Editing Handloading (section)

== Reloading process ==

===Pistol/Rifle cartridges===
The operations performed when handloading cartridges are:<ref name=nonte_4>Nonte, chapter 4, "Loading Metallic Cartridges"</ref>
* Depriming — the removal of any old, expended primers from previously fired cases. Usually done with a thin rod that is inserted into the flash hole via the case mouth and push out the primer from inside.
* Case cleaning — removal of [[fouling]]s and [[tarnish]]es from the cases, optional but recommended for reused rifle or pistol cases.
* Case inspection  — looking for cracks or other defects, and discard visibly imperfect cases. The interior may be inspected by a wire-feeler or feeler gauge to detect emerging interior cracks.  Bent case mouths ''may'' be repaired during resizing.
* Primer pocket cleaning and [[flash hole]] uniforming (optional) —  the primer pockets and flash holes will have deposits from previous primer combustion, as well as occasional deformation, that need fixing; generally only benchrest shooters perform these.
*[[Reamer|Ream]]ing or [[swage]] crimping the primer pocket (reloading military cases only), or [[Milling machine|mill]]ing the primer pocket depth using a primer pocket uniformer tool
*Gauging and trimming — measuring the case length and removing excess length from the case neck (as needed; rarely required with handgun cases)
*Deburring and reaming — smoothing the case mouth edge (optional, as-needed; only trimmed cases need to be deburred); some [[benchrest shooting|benchrest shooter]]s also do exterior neck turning at this stage in order to make the cartridge case have a uniform thickness, so the bullet will be crimped and released with the most uniformity.
* Case lubrication — applying surface [[lubricant]] on the exterior surface of the cases to prevent them from getting stuck inside the die (carbide dies do not require lubrication).
* Resizing — modifying the shape of the case neck/shoulder and/or removing any dents and deformities.
* Priming — seating a new primer into the case (primer pockets often become loose after multiple loadings; a lack of effort being required to seat new primers indicates a loose primer pocket; cases with loose primer pockets are usually discarded, after crushing the case to prevent its reuse)
* Expanding or chamfering the case mouth — to allow easier, smoother seating of the bullet before pressing (not required for [[boat tail (ballistics)|boat-tail]]ed bullets)
* Cleaning the lubricant off the cases
* Powder charging — adding a measured amount of [[propellant]] powder into the case. This is a critical step, as incorrect powder charges are extremely dangerous, both undercharged (which can lead to a [[squib load]]) as well as overcharged (which can cause the gun to explode).
* Bullet seating — positioning the bullet in the case mouth for the correct cartridge overall length (OAL) and for aligning bullet cannelure (if present) with the case mouth
*[[Crimp (joining)|Crimp]]ing — Pressing and tightening the case mouth to fix the bullet in place; some may hold the bullet with neck tension alone.
*Final cartridge inspection

When previously fired cases are used, they must be inspected before loading. Cases that are dirty or tarnished are often polished in a tumbler to remove [[oxidation]] and allow easier inspection of the case. Cleaning in a tumbler will also clean the interior of cases, which is often considered important for handloading high-precision target rounds. Cracked necks, non-reloadable cases (steel, aluminum, or Berdan primed cases), and signs of [[case head separation|head separation]] are all reasons to reject a case. Cases are measured for length, and any that are over the recommended length is trimmed down to the minimum length. Competition shooters will also sort cases by brand and weight to ensure consistency.<ref name=nonte_4 />

Removal of the [[Centerfire ammunition#Centerfire primers|primer]], called ''decapping'' or ''depriming'', is usually done with a die containing a steel pin that punches out the primer from inside the case. Berdan primed cases require a different technique, either a [[hydraulic]] ram or a hook that punctures the primer cup and levers it out from the bottom. Military cases often have crimped-in primers, and decapping them leaves a slightly indented ring (most common) or, for some military cartridges, a set of stabbed ridges located on the edge of the primer pocket opening that inhibits or prevents seating a new primer into a decapped case. A reamer or a swage is used to remove both these styles of crimp, whether ring crimps or stab crimps.<ref name=nonte_4 />  The purpose of all such primer crimps is to make military ammunition more reliable under more extreme environmental conditions.  Some military cartridges also have sealants placed around primers, in addition to crimps, to provide additional protection against moisture intrusion that could deactivate the primer for any ammunition exposed to water under battlefield conditions.  Decapping dies, though, easily overcome the additional resistance of sealed primers, with no significant difficulty beyond that encountered when removing non-sealed primers.

When a cartridge is fired, the internal pressure expands the case to fit the chamber in a process called [[Obturate|obturation]]. To allow ease of chambering the cartridge when it is reloaded, the case is swaged back to size. Competition shooters, using [[bolt-action]] rifles that are capable of camming a tight case into place, often resize only the neck of the cartridge, called ''neck sizing'', as opposed to the normal full-length resizing process. Neck sizing is only useful for cartridges to be re-fired in the same firearm, as the brass may be slightly oversized in some dimensions for other chambers, but the precise fit of the case to the chamber will allow greater consistency and therefore greater potential accuracy. Some believe that neck sizing will permit a larger number of reloads with a given case in contrast to full-size resizing, although this is controversial. [[Semi-automatic rifle]]s and rifles with [[SAAMI]] minimum chamber dimensions often require a special ''small base'' resizing die, that sizes further down the case than normal dies, and allows for more reliable feeding.<ref name=M14>{{cite journal |url=http://www.gun-tests.com/performance/sept96reload.html |journal=Performance Shooter |date=September 1996 |author=Glen Zediker |title=Reloading For The Match M14 |access-date=2008-06-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828052154/http://www.gun-tests.com/performance/sept96reload.html |archive-date=2008-08-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Once the case is sized down, the inside of the neck of the case will actually be slightly smaller than the bullet's diameter. To allow the bullet to be seated, the end of the neck is slightly expanded to allow the bullet to start into the case. Boattailed bullets need very little expansion, while unjacketed [[lead]] bullets require more expansion to prevent shaving of lead when the bullet is seated.<ref name=nonte_4 />

Priming the case is the most dangerous step of the loading process since the primers are pressure-sensitive. The use of safety glasses or goggles during priming operations can provide valuable protection in the rare event that an accidental detonation takes place. Seating a Boxer primer not only places the primer in the case, but it also seats the [[anvil]] of the primer down onto the priming compound, in effect arming the primer. A correctly seated primer will sit slightly below the surface of the case. A primer that protrudes from the case may cause a number of problems, including what is known as a ''slam fire,'' which is the firing of a case before the action is properly locked when chambering a round.  This may either damage the gun and/or injure the shooter.  A protruding primer will also tend to hang when feeding, and the anvil will not be seated correctly so the primer may not fire when hit by the firing pin.  Primer pockets may need to be cleaned with a primer pocket brush to remove deposits that prevent the primer from being properly seated.  Berdan primers must also be seated carefully, and since the anvil is part of the case, the anvil must be inspected before the primer is seated.  For reloading cartridges intended for use in military-surplus firearms, rifles especially, "hard" primers are most commonly used instead of commercial "soft" primers.  The use of "hard" primers avoids [[slamfire]]s when loading finished cartridges in the military-surplus firearm.  Such primers are available to handloaders commercially.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fulton-armory.com/SlamFire2.htm |title=Fulton Armory FAQ: Slam Fires, Mags & SLEDs; Clint speaks out! |publisher=Fulton Armory |author=Clint McKee |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503141545/http://www.fulton-armory.com/SlamFire2.htm |archive-date=2008-05-03 }}</ref>

The quantity of gunpowder is specified by weight, but almost always measured by volume, especially in larger-scale operations. A powder scale is needed to determine the correct mass thrown by the powder measure, as loads are specified with a precision of 0.10 [[grain (mass)|grain]] (6.5&nbsp;mg). One grain is 1/7000 of a pound. Competition shooters will generally throw a slightly underweight charge, and use a ''powder trickler'' to add a few [[:wikt:granule|granule]]s of powder at a time to the charge to bring it to the exact weight desired for maximum consistency. Special care is needed when charging large-capacity cases with fast-burning, low-volume powders. In this instance, it is possible to put two charges of powder in a case without overflowing the case, which can lead to dangerously high pressures and a significant chance of bursting the chamber of the firearm. Non-magnum [[revolver]] cartridges are the easiest to do this with, as they generally have relatively large cases, and tend to perform well with small charges of fast powders.  Some powders meter (measured by volume) better than others due to the shape of each granule.  When using volume to meter each charge, it is important to regularly check the charge weight on a scale throughout the process.<ref name=nonte_2 />

Competition shooters also often sort bullets by weight, often down to 0.10 grain (6.5&nbsp;mg) increments. The bullet is placed in the case mouth by hand and then seated with the press. At this point, the expanded case mouth is also sized back down. A crimp can optionally be added, either by the seating die or with a separate die. Taper crimps are used for cases that are held in the chamber by the case mouth, while roll crimps may be used for cases that have headspace on a rim or on the cartridge neck. Roll crimps hold the bullet far more securely, and are preferred in situations, such as magnum [[revolver]]s, where recoil velocities are significant. A tight crimp also helps to delay the start of the bullet's motion, which can increase chamber pressures, and help develop full power from slower burning powders (see [[internal ballistics]]).<ref name=nonte_7>Nonte, chapter 7, "Loading for Handguns"</ref>

===Shotgun shells===
[[File:Pacific266.jpg|thumb|right|[[Pacific tool company|Pacific]] single stage shotshell reloading press (an inline design), showing the 5 stations standard to shotshell presses.]]
Unlike the presses used for reloading metallic cartridges, the presses used for reloading shotgun shells have become standardized to contain 5 stations, with the exact configuration of these 5 stations arranged either in a circle or in a straight row.  Nonetheless, the operations performed using the industry-standard 5 station shotshell presses when handloading shotshells with birdshot, although slightly different, are very similar as to when reloading metallic cartridges:
*Selecting an appropriate charge bar and powder bushing, or charge bar with shot bushing and powder bushing, or a universal charge bar (if used) for measuring shot and powder, for the shotshell press.
*Verifying that all components are properly selected (hull, primer, powder, wad, and shot). (No substitutions are allowed in components, nor in charge weights of shot and powder.  The only substitution allowed is in the brand of shot and the size of the shot (#8, #9, etc.  Also, no substitutions are allowed in the shot material itself (whether it is lead shot, Hevi-Shot, steel shot, etc.), as the malleability of lead shot is noticeably different than steel.)
*Loading shot and powder in the press, and verifying that the as-dropped weights are per an established, published, loading recipe using a calibrated scale. (Typically, 5 to 10 trials of shot and powder drops, each, are recommended by shotshell press or universal charge bar user manuals.) 
*Adjusting bushings or universal charge bar settings to account for small differences in densities due to lot-to-lot variations in both powder and shot.
*Inspecting each hull. (Examining for cracks or other hull defects, and discarding any visibly imperfect hulls.  Also, turning each hull upside down to remove any foreign object debris before depriming.)
*Removing the fired primer and sizing/resizing the brass outer diameter at the base of the hull (Station 1).
*Inserting a primer in the well of the press, and sizing/resizing the inner diameter of the hull while inserting a new primer (Station 2).
*Verifying primer is fully seated, not raised.  If primer is not fully seated, re-running operation at Station 2 until primer is fully seated.
*Positioning primed hull (at Station 3), pulling handle down, toggling charge bar to drop measured amount of powder, raising handle, inserting wad, dropping handle again to seat wad, toggling charge bar to drop measured amount of shot, raising handle.
*Pre-crimping of shell (Station 4).
*Final crimping of shell (Station 5).
*Inspecting crimping on shell.  If crimp is not fully flat, re-crimping (Station 5).
*Inspecting bottles of shot and powder on the shotshell press, adding more as needed before it runs out.
*Cutting open 4 or 5 shells randomly selected from a large lot of handloaded shells, respectively, and verifying that the as-thrown weights of powder and shot are both within desired tolerances of the published recipe that was followed. (Optional, but recommended.)

The exact details for accomplishing these steps on particular shotshell presses vary depending on the brand of the press, although the presence of 5 stations is standard among all modern presses.

The use of safety glasses or goggles while reloading shotshells can provide valuable protection in the rare event that an accidental detonation takes place during priming operations.

The quantities of both gunpowder and shot are specified by weight when loading shotshells, but almost always measured solely by volume. A powder scale is therefore needed to determine the correct mass thrown by the powder measure, and by the shot measure, as powder loads are specified with a precision of 0.10 [[grain (mass)|grain]] (6.5&nbsp;mg), but are usually thrown with a tolerance of 0.2 to 0.3 grains in most shotshell presses. Similarly, shot payloads in shells are generally held to within a tolerance of plus or minus 3-5 grains.  One grain is 1/7000 of a pound.

Shotshell reloading for specialty purposes, such as for buckshot or slugs, or other specialty rounds, is often practiced but varies significantly from the process steps discussed previously for handloading birdshot shotshells.  The primary difference is that large shot cannot be metered in a charge bar, and so must be manually dropped, a ball at a time, in a specific configuration.  Likewise, the need for specialty wads or extra wads, in order to achieve the desired stackup distance to achieve a full and proper crimp for a fixed shell length, say 2-3/4", causes the steps to differ slightly when handloading such shells.

Modern shotshells are all uniformly sized for Type 209 primers.  However, reloaders should be aware that older shotshells were sometimes primed with a Type 57 or Type 69 primer (now obsolete), meaning that shotgun shell reloading tends to be done only with modern (or recently produced) components.  Being essentially "published recipe" dependent, antique shotshell reloading is not widely practiced, being more of a specialty, or niche, activity.  Of course, when reloading for very old shotguns, such as those with Damascus barrels, special shotshell recipes that limit pressures to less than 4500 psi are still available, and these "recipes" are reloaded by some shotgunning enthusiasts.  Typical shotshell pressures for handloads intended for modern shotguns range from approximately 4700 psi to 10,000 psi.

Brass shotshells are also reloaded, occasionally, but typically these are reloaded using standard rifle/pistol reloading presses with specialty dies, rather than with modern shotshell presses. Rather than plastic wads, traditional felt and paperboard wads are also generally used (both over powder and over shot) when reloading brass shotgun shells.  Reloading brass shotshells is not widely practiced.

Shotguns, in general, operate at much lower pressures than pistols and rifles, typically operating at pressures of 10,000 psi, or less, for 12 gauge shells, whereas rifles and pistols routinely are operated at pressures in excess of 35,000 psi, and sometimes upwards of 50,000 psi. The [[Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute|SAAMI]] maximum permitted pressure limit is only 11,500 psi for 12 gauge 2-3/4 inch shells, so the typical operating pressures for many shotgun shells are only slightly below the maximum permitted pressures allowed for safe ammunition.<ref name ="SAAMI_209">{{cite web |author=SAAMI |title=American National Standards Voluntary Industry Performance Standards for Pressure and Velocity of Shotshell Ammunition for the use of Commercial Manufacturers |url=http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/209.pdf |access-date=1 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115015926/http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/209.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Because of this small difference in typical operating vs. maximum industry allowed pressures and the fact that even small changes in components can cause pressure variances in excess of 4,000 psi, the components used in shotshell reloading must not be varied from published recipes, as the margin of safety relative to operating pressures for shotguns is much lower than for pistols and rifles.  This lower operating pressure for shotguns and shells is also the reason why shotgun barrels have noticeably thinner walls than rifle and pistol barrels.