My project:  Loaded 10mm Auto cartridges with 155 gr. pure zinc bullets from Mid-South Shooters Supply.  Data:

155 gr. pure zinc bullet RNFP
6.9 gr. Vihtavuori 3N37
WW LP primer
Starline brass
OAL 1.265
Muzzle velocity 1078
Previously fired in Ruger SR1911

These 155 gr. bullets inasmuch as they made of zinc are significantly longer than equivalent weight bullets in lead or jacketed lead.  Therefore, powder selection is important because a fluffy or bulky powder might result in a compressed load (which I never personally like).   This was a comfortable, smooth, mild load.  Obviously not for hunting but surely suitable for targets of another sort.  No residue of any kind left in the bbl. after firing.

I much prefer the 10mm Auto over .40 S&W.  Why?  Because the .40 is more limited in capability.  The 10, you can load it down and make it behave like a .40, or go right up the power ladder to some pretty stout loads.  The 10 is way more versatile.

The zinc bullets are part of my exploration of alternative projectile materials.  Non toxic shot is already required by the feds for hunting migratory birds.  Many states have their own restrictions on lead shot for other hunting purposes.  California already has a lead bullet ban in some areas, non-lead ammunition for all hunting will be required there beginning July 1, 2019.  A number of states recommend non-toxic bullets for hunting.  We can see what's coming.  So I'm checking out the alternatives, such as copper solids, frangible bullets, and even these zinc bullets.  Which were fairly inexpensive at $10 the hundred.   

The pass-through sizers are designed to accomplish the opposite of what I desire.  The pass-through dies iron out the bulge from chambers that aren't complete supported.  When I get these, I throw them away.  Even after they are resized, you can see an imperfection inside some of them.  At least on range brass that was fired by someone else in their brand.  Even though I'm mostly shooting 10mm Colt 1911, my loads are such that they don't produce this result in the brass.   What I'm talking about with the carbide dies is an area of the case near the web that is sized excessively and diameter at that point is overly reduced.  Depending upon the brand of brass, this effect can be negligible to severe.  Explained another way, if you could put a straight edge lengthwise along the side of a case sized by carbide, you'd see an inward bow. 

This is another subject for a separate post, but as handloaders we must always be aware that not all brass is alike.  I note this particularly since we are now seeing lots of ammo that is made offshore.  I see it with .38 Super and 10mm, for example.  Brass does vary in thickness.  Handloaders are limited to buying dies that are made to certain specs, kind of compromise sizing if you will.  If you try to work brass that is thinner or thicker than the norm, you can encounter problems.  When the big factories assemble their product, their tooling is made to work specifically with their components.  So, again as an example, their brass may be thin, but their dies are sized tight, their .356 bullet fits just fine.  But when a handloader tries to size this case later, the .356 bullet may not fit right. 

Because of the typical fired case loss factor that I experience, I buy quite a bit of range brass.  It comes to me in different makes.  Using .38 Super for example, I've encountered a lot of variation in brass thickness from one brand to another.  I have three sets of dies from different makers to deal with this.  .38 Super is one of the cartridge cases that has manifested some of the worst examples of carbide sizing die distortion, depending upon the brand. 

It's not just some foreign brass that is thinner.  My experience with Remington pistol brass has been that it tends to be thin, from .32 ACP to .45 ACP.  Some of it I reserve strictly for cast bullets which usually are slightly larger than jacketed. 

I've been wrestling with this matter for decades.  I started out with steel sizing dies, then when carbine hit the market big, I switched.  For the obvious reason, carbide eliminates the need to lube the cases and consequently, the need to clean off the lube.  Never have I been happy with the ridge/indentation that carbide sizing dies often leave in the web of the case.  Not only is it unsightly but might contribute to accuracy issues.  In recent years, I've been converting back to steel sizing dies.  Turns out I mind the lubing less than I mind the deformation of the case. 

Now here was the problem for me.  10mm and .40 S&W mostly came along after carbide dies dug deep into the market.  Consequently, I haven't been able to find a steel sizing die for 10mm.  Lee, RCBS, Lyman, none now make such a thing that I could find.  There probably were some steel sizing dies made back when 10mm first came out, not common, and I haven't been able to find any for sale used online during repeated searches.  Then I started looking at Redding.  They are aware of the issue of the ridge in the web that carbide dies leave behind; they talk about this on a page of their product information.  The carbide ring is designed to resize the mouth of the case for proper bullet tension; the brass at the web is often larger in diameter even on a straight-walled case.  They mention that SAAMI specs allow for .006 tolerance at the web, so carbide dies are still within SAAMI specs when they deform the case with this ridge. 

Redding would like to solve this problem with a die design that incorporates two carbide rings, one at the mouth of the case and one nearer to the web.  I haven't tried a set of these, kinda pricey.  However, in looking into this situation recently, I discovered that they still make a "cheapie" set of dies that includes an old-timey hardened steel (non-carbide) sizing die.  I messaged their company and sure enough, they verified that a steel sizing die comes in their #80520 set.  This is a dedicated 10mm die set.  They also have a set #80253 set that is 10mm/.40 S&W that has the steel sizing die. 

Some of you may already know about  this, some may not care but I thought I'd bring this up to keep someone else from hunting around like I have for a steel sizing die.  You can buy the dies directly from the manufacturer for $2X, or you can get the same set from a big supplier in Missouri for $X.

I have a fairly new Colt 1911 that I enjoy.   It's my fourth try over a period of 30 years in getting one that I like.  The first was a Colt 70 Series, some worn, barrel made in the old way which was not good and I never developed much love for it.  Next, I shopped a bargain Auto Ordnance that was false economy.  The slide was machined wrong and would not reliably eject.  No, J.B. Weld will not fix these problems.  Next, tempted again by a bargain, one made by S.A.M. (Shooters Arms Manufacturing) in the Philippines, words fail to describe what a piece of junk that one was.  Would not shoot even close to point of aim, failed to function reliably by a very wide margin, slide would fall of while being fired.  Then I went for ten years without owning one.  Was tempted once by a Tanfoglio in .38 Super for $400 but passed. 

Then when Colt ramped up .38 Super production a while back, I guess the hurt had enough time to subside so I bought one.  The new one is very tight, shoots reliably and well.  Doesn't have the nice finish of one made in 1931 but has the proper barrel design that head spaces on the case mouth.  Now one of my favorite pistols.   Most factory ammo is now loaded to about old .38 Colt ACP power, you want more, you have to roll your own or buy the expensive boxes of +P maybe but since I don't buy them myself, don't know for sure what those are up to.   I roll my own.

With age, I've developed arthritis in my right wrist, so I find shooting the Super more pleasant than a .45 Auto.

Recently I was reading about some of the Smith & Wesson custom shop guns.  Not too long back, they made fancy stainless steel revolvers in .38 Super.  They are competition guns, the Model 627 is eight shot; the Model 686-7 is six shot. 

Finally got the .30-30 Win. barrel off the Contender and got the 10mm on, then out to the range.  It shoots very nicely.  What's to go wrong with a single shot.  Well, Contender actions do have a few more parts in them than a New England Firearms break-open shotgun, but usually both are pretty reliable.  I tried a couple of lead bullet loads and a 180 gr. FMJ-FP bullet, all did well.  I'm happy to have the 10mm barrel. 

Yes, I'm aware of the capabilities of the 10mm Contender bbl. but honestly, I have no plans of expanding the horizons of performance beyond what the automatic might allow.  My needs are modest and in the nature of a hobby; if I want extra power, I'll step up to a rifle.

I'm not a competitive shooter and don't plan to use the Contender for hunting.  For me it's just a toy with versatility.  This is my second time around with a Contender.  My first one was in the 80's.  At that time, I had .30-30 Win., .223 Rem., and .45/.410 barrels for it.   Like sometimes happens, I got tired of it and let it go.  The barrels I bought then cost on average about $90 apiece new.  Fast forward to today, big difference.

For my second, lately-acquired Contender, I have a .410 bbl. and a .30-30 Win.  My new 10mm barrel is 10 inch bull configuration.  I'd like to get a .223 Rem. bbl. such as I had before.  Also maybe a .357 Mag, .41 Mag., and .22 LR.  All in due time.   My abiding interest in Contenders is to have a handgun chambered in a rifle cartridge.  In that spirit, I'm really only interested in 10 inch bull barrels.  Yes, they typically don't make full efficient use of the rifle cartridge's capabilities in that length.  Faster burning powders need to be used to craft correct ammo for these.   For the barrels in rifle chamberings, I try to get ones that I already have rifles chambered for. 

Finally, about a week ago the local Cabela's got some Blue Dot in.  I bought a pound.

Yes, these are kinda tough to find and I'm anxious to try it out.  I've got the automatic and the revolver, I thought, "Why not a single shot too?"  If single shots were good enough for Andy Jackson, they're good enough for me. 

Oh, no, tumbling overnight would never over-polish brass such as I described.  It would take much longer, how long I'm not sure, but a few weeks might do it.  Some older people have bad memories and or bad hearing.  I've worked on vacuum cleaners that were allowed to run until the bearings disintegrated.  Older Hoovers with hefty ball bearings.  Let run until the bearings turned to sintered iron.   In one case, only three balls left, shaft very wobbly.  In another case, bearings completely gone, motor shaft wobbling only on the hardened steel races which were quite peened.  At that point, fan interference becomes an issue as well.  You can imagine how a machine like that howls.  But if a person is deaf, it doesn't get noticed. 

I might be up for trying that method.  I've had a vibratory tumbler for years, but rarely use it now.  Long ago, I changed to using liquid case cleaners.  First, it was Birchwood-Casey; then I changed to Iosso.  My object is to remove all carbon deposits, which doesn't always happen in a tumbler in a reasonable amount of time.  I clean lots of rifle cases and depending upon the propellant, some get pretty stubborn carbon on the necks of the cases.  Iosso does a very good job of removing it.  Liquid case cleaners can be reused over and over again, and of course there is a bit of loss with each batch done.  I've never costed it out as against replacing oily/worn-out tumbling media. 

At any rate, after washing in liquid case cleaner, thorough rinsing is required, then drying.  For cases that need sizing with lube, these need a rinse again, so a second drying.  At present, when the Pacific Northwest rain is in session, I set them out to dry on a terrycloth towel in front of the wood stove.  In sunny weather, I dry them on old sheet pans in the sun.   The food dehydrator might be a good alternative. 

Oh, and not long ago, I discovered that it is possible to over-tumble brass.  At a local gun show, an old-timer was selling some of his dead hunting partner's left-over stuff.  One item that I got was a cigar box of 7.62mm NATO brass for one dollar.  Gee what a bargain.  That was in the dim, dark, gloomy recesses of a gun show hall.  Closer examination showed that these cases had been tumbled way too long.  The mouths had rolled-under and had a kind of inner lip on them.  The rims on the heads were rounded off.   They are still usable but I'd never tumble brass that long.

Reloading book junkies.  I've got over two bookshelf feet of them.  I've got all the common ones from the bullet manufacturing companies, many editions.  Except Nosler, never had that one.  Got many booklets and pamphlets from the powder makers; print format used to be free at many gun shops and sporting goods stores but since the cyber age came along, I don't see them much anymore.  Some of the less common ones:

Vihta Vuori Oy reloading manual (I don't use their spendy powder but have their book)
RCBS Cast Bullet Manual
Nobel Sport Vectan Handloading Manual
Laser-Cast Reloading Manual
Thompson Center Contender Owner's Manual, which contains Contender-specific data

Here's an oldie that in it's day was the main thing going:  Complete Guide to Handloading, by Phil Sharpe.  Way obsolete, but still good reading.  Have had a copy since the 1980's.  When a guy gave me two pounds of Hi-Vel #2, that's where I got data for it. 

NEVER THROW AWAY OLD RELOADING MANUALS, BOOKS OR PAMPHLETS.  Obsolete data has value; sometimes you need to refer back to it for one reason or another. 

The Speer book is one of my favorites, although I don't use many of their bullets.  The newer the edition, the less I'm enamored of them, however. 

The data Hodgdon makes available on their website is pretty neat. 

Nothing scientific, my own observation is that I see more 10mm stuff lately.  New Colt 1911 stainless DE, other 1911's, but many more Glocks in 10mm.  I think Glock has some credit due in the matter.  10mm brass found at the range used to be rare; not so much now.  And usually with a distinctive Glock primer imprint. 

Yes, I'm glad to have joined.  The Benchrist list of loads (well over 400, I believe) is invaluable.  That'll save me some time at the range experimenting on my own. 

The 10mm is just one of many interests I have in guns. 

Blue Dot is very scarce in my neighborhood, has been for quite some time.  I've been wanting some in my line-up of pistol powders, having run out some time ago.  Recently ran across a guy at a gun show selling some powders out of the trunk of his car, had one sealed cardboard can of Hercules-made Blue Dot.  Date code says 1992.  I opened it up, smelled and looked okay, so I guess I have a pound of it now.   My last Blue Dot that I ran out of circa 2006 was made in the 1970's and it worked fine. 

Magnum opus on that list of loads for the 10mm.  It will save me lots of work with the chrono on my own.  Many thanks.