 161 For a rimless straight wall case 124 For a rimmed or semi rimmed case 124 CASE CLEANING 165 For a belted case 124 Mechanical means 166 For a rimless bottleneck case 125 Electronic means 167 2018 F B D P J V I I CARTRIDGE HANDLOADING CASE PRIMING 171 CASE FILLING PROCEDURES 203 Hand priming tools 172 1 - Using the scale or the powder measure Bench priming tools 173 (procedure 1) 204 Primer seating 173 2 - Using the scale or the powder measure Decapping spent primers 176 (procedure 2) 205 Decapping live primers 176 3 - Using the powder measure only (procedure 3) 205 THE POWDER 179 Additional check 206 Security rules 179 The origins 180 BULLET SEATING 209 The vivacity 181 Methods for determining the maximum Reload Swiss Burning Rate Chart 182 cartridge overall length (OAL) for a given Vectan Burning Rate Chart 183 bullet 210 Vihtavuori Burning Rate Chart 184 1 - The cleaning rod 210 The relative vivacity range 186 2 - The RCBS MIC 212 Reduced loads 188 3 - The Hornady OAL gauge 213 Problems which would be linked to the use The seating dies 218 of reduced charges of slow powders 188 Bullet crimping 220 Problems which would be linked to the use Roll crimp 221 of reduced loads of fast powders 189 Taper crimp 222 What can we say ? 189 Factory crimp 223 Reduced loads of fast powders for lead Profi le crimp 224 bullets in bottleneck case cartridges 189 Use of the seating and crimping dies 224 The chronograph, an essential tool 191 Die setting to seat the bullet without crimping 224 Presentation 191 Die setting to seat and crimp the bullet Functioning 192 in one step 224 Possible uses 192 Die setting to seat and crimp the bullet With air guns 192 in two steps 225 With manufactured ammunitions 192 Checking the cartridge concentricity 225 With reloaded centerfi re cartridges 192 The RCBS Case Master 225 With antique fi rearms 193 The Hornady Lock-N-Load Concentricity Tool 225 For smooth-bore fi rearms 193 Materials resistance tests 193 PRESSURE EXTERNAL SIGNS 227 Distance from the barrel muzzle 193 Developing a powder load 193 CARTRIDGES DISASSEMBLING 235 Basic procedure 193 First method: the impact bullet puller 236 Reloading cartridges for a given fi rearm, the caliber Second method: the collet bullet puller 238 of which is included in the load data of the powder Third method: the locking pliers 239 manufacturer 193 Fourth method: the specialized tool 239 Bullet selection 194 Powder selection 194 CASES CONVERSIONS 241 The conduct of the tests 195 Conversion of 223 Remington into 7 TCU Gas operated semi-automatic fi rearms: 196 by fi re forming 241 Infl uence of the temperature 196 Conversion of 5,6 x 50 R Magnum into Specifi c examples 196 357 Super Mag (357 Maximum) 242 Example 1 196 Conversion of 30-30 WCF into 32-40 243 Reloading of a cartridge referenced in Conversion of 308 Winchester into 7-08 243 the load data 196 Conversion of 22 Hornet into 22 K Hornet 244 Example 2 197 Conversion of 30-30 WCF into 357 Herrett 244 The selected powder for a given caliber Conversion of 30-30 WCF into 30 Herrett 244 does not appear in the load data 197 Shoulder blow out of a bottleneck case 244 Example 3 199 Conversion of 357 Maximum or 5,6 x 50 R Reloading of a cartridge not referenced Magnum into 7,62 x 38 R Nagant 246 in the load data 199 Conversion of 45 Colt into 455 Webley 249 2018 F B D P J V I I I Table of contents BARRELS AND CHAMBERS CASTINGS 253 Test N° 3 313 CerrosafeTM instructions Test N° 4 314 (from a Brownells® document) 253 Test N° 5 315 Chamber casting 254 Test N° 6 316 Removing a broken case from the chamber 255 Test N° 7 317 Warning 255 Test N° 8 318 Note on casting measurements 255 ABOUT THE 22 LONG RIFLE 321 BLACK POWDER CARTRIDGES 257 How to select the ammunition 321 Reloading black powder cartridges 258 Cartridges sorting 321 The barrel length 322 BALLISTICS 261 Why barrels are rifl ed ? 262 THE STANDARD DEVIATION 327 Stabilization of a bullet in fl ight 263 The movements of the bullet 264 SHOT GROUPING ANALYSIS 331 Yaw 264 1 - The H + W 331 Pitch 264 2 - The extreme spread 331 Precession 264 Nutation 264 SECURITY 335 Barrel rifl ing 265 Unusual Accidents 335 Measuring the twist rate 266 Shooting ranges design 336 Internal ballistics 269 Preventing a bullet direct exit 336 The Greenhill formula 270 Ricochets management 339 Miller’s formula 273 Eye and hearing protections for the shooter The recoil 276 and bystanders 339 The barrel vibration 277 The shooter must wear eye protection 339 External ballistics 279 The shooter must wear hearing protection 339 Intermediate or transitional ballistics 279 Lead 341 The trajectory of the bullet 282 Recommendations to shooters 343 The forces at play 282 At the range 343 1 - The effects of gravity and drag 282 2 - The effects of the wind 286 FUNCTIONING OF SEMI-AUTOMATIC 3 - The Magnus effect 286 AND AUTOMATIC FIREARMS 345 4 - The spin drift 287 Firing from an open bolt 346 5 - The Coriolis effect 287 Firing from a closed bolt 346 6 - The Eötvös effect 289 Blowback fi rearms 346 Other infl uential factors 289 Delayed blowback fi rearms 347 1 - The ballistic coeffi cient 289 Locked breech fi rearms 347 1.1 - The drag coeffi cient 289 Long recoil operation 347 1.2 - The sectional density 290 Short recoil operation 347 1.3 - The form factor 290 Gas operated fi rearms 348 1.4 - The standard models 291 1.5 - The sound barrier 297 BIBLIOGRAPHY 351 1.6 - Infl uence of BC on trajectory 299 1.7 - Maximum point blank range (MPBR) 305 NOTES 354 2 - The shooting angle 305 3 - The altitude 308 4 - The atmospheric pressure 308 5 - The temperature 308 When a bullet falls back 308 About ricochets 310 Terminal ballistics 310 Test N° 1 311 Test N° 2 312 2018 F B D P J I X The bullet Sample of jacketed bullets of different calibers.