Discuss handloading, reloading and presses here.
 #77476  by sanman9781
 
Hello all...I recently was able to find my grandfather's S&W Model 53 chambered in .22 Rem Jet and I would like to put some rounds through it...(It does have a .22LR cylinder as well but I want to use it for it's original intended purpose)...Seeing as how the .22 Jet is pretty much a "dead" cartridge I was wondering what would be involved in reloading...Note that I have absolutely ZERO knowledge about reloading and would be starting from scratch (with no equipment yet either) but I tend to pick things up pretty quickly once I dive in...And considering how things are going lately in general in the firearms world, it'd probably be a good idea for me to start reloading anyway...So, what would be involved in getting started? (And a ballpark figure of what that would cost me)...What are the approximate cost savings of handloading vs buying ammo at retail? (say, 9mm for example)...Thanks in advance for any and all info...

-Drew
 #77481  by bmel17
 
I started like maybe 2 years ago. It's not too hard. As for start up cost, look up a reloading kit price. I use a rock chucker supreme from RCBS. Cost me like $300, plus dies. Then it goes into buying components like powder, bullets, primers, casings. As for vs. cost it varies, especially if you cast your own bullets. But it is a definitive cost savings! Go for it. Watch you tube videos and learn as much as you can.
 #77572  by tom_20m
 
You could try a Lee Challenger reloading kit fir 130 bucks or so. Everything you need to reload rifle or pistol minus the dies. Here's a link on the .22 Rem Jet http://www.dave-cushman.net/shot/22_remington_jet.html
http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/p22rj.html and last site talks about making some brass from .38/.357 http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolv ... ymore.html Hope that helps.
 #77581  by cslade454
 
Reloading can be a fun and rewarding. I have friends that shoot guns just so they can reload ammo for them. Before you buy any gear I recommend getting some books and do some reading. Lyman reloading manual is a good start. The jet may be a bad choice to start with to learn how to load ammo. Popular calibers that there is more info available for may be better to learn on. Some reloading equipment can make learning more difficult. Lyman’s powder measure for example I have found to be very difficult to use. I have also had difficulty in using scales that cost less than $100 (beam). All manufactures have products that work well and some not so much. I recommend you buy really good powder measures (rcbs and redding) and a good digital scale. A Lee press may work fine for you if you don’t reload a lot. You will need a stronger press to make brass for the jet if you can’t find any to buy though. At a minimum you will need: a press(RCBS,Lyman,Lee,Redding,Hornday), dies(RCBS,Lee,Redding,Hornday), shell holder for the press, a scale, powder funnel, a loading block to hold the cases, a tool to prime the cases(RCBS,Lee,Hornday), case lube I recommend a spray, a set of calibers to measure with and a good really strong work place to bolt the press to. Later you may want a powder measure, a case trimmer, a case deburing tool, a stuck case tool set and a case cleaner/vibrator with separator (Dillion).
 #77584  by y0rlik
 
Out of curiosity, I did some research on the S&W model 53. It seems the bottlenecked .22 Jet didn't work well in a revolver because the tapered cases had a tendency to back out of the chambers and lock up the cylinder. If I were you, I would probably skip buying a bunch of reloading stuff on a cartridge which died for a good reason. If you /really/ want to shoot your grandfather's revolver, just stick to .22LR.
 #77598  by sanman9781
 
Thanks for all the info guys, it is much appreciated...I will definitely check the links given and will troll through youtube also...

y0rlik, I read the same thing about the .22 Jet but I also read that as long as you keep the cylinder spic & span that the problem doesn't arise nearly as much...