Handloading is the practice of making firearm cartridges by manually assembling the individual components (metallic/polymer case, primer, propellant and projectile), rather than purchasing mass-produced, factory-loaded commercial ammunition. Handloading using previously fired cartridge cases or shotshells is called reloading (should not be confused with the reloading of a firearm with cartridges, such as by swapping detachable magazines, or using a stripper clip or speedloader to quickly insert new cartridges into a magazine). While the root "loading" refers to the filling of muzzle loading firearms with propellant (originally with black gunpowder or less commonly smokeless powder) and a bullet, most of the actual handloading process involves the cartridge case and its preparation. Unlike the propellant, primer and projectile (bullets, shot and slugs), which are all single-use consumables, the case is the only reusable component and its shape, internal capacity and crimping tension are crucial factors influencing the internal ballistics of the cartridge.
The term handloading is the more technical term that refers generically to any manual assembly of ammunition cartridges, although reloading is often used interchangeably since handloading more often than not involves used cases and the loading techniques are largely the same regardless whether the cases are brand new or having been previously fired (used). The only differences lie in the initial preparations — new cases are generally ready for loading straight out of the box, while previously fired cases often need additional procedures to prepare them for loading. This can include basic operations such as removal of expended primers ("depriming"), case cleaning (with water, ultrasound or abrasive media to remove fouling and/or corrosion residue) and/or burnishing/polishing, deburring and resizing to return the case to its pre-fired shape or to reform from fire forming or to experiment with custom modifications (wildcatting), trimming the cases to length, or more advanced operations such as reshaping (to correct any pre-existing deformations, or for caliber conversion).
There are also other informal terms that describe specific situations of handloading, such as hot loading (filling the case with more propellant charges than recommended) and underloading (filling with less propellant than recommended), the former often in "wildcat" experiments (and can be potentially dangerous due to excessive pressure), and the latter often in the production of blanks and less-lethal cartridges with wax/rubber/plastic projectiles and can result in squib loads. Dummy rounds are also made via handloading techniques by completely skipping the propellant loading, primer installation and by marking the cartridge (usually by drilling holes in the case or using specific colors).
Handloading is a popular practice among shooting sport enthusiasts, especially those involved in precision-focused benchrest or long-range shooting. It is a method of accurizing that involves trial-and-error experiments with different combinations of projectile (different weights and profiles), propellant quantity, propellant types/brands, seating depth and whether to crimp the bullet or not. These changes are done one at a time because changing more than one variable at a time is usually self defeating. Each cartridge combination (known as a load) is then field-tested with a chosen firearm (usually the gun the load is intended for) and fine tuned (again by changing one variable at a time) until a combination with minimal variations in muzzle velocities (measured with chronographs) and the smallest shot grouping is achieved. Best practices dictate that the reloader keep all load and performance data so loads can be readily reproduced in the future as well as not repeating previous, less than optimal, loads. Also, all reloaded ammunition is to be labeled with all data to avoid confusion in the future.
Advantages Some consider handloading cartridges or shotshells a hobby, but reloading can save the shooter money, providing a greater quantity of higher quality ammunition within a given budget. However, hobbyists' enjoyment of the reloading process may be a significant benefit.
Economy
Handloading ammunition avoids the labor costs of commercial production lines, reducing the expenditure to only the cost of purchasing components and equipment. Reloading may not be cost effective for occasional shooters, as it takes time to recoup the cost of needed equipment, but those who shoot more frequently will see cost-savings over time, as the brass cartridge cases and shotgun shell hulls, which are often the most expensive components, can be reused with proper maintenance.
Improved ballistic performance
There are three aspects to ballistics: internal ballistics, external ballistics, and terminal ballistics. Internal ballistics refers to things that happen inside the firearm during and after firing, but before the bullet leaves the muzzle. The handloading process can realize increased accuracy and precision through improved consistency of manufacture, by selecting the optimal bullet weight and design, and tailoring bullet velocity to the purpose. Each cartridge reloaded can have each component carefully matched to the rest of the cartridges in the batch. Brass cases can be matched by volume, weight, and concentricity, bullets by weight and design, powder charges by weight, type, case filling (amount of total usable case capacity filled by charge), and packing scheme (characteristics of granule packing).
Handloading is a fundamental prerequisite for success where the most extreme accuracy is demanded, such as in rifle benchrest shooting, but can only be done consistently accurately following load development to determine what cartridge components work best with a specific rifle.
Customized performance is a common goal of handloaders. Hunters may desire cartridges with specialized bullets with specific terminal performance. Target shooters often experiment extensively with component combinations in an effort to achieve the best and most consistent bullet trajectories, often using cartridge cases that have been fire formed in order to best fit the chamber of a specific firearm. Shotgun shooters can make specialty rounds unavailable through commercial inventories at any price. Some handloaders even customize cartridges and shotshells to reduce recoil for shooters who might otherwise avoid shooting sports because of the high recoil of certain firearms. Some handloaders make increased-power ammunition (i.e. "hot loads") if higher muzzle velocities (hence flatter trajectories) are desired.
More versatility over commercial ammunition
The equipment used to assemble the cartridge has an effect on its uniformity/consistency and optimal shape/size. Dies used to size the cartridges can be matched to the chamber of a given gun. Modern handloading equipment enables a firearm owner to tailor fresh ammunition to a specific firearm, and to precisely measured tolerances far improving the comparatively wide tolerances within which commercial ammunition manufacturers must operate.
Recurring shortages of commercial ammunition are also reasons to reload cartridges and shotshells. Store-bought ammunition may be unavailable when commercial supplies are exhausted, but having the ability to reload one's own cartridges and shotshells allows continue shooting despite shortages.
Handloaders can also experiment with resizing and create newer-specification cartridges for which no commercial equivalent has ever existed — so-called wildcat cartridges,Nonte, chapter 14, "Case Forming: Making What You Need from What You've Got." some of which can eventually acquire mainstream acceptance if the ballistic performance is proven to be good enough. Once the new cartridge has achieved widespread market adoption, handloading components can also be acquired at discounted prices when purchased in bulk. Examples of such cartridges include the .22-250, 6mm PPC, 7mm-08 and .260 Remington. Some cartridges initially purely designed for handloaded target shooting, such as the 6.5mm Creedmoor and the 6.5mm Grendel, have not only gained mainstream acceptance in the civilian market but also partial adoption by regular military.
Ammunition for special uses can also be loaded including; For new or recoil sensitive shooters, reduced pressure loads can be assembled. These loads allow for less flinch inducing recoil. Handoading also enables hunters to use the same rifle and caliber to hunt a greater diversity of game. For instance, in the same cartridge/rifle combination, using a light for caliber bullet for varmint and heavy for caliber for large game. Collectors of rare, antique and foreign-made firearms must often turn to handloading because the appropriate cartridges and shotshells are no longer commercially available.
Components The following components are needed for handloading ammunition:Nonte, chapter 3, "Cartridge Components" Cases or shotshells. Steel and aluminum cases do not have the correct qualities for reloading, so a brass case is essential (although nickel-plated brass cases, while not as reformable as plain brass, can also be reloaded). For shotshells, plastic or paper cases can be reloaded, though plastic is more durable. Propellant of an appropriate type. Generally, handgun cartridges (due to shorter barrels) and shotshells (due to heavier projectile weights) use faster-burning propellants, and rifle cartridges use slower-burning powder. The powder is generally the nitrocellulose-based smokeless powder in modern cartridges, although on occasion the older black powder or "gunpowder" may be used. Projectiles, such as bullets for handguns and rifles, or shots or slugs (both contained in a wad) for shotguns. Primers, most commonly a Boxer-type centerfire primer. Case lubrication may also be needed depending on the dies used. Carbide pistol dies do not require case lubricant. For this reason, they are preferred by many, being inherently less messy in operation. In contrast, all dies for bottleneck cartridges, whether made of high-strength steel or carbide, and steel dies for pistols do require the use of a case lubricant to prevent a case become stuck in a die. (In the event that a case does ever become stuck in a die, there are stuck case remover tools that are available to remove a stuck case from the die, albeit at the loss of the particular case that became stuck.) Powder should always be stored in original containers since they are designed to split open at low pressure to prevent a dangerous pressure buildup, and any cabinet they are stored in should similarly prevent pressure buildup by allowing venting and expansion.
Equipment
Inexpensive "tong" tools have been used for reloading since the mid-19th century. They resemble a large pair of pliers and can be caliber-specific or have interchangeable dies. However, modern handloading equipment can be sophisticated tools that emphasize precision and reliability. There are also a myriad of various measuring tools and accessory products on the market for use in conjunction with handloading.
Presses
The quintessential handloading equipment is the press, which uses compound leverage to push the cases into a die that performs the loading operations.Nonte, chapter 2, "Choosing Tools and Equipment" Presses vary from simple, inexpensive single-stage models, to complex "progressive" models that can perform multiple operations with each pull of the lever, like an assembly line, at rates exceeding 500 rounds per hour.