Lee 6000 press

[Tomme boy]

I have had 4 of the pro 1000 presses. I could never get them to feed primers. So I turned them into brass processing presses. I had them set up to just size. Then I would hand prime while watching the world go to hell on the tv. Then they were finished loading on the same press with a different turret set up with powder die a seater then crimp. This worked for a long time and i could crank out some ammo fairly fast.

Then I got the ABLP/ pro 4000 and it works fine but the safety primer works pretty well as it throws the primers all over the floor so you dont have to worry about setting one off as you insert it into the case. So I just put one in the ram prime as the carrier is at the top of the stroke. I have a Mr. Bullet feeder setup to feed bullets. So the only thing I have to do is insert primers. I mainly use this for 9mm and range blasting 556. All the real important stuff is done one at a time of the rock crusher.

Lee's biggest problem has always been the primer system. And rushing product to the market and having new versions 2 months later. Then 2 months later AGAIN. The primer swage for the APP is on its like 4th revision. And all are way different than the last one.

Anyway, I will not be jumping on this wagon unless I see some very good reports. Right now it looks like $550 to get into it. And $500 all set up ready to go.

 

[Ben]

I have had 4 of the pro 1000 presses. I could never get them to feed primers. So I turned them into brass processing presses. I had them set up to just size. Then I would hand prime while watching the world go to hell on the tv. Then they were finished loading on the same press with a different turret set up with powder die a seater then crimp. This worked for a long time and i could crank out some ammo fairly fast.

My exact same approach ! !

Ben

 

[JonB]

I am not the type of guy to use a progressive press, so I have no opinion of Lee's progressives...or other brands.
with that said,
Lee's biggest problem, at least in my world, is them making new versions of their product, then stopping the manufacture of replacement parts for the old versions...which has happened with seemingly all of their priming tools, and some of their other stuff too.

My solution is, once I get attached to one of their priming product designs, I stock up on spare parts or spare units, before they become unobtainium. As I re-read what I just typed, it seems someone might think I should just buy a better working unit made by someone else...well I can only answer that I haven't seen or heard of a better built unit that works as well. I like Lee's turret press, and I like priming on the press. So I just deal with parts wearing out on the inexpensive plastic Lee primer tools. The units I've had to fix/replace had 5k to 10k primers pass through them, so that's pretty good, I guess?

When this latest craziness started, and prices on Lee presses went nuts, I sold all my three hole turret presses (4 of them) for stupid high prices. The plan was to replace them with another classic cast turret press (LCT), which I prefer. I've used one LCT since 2006 and prefer it to the economy version. That first LCT got worn beyond my preference (I should have oiled it more), so I replaced it around 2015. Last fall, when the supply of Lee products loosened up, I bought another new LCT, just to have in reserve...cuz I know Lee will make them obsolete one of these days.

 

[Ian]

The round Pro-1000 primer trays were the best ever and the little teats cast in the base for flippers are the best flippers ever from any manufacturer, bar non; one shake and they ALL align, every time. Too bad I only have two of them since Lee of course lawyer (and user) -proofed the system with the triangle trays before I could buy more. The first triangle primer trays were positively unworkable, but they tweaked the moulds and the plastic formula and they work well now. The only Lee priming system that ever gave me trouble is the small Pro-1000 and only with Tula SR primers which have an anvil that sits more proud than any other and won't slide freely through the curve at the bottom of the chute and have to be helped through with the point of a bamboo skewer.

I love the Lee trays, they load so much faster than the tubes that Hornady and Dillon use, and that's the primary reason I don't own a 650 or L-n-L. I have nine presses mounted and in use and the only one that isn't a Lee is my RCBS Ammomaster which has been worn out and had the ram and base replaced once already. It was my first press bought new in 1992 and now gets used for heavy resizing, bullet hardness testing, and a few other high-force operations.

 

[fiver]

tray?
primer or brass?

i just dump the brass in the thingy and turn on the switch can't get no faster than that.
to load a primer tube is a dump and push affair also, i can load a brick of primers in 10 tubes in maybe 15 minutes, 20 tops if i have to go pee and come back.
there's no poke,poke, poke, except for wolf SR's they like to tip over in the machine.
but the tray holds 200 and i got two hands so it doesn't really take that long either.

 

[Ian]

Primers. The dump and push sure solves the problem but costs more than half of my Lee presses combined.

 

[hporter]

The Dillon RF-100 Primer filler takes all the work out of filling primer tubes. It was expensive, but I like to keep 10-15 tubes for each primer size filled at all times, so it was worth it to me.

The only downside as originally configured was that you filled the big tube up that comes with the machine, and then had to transfer the primers into the actual primer tubes. Not a big deal, but not ideal.

I bought a couple 3D printed adapters off eBay last year that allow you to bypass the Dillon Primer fill tube and fill the primer tubes directly. That was a wonderful purchase and speeds the whole process up considerably.

The Franklin Arsenal handheld primer filler works pretty well too. I used to fill small primer tubes with the Dillon while refilling large primers with the Franklin (because Large Pistol Wolf Primers would catch on the Dillon feed mechanism constantly). But the 3D adapters resolved that and I much prefer just kicking back with a cup of coffee and watching the primers whirl around in the machine and drop into the tubes.

Ian - I may have some of those Lee round primer feeders in my Lee stash. I will have to remember to take a look. I sold my Lee progressives at a local swap meet years ago. But as usual, I have duplicates and triplicates of spares for everything stashed away. I found a couple versions of the Lee hand primers a couple weeks ago that I forgot I had....

The part of this new press that I am most curious about is the case retention system. I always thought that spring actuated arms could take the place of the shell holding pin system that Dillon uses. It looks like this new Lee press uses little plastic arms to do something similar. I will be watching to see if it will work.

 

[fiver]

i just dump the big ones in the big tube filler, and the little ones in the little tube filler.
too much time to switch over from one size to the other.

 

[Ben]

Here are some photos :

 

[Jeff H]

WOW! I don't know much about progressive, but it LOOKS impressive! It looks like it was made to be a progressive and not a retrofitted manual press.

Silliest of things, but VERY important to me - I wish they would put that round-ball handle on ALL their presses. The one on my 3-hole turret press is like a banana. My first one was a ball and I loved it. Sold the first one and bought a MUCH more expensive, cast iron turret press and went back to LEE after a year of not liking it. The cost was the banana handle.

I really don't get the great big spade-handle thing on their current economy turret press. What, do they think people will be resizing on that thing?

 

[Glaciers]

Personally I would have to have a hands on training for any progressive press as I’m slow in the take up of how mechanical things work. Now if it’s a building, a bridge or some kind of structure, I can see it in 3D and understand the stresses involved. But when it comes to mechanical arms and gizmos passing an item from one spot to another for the next step, I’m lost.
But that LEE looks relatively basic for a progressive.. and the price isn’t to high either.
Ben can’t say thanks for posting this press, but thankfully I’m currently monetarily challenged, so I will have to wait. Will be watching for reviews.

 

[Ben]

I'm currently monetarily challenged

I think I'm actually in worse shape than that.


Ben

 

[malar]

I've never had anything but trouble with Lee priming equipment.
Enough said on that topic..........

Ben

I have the Bench Prime and it works well for me.

 

[Paul Gauthier]

All of my priming gets done with a Lee Auto Prime II, the one with the round trays that mounts on a single stage press. . been using it since it came out will continue until I can't, It is the only priming system that Lee ever made that works every time. Had one of the hand prime things, junk, they break, the auto prime don't break. I have primed many many thousands of rounds with it and it just keeps on going.

 

[fiver]

ummm no.
plastic plastic and more plastic.
come on LEE, you CAN do better.

 

[richhodg66]

Except the original screw in shellholder ones. Still have six and shell holders for almost everything.

I have seven or eight of them set up with the shell holders of things I load most on the bench. I like them. Had several of the round tray ones, all broke eventually, the single screw in types seem sturdier.

I still have quite a few shell holders still new in the package. Dad got all these in a trade somewhere and it came home with me when we moved my folks into assisted living.

 

[Kevin Stenberg]

Lee keeps trying to upgrade a priming device that rarely if ever works. If the new press used the safety prime system I might be interested .