Feeding The Beast: Reloading My Own 9mm Ammo

As I've already discussed, it takes a lot of practice to get good at something. Especially if it's a bio-mechanical skill..... kind of like shooting a basketball. I spent much of my life as a coach, and most of that time coaching basketball. If there's one thing I'm kind of an expert in, related to the sport is shooting the ball. That's because I'm not overly athletic, so I had to compensate. I learned to be a pretty good shooter. It takes hours, upon hours, over the course of years to get that way.

Shooting a gun is the same way, even more-so, when it's a pistol. For obvious reasons, it's harder to shoot a pistol well than a rifle. At some point, I may discuss why this is the case, but for now, let's take it as a "given". What does that mean? It means that, although I was once a pretty decent pistol shot, muscle memory doesn't withstand a 25 year hiatus! Clearly, this is going to mean a lot of practice in the coming months. Although, 9mm is relatively cheap to shoot (which played a role in why I chose that caliber), it's still about 20 cents per, even if I find a sale on the ammo.

 

So; what to do? Piles of empty cartridges with nowhere to go on Friday night? OK, that's not really true since I'm the parent of teenagers, but you get what I mean! My first range day was poorly planned because I bought the cheapest ammo which was some Winchester "Forged", with steel cases. That means, they aren't "reloadable". However, I did pick up the equivalent amount of spent brass (and nickle plated) cartridges off of the ground. Why!?! Because of the inevitable, that's why!

I'm about to start "reloading". Isn't that really expensive? Yes, ..... if you get yourself one of these! They're known as "progressive" presses, and essentially spits out a completed bullet at each pull of the handle. They can output something like 500+ rounds per hour. But; they aren't for me.... right now.

This, little guy is more my speed right now..... and that speed is slow. Two reasons. Money, and the fact that this will be a new hobby for me. Therefore, I need to fully develop the skills necessary to be a good reloader. Well...... the fact is that gun powder, primers and bullets would be a bad combination to mess up with! 

Although, I'm trying to do this "on the cheap", there's a lot to buy. I've been trying to pick up bits and pieces at a time. I found the press itself on the Lee Precision website as a "factory 2nd" for $33 and the all important dies for $25 on the local Craigs List. I'd estimate that by the time I press my first completed bullet, I will have around $150 invested. 

Roughly, it costs somewhere between 8 and 10 cents per cartridge which translates into a savings of 10 to 12 cents each over factory ammo..... and that's for the cheap stuff "on sale". If somebody paid full retail even just for mid-line cartridges, it would run close to 25 cents per round! So, the equipment would be paid for at around $1000-1200 rounds. 

Ideally, I'd like to go to the range about once a month. At each session, my plan would be to shoot between 100 and 200 rounds. Over the course of a year, that's going to be somewhere between 1000 and 2000 cartridges which is $100-200 worth of reloaded ammo. That's pretty doable. With the high end of factory ammo being close to $500, that's maybe not such an attainable goal! No surprise why I picked ammo reloading as a new hobby!

2nd Amendment Arsenal Planning

It's my belief that if a person decides to take on the responsibilities of executing the 2nd Amendment, it requires some planning. Which basically means that you can't just run out, and buy a shotgun (or a pistol) and call it good! Does that make me a "Prepper"? Maybe, but not necessarily. I just think that if you want to do something like this, there's a number of things that need to be considered. The main one, is the "philosophy of use" or some version there-of.

Does this mean that I've taken on the concept that society is in death-spiral? I don't, but I will say that I believe that there might very well be periods where there could be an absence of the "rule of law". Whether that will be due to civil unrest, natural disaster, or economic disaster, I don't know. All I can say is that at no time in my life have I ever felt this amount of unease in relation to societal stability. Which means the following in terms of when I might need to use defensive force:

• Armed burglary.
• Home invasion for purely the creation of chaos and violence.
• Societal breakdown creating the lack of general policing by the normal agencies.
• Economic breakdown creating the need to move locations, support and defend the family and loved ones during this time-frame.

So, what does this mean in terms of firearms needs?

As you guys know; I've already started with a handgun, in the form of a modern 9mm, high-capacity-polymer-framed striker-fired pistol. The reason for this is that, it's the easiest to carry and handle as well as cheapest to practice with and get better. 

In my case, it's the Heckler and Koch VP9 with 15 round standard magazines. It's light, easy to carry and easy enough to shoot that anyone in my family could operate it. What ease do I need? Ahhh...... here we go......

I intend my next purchase to be a 12 gauge pump shotgun. These are easily the most intimidating to an intruder, yet simplest to handle by the user of any firearm. I've narrowed it down to either the Remington 870, or the Mossberg 500. These two models are pretty much the standard of virtually all police departments of the last 25 years. This means that they're easy to find and parts are universally available. I'll probably just prowl the pawnshops till I find one at the right price and condition.  Plus, if I ever decide to take up bird hunting or clays, I can still use it as well.

..... then there's the obvious. It's my intention to start building an AR15 clone in the very near future. This is where my philosophy of use goes from the purely defensive to a relatively offensive nature. Of course, as a gun chambered for the .223/5.56 NATO, it can be used for things like the feral hog (the plague of the south), and white tail deer, but in reality, it's purpose is, if things really "go south" in a "raging mob" or "Zombie Apocalypse" sense! Apart from that; these things are the ultimate "big boys' toys". They're like a full-on Lego gun. So, yes; I did say "build". If you didn't already know, this weapon can be bought in pieces and put together as one wishes in whatever manner pleases.

No, it's not short term memory loss. This is an AR9 (or any number of other names), basically an AR receiver adapted to take an upper with parts to fire the 9mm pistol cartridge. These can be set up as a carbine, or a pistol, or an SBR (short-barreled rifle), if you want to deal with the headache of filing for an exception to the National Firearms Act and pay a $200 tax stamp! But in any case, you can see the power of the AR platform and it's phenomenal adaptability. The philosophy of use is to have a weapon that can fire the same cartridge as my pistol but at greater velocity and accuracy while also a lower recoil. But then again, I might do this.....

!?!?!?...... it's a High Tower Armory Bullpup conversion of this......

..... the Hi Point 995, one of the ugliest firearms to ever come out of a factory anywhere (and it's American), but it's cheap. They can sometimes be found under $200. The conversion addresses a number of issues, but doesn't deal with the 995 woeful 10 round magazine. We'll see.....

The last of this set will be a "conceal carry weapon". It's my intention to take the classes and get a Texas CHL (Concealed Handgun License). The use philosophy is obvious for this. Yes; I'm that concerned. The above image depicts the Smith and Wesson M&P Shield, which is considered a standard in the carry community, but at this point, I'm interested in the other one. It's the Taurus PT-111, which is a sub-compact 9mm that's close to the same size, but sells for around half the Shield's $400. Would I love to have a Walther PPS, or HK VP9SK? Sure, but saving $200 is a lot of practice ammo.

That brings us up to 5 very different guns with different jobs. Should there, will there be more? I don't know. I'd be that there probably will be at least one more, although, right now, I have no idea what I might want or need. Might be a .22LR, or very likely some sort of survival gun. Possibly a cheap single shot shotgun that would allow the use of multiple cartridge adapters which in a survival scenario, would give the possibility of scrounging multiple types of cartridges. So, that's it for now. Of course, I'll have more to say about each and every one of these guns as I progress.

Keeping (if not yet), Bearing Arms

Well; I did it...... I bought a handgun. I started out looking for the Walther PPQ M1, in 9mm. I had really wanted the this first version of the Walther with a "paddle" magazine release, but they are far harder to find than the M2 (Americanized "button" release version). What it came down to, was that I could have the Walther if I wanted to pay anywhere from $500 to $550 depending on whether I was willing to buy online or not. So, I went with the alternative; which is similar spec'd, at higher list price at $720, but way easier to find and I was able to score for $400. More on this later. I'm actually going to start by discussing the process.

Of course, I'd start here. I've loved pawn shops for a long time. You're liable to find anything at one these establishments. But, if you're interested in guns, you are in luck, because these businesses are full of them ranging from the scary "Saturday Night Specials" all the way to collector's fine firearms. I went to virtually every one of them in a 50 miles radius. They're also a good place to start research as they tend to be a good indication of what's going on in the market. Related to my search, I found only 1, Walther PPQ M1, but it was chambered in .40 S&W, however I was able to find several of the H&K VP9s. They ranged from $500 to $550.

Then I hit the "big box" of the sporting world. Around here, we have Bass Pro, Dick's Sporting Goods and Academy. They have LOTS of guns, but the prices are all the same, which is some % off of the suggested retail price. Great places to go and handle the various guns that are out there and find what fits your hand, but not great to actually shop at for the same reason that you don't get computer advice at Best Buy or plumbing advice at Home Depot! Generally, the sales people are there to make a buck selling as much product as possible (hence,the "big box" title)..... not to be experts.

While all that was going on,  I was also taking advantage of modern Internet shopping. There are a number of popular websites out there. Some pretty good, and very active, like Gun Broker.com and others not as active with lots of dead end ads. If you want to use this service, you'll have to find a local FFL (Federal Firearms License'd) dealer that can take possession of the package when it ships. So you'll have to calculated in that cost, since these guys typically charge a nominal fee for their services. That is unless you find one that's being sold locally. 

Which is why I chose to use Texas Gun Trader, which of course if exclusively Texas, so I only have to find someone in my area that has what I, which is in fact what I ended up doing.

Next on the agenda were these. Actual, "brick and mortar" gun shop. They function just like the stereo/home theater store that I worked at for a time. A place where the guy behind the counter actually knows about what's inside the display case. He knows the guy who just came in, and after introducing himself to you, will know you as well. We should all frequent and support these places, because they are a dying breed. It's hard for them to compete with the above in today's world. Although he didn't have what I was looking for on Saturday, I'll be back and I'll spend money there, because I'd hate it if he has to close. 

...... And then there's this...... If you didn't already know, this is a "Gun Show". You know, that special place where fanatical the NRA-types and other "fringe-lunatics" go every chance they get so they can stock up on items that no sane person should want. Yup, I went there; in more than one way. It was fun, kind of like going to First Monday Weekend in Canton that place those decorator-wanna-be fringe-lunatics go, or to First Saturday where the computer-geek-fringe-lunatics go. Where there are all kinds of nefarious "loop-hole" activities being committed! Hillary help us all!!! OK, I really went for the following reasons:

• I hoped that since there'd be lots of dealers there, someone might have a Walther P99 so I could decide if I really wanted to dig down that far and explore that option.
• I really hoped there'd be one or more dealers with an M1 "Classic" version of the Walther PPQ (preferrably used), for roughly what I was seeing the VP9 sell for.
• My other alternative was to pick up a 5" "long-slide" version of the PPQ.
• Possibly be overwhelmed (price-wise) by some other "dark-horse" candidate (eg. Canik TP9, HK P30 or CZ P-07).

Yeah.... none of the above happened. What did happen was that  was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of AR type stuff being sold, and other nebulous "junk". Oh, don't get me wrong; what I mean by "nebulous junk" is only in relation to my task at hand. Which means, that if I wasn't looking for something specific, I'd be all about looking at 35 tables of cool AR oriented stuff, and the 15-20 tables of militaria!  So, indeed, it was like Canton for gun lovers! Back to my job. I did see 1 PPQ "Classic" from a vendor who was willing to go down to $539, and a PPQ "Long-slide" from another guy who was around the same price.....

This ended up being the biggest distractor. It's the Canik TP9SFx, which is basically a copy of the Walther P99 design manufactured by the Turkish defense industry conglomerate. It was being offered for around $450! That's the SFx meaning the "long-slide" tricked out for competition version. In the end, I stayed disciplined and walked out with the cash still in my pocket. How?

 

I went in with a plan. I had decided that the HK (Heckler and Koch) VP9 would be fine as an alternative. This pistol roughly tick the same boxes as the PPQ, albeit with a higher list price of $720. My plan was not only to have specific thing I wanted, but also made sure that I had an alternative instead of painting myself into a corner. It turns out that at least in my location here in the DFW area of Texas, the HK is WAY easier to find than the M1, or "Classic" version of the PPQ. How if played out, was that I had found a VP9 up in Frisco for $400 on Texas Gun Trader. My execution, was that I was willing to go a little over (maybe $50) to get the Walther, but if the price got over that set point, then I'd go with the HK. This allowed me to make a good decision, a good deal, and have a clear conscience.

A Return To The 2nd Amendment

You might be wondering, why now and also considering what might appear to be curious timing on my part. So, by way of explanation, let me start at the beginning since this blog (in general) and the concepts leading to this post (in particular) has taken a LOT of contemplation as well as not a little angst on the part of my spouse who isn't comfortable with firearms.

Although born in Hong Kong in 1960, my social development can roughly be equated to America of the late 50's due to growing up in rural Texas of the 60's. In that world, the possession and use of guns were the norm. Most folks I knew not only had them in their homes (along with deer mounts), but on the gunrack in the back window of most pickup trucks as well. When we moved from south-central Texas out to the West Texas panhandle, we changed our location, and the type of gun, but not the possession of them. Although, my dad didn't hunt there was no prohibition against it in our home against them.

Later, while in the Corp of Cadets (ROTC on steroids) at Texas A&M University in the early 80's, I was required to qualify "small-bore". This meant the use of .22LR rifles. Unfortunately, I ended up only qualifying as "Markman" (lowest level) mostly due to my inexperience and being right-handed, but left-eye dominant, and using iron (non-optical) sights. Be that as it may, I loved to shoot. 

The next stage of my life came during what I'd call the post-college, "single-young-professional" era. For many, this time-frame either didn't happen, or it's shortened due to marriage at a relatively young age (typically, mid-20's). For me, this would go till I was almost 40! I'll discuss this oddity about me at a future date. The effect though, was I had a fairly long period of time to fully develop my hobbies. 

Some of these such as Music/Stereo/HomeTheater are obvious standards of the era for males and in my case, go back to my childhood and teenage years.

Another obvious area was photography and camera equipment. These are areas that I'm still involved with on a regular basis.

Also, a new hobby appeared. It was new since we didn't have guns at home. We weren't an anti-gun home, we just didn't have them, because we didn't hunt. I had done some shooting with friends' guns during high school, but it wasn't a "thing", because there's nothing to really hunt up in the Panhandle in those days. But around that time, I made some new friends who were really into guns, and while shooing with them, I found I really loved it. Particularly pistols! I shot all my friend Cody's guns including his Ruger Super Blackhawk in the vaunted .44 Magnum! Yup, the Dirty Harry round....

No; I didn't buy the Smith & Wesson Model 29, but I did purchase the Ruger Security Six which was a 6" Double-action chambered in .357 Magnum. 

 

I owned both the Security Six and the Ruger Mk II Target "Bull-barrel" in stainless and loved shooting them. I'd go down to a range outside Lubbock whenever I could and shoot steel targets. I got pretty good with both of them. Being a "cross-eyed" dominant shooter wasn't really an issue with a pistol! I was in hog heaven..... hobby-wise..... Then I finished my Masters degree in Higher Education Administration and landed a job at the prestigious Tulane University in New Orleans, but before I could take the job, I had to put away my guns.... Ya see, the job was "live-on" and you couldn't have guns on college campuses in those days. After the third such job and the guns living at my parents house back in Lubbock, Texas all that time, I decided to get rid of them. 

Worse mistake I ever made! All of them have at least doubled in value, with some having tripled what I had originally paid! So take that as a lesson!

By that point, I had even added a Rossi pump .22LR that was about as much fun as I ever had with my cloths on! I also had a Marlin .22LR automatic as well which came to me via my brother-in-law/sister when they moved back to Taiwan. So, from the mid-90s till now, I've been gun-less. Part of it was that I got married, bought houses, had children and all that's associated with that part of life, and another aspect was that I didn't really feel that strongly about needing a gun.

Then the 2000's happened..... The rapid erosion of moral and ethical standards (which I suspect, I'll write about a lot), as well as the equally rapid acceleration of violent behavior. I'll be 57 tomorrow, and I've never before felt like I needed to have an option to protect myself and my family other than to call the police, or to deal with an issue by talking. 

But that was before the seemingly daily reports of "home invasions"....

"road rage" where a person follows someone home and tries to exact vengeance......

and the most scary of all; the "active shooter" scenario. 

In the 7 minutes or so that it takes the typical PD to respond, a lot can happen. So, it's my intention to be prepared. In the sense of becoming a "prepper", no, not one of those guys, or I'd have moved us to to Alaska years ago! 

More along these lines. I truly believe that many people in modern America have no traditional skills in terms of taking care of themselves and their families. People simply aren't prepared to deal with an extended period where public services aren't available. They can't hunt, don't know how to obtain/create potable water, or live without electricity for more than a few hours. When push comes to shove, people will do whatever is necessary to survive. And if that means taking things from others, then they'll do it. It'd be one thing if we lived in Mosquero New Mexico (look it up), but we live outside Dallas. If a major situation occurs where there's breakdown in the Rule of Law, even for a while; it's not going to be good around any major city!

I'm going to hope for the best, but as of right now...... I'm going to start preparing for the worse.