Show Us Your Reloading Bench

Bullets, powder, primers, and brass will move into the cabinets when the new gun room is complete. Hiding in storage area currently.

Seriously, looking at some of your pictures I understand why we have component shortages...

Opposite Pole said:

Seriously, looking at some of your pictures I understand why we have component shortages...

Click to expand...

I heard this very thing from a buddy of mine last week.

I pointed out I didn't just start buying bullets, brass, powder and primers in Dec of 19. I had been buying my components for the last 45-50 years so of course I had a lot.

Just picked up 3 - 50 caliber cans and 2 - 30mm cans.
All of them are in very good condition.
I plan on sanding and priming the bottom of the cans.
Then I'll glue some old carpet to it so they slide around on a wood surface.
Planning on using them on the bottom shelf of my reloading bench.

Here is my bench, I'm missing another Dillon 550 for small pistol. I don't know why the pictures are side ways.

The cabinets are kitchen cabinets I purchased unfinished and finished them myself. The top is made out of two pieces of 3/4" in plywood, this thing weighs a ton. LOL.

I guess some of these stocked benches are volume shooters too. Pistol or target shooters who might use 100+ rounds a weekend .
I like to load 100 at a time for any cartridge if I can using a full box of primers neat.
I like to have 100 rounds of each ready to go if I want to use that rifle.
I might only burn up a few hundred per year but having the next years compnents on hand is handy, it gives me time to see what old stock prices I can find in my travels.
We are limited on powder quantities at home. It’s worksafe regulations I think more than firearms but Work Cover, or whatever state department have powers in their legislation and strict legislation regardless.
I read powder is a propellant not explosive but it’s deemed explosive for dangerous goods purposes.

CBH Australia said:

I guess some of these stocked benches are volume shooters too. Pistol or target shooters who might use 100+ rounds a weekend .
I like to load 100 at a time for any cartridge if I can using a full box of primers neat.
I like to have 100 rounds of each ready to go if I want to use that rifle.
I might only burn up a few hundred per year but having the next years compnents on hand is handy, it gives me time to see what old stock prices I can find in my travels.
We are limited on powder quantities at home. It’s worksafe regulations I think more than firearms but Work Cover, or whatever state department have powers in their legislation and strict legislation regardless.
I read powder is a propellant not explosive but it’s deemed explosive for dangerous goods purposes.

Click to expand...

Well, it doesn’t detonate so not really an explosive except perhaps under extreme conditions. Even with black powder it’s not so easy to shift from deflagration to detonation.

Opposite Pole said:

Well, it doesn’t detonate so not really an explosive except perhaps under extreme conditions. Even with black powder it’s not so easy to shift from deflagration to detonation.

Click to expand...

I don’t see it being a big problem and I suspect you know more about the science than me, The laws are the problem. I know many shops are restricted to what they can keep in a commercial area or store. Individuals have restrictions for storage at home. A Victorian gunshop owner was pretty certain that they go to jail if they exceed storage approvals.
I recall an article on whether or not it is an explosive. Probably in the SSAA publication. I’m pretty sure The shooter who wrote it simply stuck with the line that under legislation it is deemed an explosive and is packaged , labelled , stored. and transported as such.
I don’t think 4kg powder is any more dangerous than a 5 litre can of lawnmower fuel, given the amount of lawnmowers in Australia. I bet they both burn out quickly but with a mix of fuel and air in fuel can be powerful force. Used as intended both require ignition to do what they intended to do.

Opposite Pole said:

Seriously, looking at some of your pictures I understand why we have component shortages...

Click to expand...

Exactly why I didn't supply a picture of the insides of all my cabinets and ammo closet.

I thought admitting having 5 presses was bad enough....heck I even have 4 Lee hand primes

tedthorn said:

Exactly why I didn't supply a picture of the insides of all my cabinets and ammo closet.

I thought admitting having 5 presses was bad enough....heck I even have 4 Lee hand primes

Click to expand...

This is AH, not AA.
You can have as many presses and hand primes as you want.

CBH Australia said:

I don’t see it being a big problem and I suspect you know more about the science than me, The laws are the problem. I know many shops are restricted to what they can keep in a commercial area or store. Individuals have restrictions for storage at home. A Victorian gunshop owner was pretty certain that they go to jail if they exceed storage approvals.
I recall an article on whether or not it is an explosive. Probably in the SSAA publication. I’m pretty sure The shooter who wrote it simply stuck with the line that under legislation it is deemed an explosive and is packaged , labelled , stored. and transported as such.
I don’t think 4kg powder is any more dangerous than a 5 litre can of lawnmower fuel, given the amount of lawnmowers in Australia. I bet they both burn out quickly but with a mix of fuel and air in fuel can be powerful force. Used as intended both require ignition to do what they intended to do.

Click to expand...

For legal purposes it is treated as an explosive in many jurisdictions, it is in Australia as well as in Europe. I suppose from legal and transport perspective this is the correct approach. My knowledge of physical chemistry is very limited but the main difference I can think of between fuel and gun powder is that gun powders can burn (and rapidly) without external source of oxygen whereas petrol cannot. Also the results of the combustion are somewhat different too. See what happens when you fire of say a 223 round, and this only contains about 1.5-1.6 grams of powder. Imagine what a couple of kilograms of the stuff in an enclosed space could achieve. For those who haven’t seen modern powders burn in open air look up some videos on you tube. It is surprisingly slow and progressive. But close it off and increase the pressure and the speed of reaction is drastically increased into a short burst we are all familiar with that occurs when we pull the trigger.

The folks who write legislations more often than not do so in a hurry and under influence of strong emotions and do not have much (if any) knowledge of the topic they are trying to restrict. I’m not familiar with legislations applying to gun shops but I absolutely believe they have storage restrictions that firearm owners do not. Case in point of legislative stupidity, in Poland you can buy certain types of black powder firearms without a permit. If you own such a firearm you can buy black powder for it and you can store it anyway you like. However, if you have a firearm permit for black powder firearms you need to store that very same black powder inside a safe.

Built my reloading bench in the boiler room. Area approx 1.5x2 meters. (that would be 5x7' for those of non-metric persuasion) Made a frame out of 2x3" wood. Bolted to the wall. Topped off with an old oak kitchen counter top.

Pictures are from a few years ago. More stuff there now...

One thing I find handy is to have the scales at eye-level.





As per usual - the jpg leprechauns have turned the picturessideways.

Here’s my set up. I have 2 inline bases with quick change heads. That way presses can be moved to sitting or standing bench.

my mess

Bullthrower338 said:

View attachment 340336
my mess

Click to expand...

Not a mess to me, I'd say it's pretty damn awesome.
And I bet you know exactly where everything is.
Quick question...how many calibers do you reload for?

BeeMaa said:

Not a mess to me, I'd say it's pretty damn awesome.
And I bet you know exactly where everything is.
Quick question...how many calibers do you reload for?

Click to expand...

About 80 or so, only about 10 that I shoot a lot though. The Dillon handles all my pistol and AR loading. Single stage load handgun bigger than 44 mag and all bolt action/single shot cartridges.
Cheers,
Cody

2400 said:

I heard this very thing from a buddy of mine last week.

I pointed out I didn't just start buying bullets, brass, powder and primers in Dec of 19. I had been buying my components for the last 45-50 years so of course I had a lot.

Click to expand...

Same here. And my picture purposely did not show closets (etc.). Very little added this go as there was no need.

It will take some time, but this too shall pass.

My small setup is no comparison to some aficionados' I've seen.

Im looking for a clean look with my new bench and a nice big print hung on the wall behind it.

Having 5 presses and a bunch of stuff I'm using the Inline Fabrication mount system to keep things on my bench minimal. When it's all said and done all the extra presses, components, ammo and extras will be stored on Inline Fabrication brackets and shelving inside a large closet....there never be any pictures taken of the inside of my closet