Reloader's Language
Reloading has its own "language". Here are some words to familiarize yourself with. See the Speer Reloading Manual for more reloading information.

BELL
To flare a case mouth to receive a bullet easily.

BULLET
A piece of metal formed into a projectile. Available in a variety of shapes and weights.

BULLET SWAGING
The forming of a bullet using pressure in a die instead of casting molten lead in a mould.

CALIBER
The approximate diameter of a bullet or gun bore.

CARTRIDGE
A completely loaded, ready-to-fire round of ammunition.

CASE
A metal cylindrical container which holds the primer, powder and bullet. Also called brass.

CASE FORMING
To form cases of one caliber into a different caliber.

CHAMFER
To bevel the inside of a case mouth. The bevel allows bullets to start into the case mouth without crushing the case.

CHRONOGRAPH
An instrument used to measure the velocity of a bullet.

COMPONENTS
The parts that make up a cartridge. The case, primer, powder and bullet.

CRIMP
To bend inward the mouth of a case to grip the bullet. Used only with bullets having a cannelure or crimping groove.

DEBURR
To remove the small metal burrs from inside and outside of a case mouth.

DECAPPING
Removal of the spent primer from a fired case.

DECAPPING PIN
The slim needle-like rod in the sizer die which pushes out the spent primer.

EXPANDER
The part of a die that expands the case mouth to receive the bullet.

FLASH HOLE
The hole through which the primer ignites the powder charge in a case.

HANDLOADING
Another term for reloading.

HANGFIRE
Slang term for any detectable delay in cartridge ignition.

IGNITION
The action of setting a powder charge on fire.

JACKET
The cover or "skin" of a bullet.

MISFIRE
The failure of a cartridge to fire after the firing pin strikes the primer.

NECK
That portion of a case which grips the bullet. In a bottlenecked case, that portion of the case in front of the shoulder.

NECK SIZER DIE
A die used to resize only the neck portion of the fired case back to approximately its original dimensions.

POWDER
The substance that ignites in the cartridge and propels the bullet.

POWDER CHARGE
The amount of powder loaded into a case.

PRIMER
The small cap containing a detonating mixture used to ignite the powder charge in the case.

PRIMER POCKET
The cavity in the bottom of a case into which the primer is seated.

PRIMER POCKET SWAGING
The "smoothing out" of the crimped primer pocket found in military cases.

PRIMING
Installing a new primer into a case.

RAM
The steel rod running through the center of the press that holds the shell holder and drives the case into the die.

RELOADING PRESS
The tool which performs the major tasks of reloading.

RESIZE
To restore a fired case to approximately its original size.

ROUND
A military term for one complete cartridge.

SEATER DIE
The die that seats the bullet into the mouth of the powder charged and primed case.

SEATING DEPTH
The depth to which a bullet is seated in the case mouth.

SHELL HOLDER
The part that holds the case in proper alignment while the case is being run into the die.

SIZER DIE
A die used to resize a fired case back to approximately its original dimensions.

SPENT PRIMER
A primer that has been fired.

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