In my over 40 years of reloading

[lewmed]

When I first started reloading in the early 70's no one shot a 9mm if you used a pistol it was a Colt chambered 38 super or 45acp. If you favored the DA revolver it was a Colt or a S&W   single action's were all Colts. The most reloaded revolver ammo was 38 spl. 357 mag. and 44 spl. and lead cast bullets were the norm. Powder choice was limited to a few and most  are still used today like bullseye, unique, 2400, red dot, green dot, Herco and h110  today we must have over a 100 powders to choose from.  Now we can choose between lead bullets, powder coated, hi-tek coated, copper washed, copper plated, jacketed, solid copper, compressed metal powder and plastics  the list keeps going.
 With the advent of low cost carbide dies accurate scales and progressive machines anyone who wants their own little ammo factory can have it in a basement or garage to produce lots of accurate high quality ammo.
 I still have my Colt's and many old and new S&W's and  new CZ's, Sig's, and yes even a few Glock's to feed and pass on to my kids and grandkids. Keep shooting and reloading life is good!
 

[M1A4ME]

Yep.  Started with .30-06 and .308 and .45 acp.  Then .44 magnum.  Then .357 magnum and .38 special.  Then .223 (for varmints).

Stuck with those for years.  I used to give away the 9MM, .357 SIG and .40 S&W brass I picked up.

Then I got a 9MM BDM, then a Glock M31, then a M&P .40 S&W.  I built a .300 BO AR 15.  Now I use all that brass I used to give away.

Powders?  Still using IMR4895 (.308 and .30-06).  Tried TAC in the .30-06, might be alright.

Still using Unique and Bullseye in the .38 special, .45 acp and some 9MM loads.  Tried AA#5.  Okay, I guess, probably won't buy it again.

Still have H110 for the .357 magnum.  Used some Blue Dot, too, back in the day.  Use it now for the .40 S&W and 9MM.

Still use IMR4198 for the .223 but moving towards BLC2 (yeah, another old powder).  Tried TAC, best groups were below operating pressure in the rifle length gas system AR15's.

I've bought some new powder (800X - won't buy another can of that) and CFE 223 (never got the best groups with that one), CFE BO (haven't gotten around to using it, yet) and a newer pistol powder I can't remember the name of (haven't used it either, yet).

It's hard to justify buying "new" stuff when the "old" stuff still works so well.

Still using lead bullets, too.  The old 1911's didn't care if it was lead or jacketed.  A couple of the CZ's don't make the grade with lead bullets (a 1911 is 100% trouble free with lead, all of mine are, the CZ's may need bigger/smaller bullets than other 9's - what's with that???  Why are Colt 1911's made across 80 years more consistent than CZ's made across 10 years??)  But buying some coated bullets the last couple of years, they do okay, but smell funny when fired.

Reloading is fun, mostly.  You have a bad day/afternoon/moment now and then but all in all I wouldn't stop reloading till they park me in the dirt, some day.

[skin]

Ya lewmed, after reading your post, it took me back a few years. I left Sigonella Sicily in the early 80's. With my advanced pay I bought a gold cup national match 45 acp, win 70 30-06 and a strange new 9mm pistol called a cz 75 at the rod and gun club.  Got back to the states and had a hard time finding 9mm. All I could find was speer 125 gr soft points for twice the price of 45's. A friend introduced me to reloading so I could afford my new habit. I would shoot 500 rounds per gun 3 times a week and reload the other days. Back then I was reloading the dots. Red dot, green dot and blue dot. Imr 4895 for the 06. I can still smell the fragrance of those powders. Good times and good memories. Thanks for taking me back to those times.

[ReloaderFred]

lewmed,

I had already been reloading for 15 years when you started, and that was on a used Hollywood Senior press that I bought used from one of my college professors for $25.00, including a set of Hollywood .30-06 dies.  I still have, and use, that press and set of dies, but I also have several other presses on my bench, and currently load for 32 different calibers.  I could probably stock a small gunshop these days, and did have my FFL for 18 years, but gave it up when I retired 23 years ago.  It takes "discretionary money" to have an FFL............

Besides my numerous presses, I also have a Magma Master Caster, Magma Bullet Master, Magma Lube Master, about 250 bullet molds and 10 Star Lube Sizers, 2 of which are being delivered back to me this afternoon by UPS, after being repaired by Magma.

It's been an enjoyable journey, and it's not over yet!

Fred

[lewmed]

Reloader Fred
I had a problem with the EPA many years ago we had heavy rains and I had a couple plastic 5 gal buckets set by the back door of my shop with spent primers the bottom of one of the buckets got wet.  The ATF had been in my shop and next thing I knew the EPA was up my rear end. No harm was done no water got in or out of the buckets no lead got in the ground water. But I ended up giving up my type 01 and 06 license to make it all go away. Not long after that a guy offered to buy my casting machines and 3 of my loading machines for more than I paid for them. Now reloading is just a hobby I still shoot ammo that I made 20 years ago and load with powder and primers left form the good old days. Wow did I ever get sticker shock last week when I bought 15,000 Federal #100 primers the last ones I bought were $7.00 and some change per 1000.
 It's time for to get away from this computer and get some work done I need to make some brass I sold one of my 44 Auto mags. and I let my last 100 rounds go with it.