Picking out a new press and shell holder

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Monochrome

Active Member
Well today I hit a milestone of sorts, wore out a Lee Hand Press. Yeah not the most ideal thing, but it always did relax my hand and wrist muscles. Especially with a rifle case.

Finally had to give up on it, cant even see a reason to "fix" it with another die bushing in the body. For some reason it flexes enough that it allows the die to rise out of the bushing insert about 1mm. NOT conducive to accurate loading. I replaced the bushing in december and since then i have done roughly

220 -38 special deprimes/resizes
100 - size n prime 357 magnum
100 - 38 special loads
50 - 44 magnum size n prime in load

Roughly 670 cycles on it, and its already out of wack...
 
RicinYakima

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
If you were OK with that Lee press, buy the best cast iron press you can afford. They will last for thousands of rounds. A single stage iron press, not Lee, is the best investment you will ever make. You get what you pay for. FWIW.
 
M

Monochrome

Active Member
Well rick, i went with the Lee Challenger press. It might not be the "best" option but im not planning on trying to outfit the Afrika Korps with rifle and machine gun ammunition with it. Gets good reviews, better then any of the other lee presses.

Got some molds, got some LLA and some lyman Alox lube
 
R

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Honestly, there are soooo many strong, high quality presses out there used at gun shows and such that will be less expensive and much, much better than the entry levvel offerings by Lee, I don't see why anybody buys them. Used RCBS, Herters, Pacific, Bair, Lyman, C&H stuff abounds, just gotta do a little looking.
 
R

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I am a bit surprised that hand press wore out after so few loadings. I've used one to reload .38 special and such and it seems a decent tool for that kind of thing, but no hand held thing is going to do as well as a bench mounted press.
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I've worn out a few LEE bushings as well.
As most of us know, least biggest downfall is the subpar materials they use, combined with loose tolerances. It equals a product that is short-lived, but inexpensive. If that meets your needs, more power to you.

I agree with Rick,. There's better places to spend my dollars. But Lee does offer a good choice in their classic cast single stage press. The challenger is made the same way that your hand press was made, while the classic cast is more in line with industry standards for a cast-iron single stage reloading press. I wish you luck with the challenger.

CW
 
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M

Monochrome

Active Member
richhodg66 said:
I am a bit surprised that hand press wore out after so few loadings. I've used one to reload .38 special and such and it seems a decent tool for that kind of thing, but no hand held thing is going to do as well as a bench mounted press.
Click to expand...
Thats after I "repaired" it in december.

Probably have 100 rounds of 308, 40 rounds x54r, 40 x57, and 400 rounds of handgun on it before december. Was not a high use item at all. But the bushing sleeve was always a problem with it.

Did a quick look at used lyman presses online real quick.. lots of them are missing parts and pieces.. who wants to try to find a linkage pin for a lyman press they havent made in 30-40 years to save 20$ over the cost of a new lee entry level single stage
 
J

Jeff H

NW Ohio
I've been using the same LEE, 3-hole turret press since sometime in the early nineties and could not possibly count the rounds that I've loaded with it and it's in tip-top shape. This example of ONE may not be statistically significant, unless you consider the fact that because it has lasted so long, I've not HAD to include multiple presses in the model.

The "slop" between the press head and the turret has allowed me to size and seat more concentrically than the Lyman T-Mag I "upgraded" to after using my first LEE Turret press for about ten years. One year of that and I went back to the LEE.

Now, bear in mind that the turrets get dies threaded into them ONCE and locked down. I'm not so sure aluminum 7/8-14 threads in an aluminum press are a great idea for someone changing dies regularly on a single-stage. A steel threaded bushing would be a great idea - or at least make me feel better about it.


HOWEVER, I did buy a LEE hand press fairly recently and there is ONE faddish feature of which I am leery - the quick-connect bushings, aluminum on aluminum, interrupted threads. I see the potential for LEE to finally EARN the bad rap I feel they have been unreasonably saddled with in the past. I'm not keen on this idea at all.

The aluminum quick-connect bushings are also expensive - for the sake of "cool," as far as I'm concerned. I've never really thought of screwing a die in as being THAT time-consuming IF they have pre-set locking rings on them. The TURRET serves the same purpose, but additionally serves some logistical advantages as well in storage and organization.

Given the experience related in the OP, I may ditch the cool bushings, permanently install the STEEL bushing in the press and invest in locking die rings for the two sets of dies I use for this press.

LEE has and has had some very good designs. I don't think that they are simply "bad" across the board by any means.

I can have any press I want - I'm not just being cheap. Honest.

I don't discount the durability and quality of the other brands, especially tried and true cast-iron presses, like the Rock-Chucker. Probably cant go wrong there and no one would make fun of you for using a red press.;)
 
J

Jeff H

NW Ohio
4060MAY said:
if you want a hand held press
non better, not inexpensive
buchananprecisionmachine.com

Buchanan Precision Machine Hand Reloading Press

Made in the US, the best quality portable reloading press ever built. All CNC machined aluminum.
buchananprecisionmachine.com
Click to expand...

LOL!

It's ALUMINUM!!:oops:

;)

I actually looked at that one. I liked a lot about it, but the bulk and weight were more than ideal for my application. My hand-press resides in a zippered, cordless drill bag, meant to be able to be tossed into a vehicle should I be forced to abandon my permanent setup. NOT a "bug-out" kit by any means, but in the event of flood, fire, tornado, the medical industry ends up owning my home... I REALLY hope that none of that happens, but you never know.

Nice press though.
 
4

4060MAY

Active Member
the one I use at the range is a Lyman hand press, all steel, bought at a show for 15.00
also have a plethora of 310 tools
looked to see , Lyman hand press no longer made, wasn't even one on ebone
 
B

BudHyett

Active Member
Monochrome said:
Well today I hit a milestone of sorts, wore out a Lee Hand Press. Yeah not the most ideal thing, but it always did relax my hand and wrist muscles. Especially with a rifle case.
Click to expand...
Three presses:
  • I bought a RCBS JR press over a half century ago that is still going strong.
  • Seeking to eliminate fliers, I bought a Bonanza Co-Ax press and benchrest seater dies that helped in the quest.
  • Picked up an used RCBS PAL Press to carry to matches for last minute adjustments that is very useful.
There are many choices and most are good, the Bonanza Co-Ax press is the one I use the most. It uses a sliding plate instead of shell holders. Two plates cover every head size from .25 ACP to belted magnums. I could have saved a small fortune in shell holders if I had bought the Bonanza first.
 
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Ian

Ian

Notorious member
The Lee Classic Cast with the big ram and iron base is hard to beat. I bought 1Shirt's when he retired (turret model) and I have no idea how many rounds he loaded on it at four strokes a load, but Brad spent over a year cleaning out all the ammunition and sundries he had. The press was almost worn out, which I didn't think was possible for one man in one lifetime to do, but the linkage hadn't ever been lubricated from what I can tell and the big links were getting sloppy on the pins. People re-drill the linkage for higher leverage and swage bullets with them, so they're not too crappy and make very concentric ammunition with the right dies when they're set up right.

Sure, lots and lots and lots of good single-stage presses out there, but don't discount ALL of Lee's offerings. I think the new base with the small ram is garbage and it seems they're building everything including the Pro-1000 off of that base now. The only good thing about the new, light-duty base is the ram is hollow so primers can fall through rather than out the side where the spent primer residue makes abrasive paste that wears out the ram and base...the Achilles' heel of almost EVERY manufacturer. IIRC Lee was the first and one of the few still that directs primers straight through the ram and out the bottom where they can be easily collected and keep the ram clean on the outside where it counts.
 
Walter Laich

Walter Laich

Member
another vote for the Lee Classic Cast press. I have two of them and use them for various jobs:

tearing down "bad/questionable" rounds
sizing powder-coated bullets (use inverted)
normal reloading of 5 different pistol calibers
also my 45-70 press

I find them to be the backbone of my reloading room
 
R

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Monochrome said:
Thats after I "repaired" it in december.

Probably have 100 rounds of 308, 40 rounds x54r, 40 x57, and 400 rounds of handgun on it before december. Was not a high use item at all. But the bushing sleeve was always a problem with it.

Did a quick look at used lyman presses online real quick.. lots of them are missing parts and pieces.. who wants to try to find a linkage pin for a lyman press they havent made in 30-40 years to save 20$ over the cost of a new lee entry level single stage
Click to expand...
Then you didn't look very hard. And that Lyman will still be loading for your grand kids after several of those Lees have bitten the dust.

Used RCBS Rackchuckers seem to be a fifty buck item all the time. The big Lee they're making now, the one that'll handle .50 BMG looks to be a worthy tool with some innovative features that sounds pretty good. I do like some of the tools Lee has offered up over the years, but most of it is built to be cheap, full stop.
 
M

Monochrome

Active Member
Jeff H said:
I've been using the same LEE, 3-hole turret press since sometime in the early nineties and could not possibly count the rounds that I've loaded with it and it's in tip-top shape. This example of ONE may not be statistically significant, unless you consider the fact that because it has lasted so long, I've not HAD to include multiple presses in the model.

The "slop" between the press head and the turret has allowed me to size and seat more concentrically than the Lyman T-Mag I "upgraded" to after using my first LEE Turret press for about ten years. One year of that and I went back to the LEE.

Now, bear in mind that the turrets get dies threaded into them ONCE and locked down. I'm not so sure aluminum 7/8-14 threads in an aluminum press are a great idea for someone changing dies regularly on a single-stage. A steel threaded bushing would be a great idea - or at least make me feel better about it.


HOWEVER, I did buy a LEE hand press fairly recently and there is ONE faddish feature of which I am leery - the quick-connect bushings, aluminum on aluminum, interrupted threads. I see the potential for LEE to finally EARN the bad rap I feel they have been unreasonably saddled with in the past. I'm not keen on this idea at all.

The aluminum quick-connect bushings are also expensive - for the sake of "cool," as far as I'm concerned. I've never really thought of screwing a die in as being THAT time-consuming IF they have pre-set locking rings on them. The TURRET serves the same purpose, but additionally serves some logistical advantages as well in storage and organization.

Given the experience related in the OP, I may ditch the cool bushings, permanently install the STEEL bushing in the press and invest in locking die rings for the two sets of dies I use for this press.

LEE has and has had some very good designs. I don't think that they are simply "bad" across the board by any means.

I can have any press I want - I'm not just being cheap. Honest.

I don't discount the durability and quality of the other brands, especially tried and true cast-iron presses, like the Rock-Chucker. Probably cant go wrong there and no one would make fun of you for using a red press.;)
Click to expand...
The problem was something in the breech lock bushing, with the interupted threads on the outside, and the normal threading on the inside.
The locking mechanism for it was the first to start giving me problems with mine. IT would suddenly let the breech lock bushing pop out. Did that 3 times when i was FLS 8x57 mauser. After that, the little button you push down on to release it, would just release when it wanted to.
I mean i could be screwing in a die, and it would suddenly unlatch and allow the bushing to start rotating as i turned the die.

YES< i left one breech lock bushing installed all the time, and removed the dies seperately

WIth the Lee dies, the crummy non-screw based locking rings allowed the die body itself to rotate upwards away from the cartridge case unless I held the die and lock ring together and applied downward pressure.

With the Hornady dies, the dies never turned, but after a deprime/size a 44 magnum case, when the upward stroke would be complete, and the case resized and deprimed, the locking die ring would be about 1mm above the top surface of the breech lock bushing... even if i held the die body still.
 
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