Want to add a progressive press ?
- Thread starter Road_Clam
- Start date
If you are going to remove the press from the bench when needing the space for a different press, and since you are a machinist, I suggest mounting the progressive to a plate that has outboard bolts that are more readily accessed.
The Lee turret can be mounted to Lee's quick change base. Mine is like that but I rarely have dismounted it.
The Lee turret can be mounted to Lee's quick change base. Mine is like that but I rarely have dismounted it.
Mounting a press, I have clamps, the Italians call them capos. I use stands, clamps come in various shapes for different purposes. My favorite clamps are the heavy type and the ones with a long reach, the long reach makes it possible to install and get them out of the way.
F. Guffey
F. Guffey
bbqncigars
New member
I think that Hornady is still offering a bunch of free bullets with a press purchase. So you might want to factor that into your total cost.
Lost Sheep
New member
You may not need to swap presses if one press can serve both operating modes.Road_Clam said:
Progressive presses' native operating mode is continuous. Single stage presses' native (and, indeed, only practical) operating mode is batch.
Any turret press can operate as a single stage. Any turret press can also operate in continuous mode (put the empty case in the press and perform all steps until a finished cartridge comes out, then insert the next empty case). An auto-advancing turret is much better at continuous mode than a manually advancing, but either can do. Lee makes the only two auto-advancing/auto-indexing turrets on the market today, the Lee Deluxe Turret and the (superior in almost every way) Lee Classic Turret.
The advantage of a really strong single stage press (or the Forster Co-Ax) is in precision loading. Turret presses (and progressives) have some play (necessitated by design) which, some say, can introduce variances in the ammunition produced. Others say, not so much.
Lost Sheep
Last edited:
A pause for the COZ
New member
Ahhh who needs to spend extra on a Blue color???
Get the LNL AP and 500 Bullets!!! Order the most in demand of the bullets and sell them for $100.
Seriously though I have had no issues with my LNL AP.
Get the LNL AP and 500 Bullets!!! Order the most in demand of the bullets and sell them for $100.
Seriously though I have had no issues with my LNL AP.
I couldn't say that, because I complicated it all by adding a case feeder, priming on the press, and Hornady's powder measure/expander. Your picture shows bare bones with an all Lee top end. Probably works great. I have replaced the subplate, one of my shellplates, and the primer punch/sliders, all within only a couple thousand rounds.
Today I would be checking out the new RCBS presses that are more conventional in design while still intimidating in price.
Regardless of which progressive press I choose, I will always want the capability to revert back to my tried and true Rock Chucker single. I resize once fired 7.62 NATO machine gun brass , .300 win mag , and I convert 30-06 brass to 8mm mauser. These tasks take a BEEFY and rigid press setup, there is NO way IMO these tasks will be efficiently handled on a turret press... "maybe" the Redding T7 but definitely not a press like the LEE classic turret.
I have a Herter turret press, when forming cases it is an option, I also have the 2 ram Herter, when forming it is a better option.
Like jmorris, I use a no-name lube and I do not find it necessary to use a small base die. Again, I had a Model 70 Winchester with a 300 Win Mag chamber, it had the ugliest chamber I have ever seen. Again, we had words. sizing the cases fired in the Model 70 was impossible. I have 300 Win Mag dies, I have BAR 300 Win Mag dies etc., nothing worked. I wanted a chamber that fit my dies or Winchester dies that fit there chamber. They sent the rifle back in a new box.
F. Guffey
jmorris said:
I bought about 300 once fired LC NATO M/G brass and I'm using standard RCBS dies and they are a royal PIA to size the first time. I now anneal the brass and use a liberal amount of Imperial wax and it still takes a fair amount of effort to get them sized. Once I size them thereafter the NATO brass sizes much more easy. Maybe I just got a batch of very stubborn brass...
I was asked to help a prolific reloader/builder. He was in mortal combat with his press, sizing die, shell holder and brass. My opinion, if there was a way to destroy a press he would be very good at it.
He had the additional turns of the die down pat, he was using a big cam over press, meaning he was not using a rock Chucker. I measured the gap between the bottom of the die and top of the shell holder, the gap was .017". There is no one here that understand that but I had to add the cam over to the .017".
He will not consider using my no-name lube so? He uses Imperial or Dillon and that is it. It would have been easier for me to take his cases with me but he wanted the cases sized 'rat now'. I did get him to consider changes to his methods and techniques.
F. Guffey
He had the additional turns of the die down pat, he was using a big cam over press, meaning he was not using a rock Chucker. I measured the gap between the bottom of the die and top of the shell holder, the gap was .017". There is no one here that understand that but I had to add the cam over to the .017".
He will not consider using my no-name lube so? He uses Imperial or Dillon and that is it. It would have been easier for me to take his cases with me but he wanted the cases sized 'rat now'. I did get him to consider changes to his methods and techniques.
F. Guffey
Lost Sheep
New member
You point is well made. RockChucker, Redding Big Boss, Kee Classic Cast Single Stage (or any press made to work the 50 BMG, with the adapters for standard die threads).Road Clam in post 51 said:
But I commend you to not give short shrift to the Lee Classic Turret for less strenuous tasks than swaging, forming and such. Yes the Lee bottom end is not nearly as highly leveraged as your other mentions. If you want that amount of force available to you, neither Lee Turret will do for you.
Lost Sheep
I did a lot of reading up on the D550 , the LNL , and the LEE CT , and I think the LEE CT will suit my needs well, it's a smallish package, will have no problem loading up a occasional larger 100-200 ct lot of .223 or .40S&W and the cost is minimal. I'm fairly certain that my RC single will still be the predominant press in action for my uses. Thanks to all for all your experienced inputs , it's a great thing when you enter a situation that you don't know much about and after much unbiased feedback you draw a comfortable conclusion..
Well just a follow up, I scored a really sweet LEE Classic Turret kit used with a lot of extra goodies for $190 shipped off another site. Had not planned on buying yet but this seems to be a good deal, so made an offer and poof done deal ! I already have all the necessary dies and shell holders so this is a quick transition to get me loading larger lots of .223, .040 S&W and 460 S&W.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_7_114/1463370_.html&page=1&anc=bottom#bottom
Next is to fab some type of "QD" type mount plate. I'll bump this thread as I make progress, I have a few ideas on a mount..
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_7_114/1463370_.html&page=1&anc=bottom#bottom
Next is to fab some type of "QD" type mount plate. I'll bump this thread as I make progress, I have a few ideas on a mount..
Last edited:
The Lee Classic Cast turret Press is a great reloading machine. I used one for 4 years for 45ACP and 223/556. Then I decided that 4 strokes per round could be bettered. I invested in an RCBS Pro 2000. what a great press. I struggled a little with the primer strips until I learned the secret of how to load the strips with primers properly. Now I have no more troubles with them. Now 1 stroke, 1 finished round. I am a happy camper, I just wonder why no one else has discovered the RCBS Pro 2000" I know they have come out with a new press, so the Pro 2000 can be picked inexpensively.
Talk to someone who has one and I think you will get a positive response.
Talk to someone who has one and I think you will get a positive response.