By Duane Thomas In the first three parts of this five-part series on the components of priming compounds, we discussed the initiator which is stored energy, the sensitizer which places the initiator in a more-excited state thus makes it more likely to detonate when exposed to impact energy, and the frictionator which creates little micro-hotspots…

By John Kleespies Whether or not to clean the primer pocket is a point of contention for some reloaders.  I do it... rarely.  Here’s my criteria. Revolvers are infamous for displaying a Failure to Fire (FTF) quirk where the primers are not seated 100% in the pocket, ostensibly due to fouling, and the hammer pushes…

By Duane Thomas In the first four parts of this five-part series on the components of priming compounds, we discussed the initiator which is stored energy, the sensitizer which places the initiator in a more-excited state thus makes it more likely to detonate when exposed to impact energy, the frictionator which creates little micro-hotspots in…

By John Kleespies A number of different bullet types exist, and so I thought it might be helpful to break down the standardized acronyms that we often find in load recipes. This may help a new reloader who is trying to decipher his first recipe book that’s telling him to load an FMJBT the same…

By John Kleespies One of the never-ending “discussions” in load development is the distance at which groups should be tested. Here are some of my considerations… The range at which a round should be tested depends upon the cartridge and intended use of the round. For instance, it would make sense to test a .248win…

By John Kleespies I’m sometimes encountered with a conversation that goes like this: The other guy: “I want to learn how to load my own ammunition, but I don’t know where to begin. Help me!” Me: “What kind of a gun do you own?” The other guy: “I don’t know! Just tell me what to…

By Duane Thomas Some people opine that handloading is not worth the time. For some cartridges, I get that, you can buy factory ammunition that fully meets your needs. Having said that, in many cases, you can’t. In the overall scheme of things, there really aren’t that many factory loads. It might seem like there…

By Duane Thomas As you’re getting into handloading, you might look down inside a primer and notice it kind of looks like a radiation symbol down there, a trefoil with three triangular holes in it, and wonder “Why three holes?” The truth is it hasn’t invariably been that way. The portion of the primer that…

By John Kleespies After emptying a dispenser of gunpowder, you may notice a film of gray dust left behind and assume that it is residual gunpowder. In fact, you are probably looking at graphite. During the manufacture process of modern gunpowder, graphite is tumbled with the powder, thus coating the individual flakes in a protective layer…

By John Kleespies For a while now, I’ve wanted to conduct some sort of a bullet test to compare the consistency of rounds between various manufacturers. Having recently acquired an A&D Weighing FX-300i scale – which I’ll use for next-level powder distribution with my precision rifle loads – I now feel that I have the…

By John Kleespies During its manufacturing process, gunpowder is “glazed” (i.e., tumbled and coated) with graphite to reduce the likelihood of the grains rubbing against each other enough to create a static electric spark. Remember, we only want gunpowder to “spark off” at the times of our choosing; otherwise, it becomes an unintended detonation. Glazing…

By Duane Thomas When we say a primer is “sensitive,” we’re referring to the amount of force – firing pin impact energy – required to cause the priming compound to ignite. There are multiple factors determining a primer’s sensitivity, like the thickness of the cup itself, and the shape of the anvil (a piece of…