Handloading

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Handloading, or reloading, is the practice of making firearm cartridges by manually assembling the individual components (metallic/polymer case, primer, propellant and projectile), rather than purchasing mass-assembled, factory-loaded commercial ammunition.^[1] (It 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.)

The term handloading is the more general term, and refers generically to the manual assembly of ammunition cartridges. Reloading refers more specifically to handloading using previously fired cases and shotshells. The terms are often used interchangeably however, as the techniques are largely the same, whether the handloader is using new or recycled components. The differences lie in the initial preparation of cases or shells — new components are generally ready to load straight out of the box, while previously fired components often need additional preparation procedures, such as removal of expended primers ("depriming"), case cleaning (to remove any fouling or rust) and the reshaping and resizing of cases (to correct any pre-existing deformations or to experiment with custom modifications).^[2]