Basic reloading for "just hitting what you aim at"

Yeah.......I know..........Ended with a preposition. But usn's ain't benchresters, is we? Point being it's going to be in plain terms you can understand and use.

The cases:
1) Tumble them clean with medium. Check inside for residue medium after they're done.
No tumbler? One hundred at a time, (or less), put them in an old pillowcase, knot the top and put them in Mum's washing machine with a good liquid detergent. They won't hurt the machine at all in the bag........and..Violets! (That's French?) Clean cases.

2) Check OAL of the case. If it's 2.180 or less, leave them alone. If they're longer you'll need a case trimmer. They're cheap, so get one and a champfer/reamer tool.

3) Lube them WELL before sizing. if you're using a spray (which I highly recommend), place 50 of them in a 100 tray with a space between each one. Put them in neck down and spray them holding the can at a 45 degree angle from all 4 sides. Turn them neck up and repeat. This will get the spray inside the case neck.

Pad Lubing addition:
If you ARE using a pad, the lube is going to be a "non-compressible" lube, so go easy. Using your fingertips, work the lube into the entire surface of your pad. Place 6 clean cases on the pad and roll them simultaneously until the cases are completely coverd with a thin film of lube. Now repeat the process with the individual cases, this time putting downward pressure on the neck are as you roll. You'll now have to use a brush to lube the inside of the case mouth. See why I now prefer the spray?

We're assuming you have a single stage press.

Sizing die:
Run the ram, with the shellholder in place, all the way up. Back the decapping shaft/head all the way out of the die. Turn the sizing die all the way down till it touches the shellholder. Lower the ram a bit and turn the die an additonal 1/4 turn further in. Run the ram all the way up. The handle should just "cam over" at the top of the stroke. If it's too much or too little, adjust the die and then lock the ring in place with the allen screw on the side. Back it out (using a cloth and pliers on the serrated part of the die if necesssary) and turn it back down again hand tight. Run up the ram and make sure it still cams-over at the top of the stroke.
Now reinstall the decapping shaft/head/pin assembly and turn it down till the pin itself just protrudes below the shellholder. Lock it in place. You may have to adjust it when you begin sizing. Do NOT put the head too far down. if it hits the case bottom on the inside you could bend the entire shaft.

Place a case in the shellholder and run it all the way up. Be firm, but if you meet real resistance, stop. Either your case is not lubed enough or your decapping shaft is too far down. The cases should go all the way up with just a bit of resistance. Take the ram all the way to the top till you feel the handle cam-over. Lower the ram and go proudly show your wife your first gleaming, resized case.

Of course you'll have a projectile/powder load figured out by now. If not, just check the board for load data. Lots of it here.

Install primers at this point. Make sure you're using Large Rifle primers and seat them flush with the case base.

The seating die: (Non-crimp for now)
Back the seater shaft out of the die. Place a case in the shellholder and run the ram all the way up. Turn the seating die down into the press until it just touches the case mouth, then back it out 1/8th turn. Lower the ram and place a projectile in the case mouth and run it all the way up. Turn the seating shaft down till it touches the tip of the bullet. Lower the ram a bit and turn the seating shaft down a full turn. Run the ram back up all the way.
Now begins the trial and check part. Using calipers or a guage, keep checking the OAL of the cartridge and turning the seater down in increments until your OAL is what it should be for that cartridge.

If you don't know the OAL requirement:
Take an EMPTY UNPRIMED case, start a bullet into the neck, place it by hand in your k31/1911's chamber, ease the bolt all the way forward into FULL battery and eject it SMARTLY. Measure that OAL and adjust your seating die to put the bullet 5 thousandths deeper into the cases you're reloading.

Clean the lube from your cases before storing or firing.