I just thought it was pretty cool that on this last week's episode of CSI they showed one of the characters loading up some reduced load 9mm rounds for ballistic testing. First time I have ever seen reloading on a #1 TV show.

Carl

Did you notice that he wasn't wearing eye protection while he was reloading?

yeah I did. I also wondered what kind of results one would get in a 9mm with a powder charge of 10% factory standard which they showed him with. That's not very much powder at all. WOuld it even go boom and get out of the barrel?

Carl

What I thought was funny was the stroke he used to seat the bullet! He looked like he was mad at it! As long as everything was lined up, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Also somebody forgot to get him a trickler or powder measure.

I saw it and had fun telling my wife she missed the cool handloading scene ...

Could anyone tell what kind of powder he was using?

That was pretty cool.

I think I saw the IMR type of can. That would make it either 800x, 4756, PB, 7625, umm that's about all that's sold in 8 ounce cans anymore IIRC.

Not too long ago, there was a picture of the loading unit for one of the Marine Corps' AMUs. They were using a red Forster-Bonanza press. I heard years ago that they used them, just never had a chance to verify it. Geo.

When that came up in the show, I told my wife, he sure was ramming down hard on the seating stroke. Especially the last few inches.

The thing that I didn't like about that scene was the implication that if you simply reduce powder charges in a linear fashion, velocity will decrease the same way. We all know it doesn't work like that, and, in fact, you can blow yourself up if you reduce the charge too much.

Obviously, those of use who are experienced can laugh this off, but a newcomer to handloading might be misinformed by this kind of scene, couched as it is in the language of "forensic experts".

Otherwise, I enjoy that series immensely and try to watch it every week.