Possible press issue-need some help

[Rflshootr]

If it were me, I'd call Lee and see what they have to say. They might just replace it for free. Other then that, I'd buy a Forster co-ax. Redding "Boss" is an nice press as well. I have 3 Rockchuckers and I don't like where the spent primers go. Especially the new Supreme press. I had to make a new primer catcher that actually works. I should sell the idea to them.

 

[Buck Fever]

I've got an older Lee press for depriming to keep the dirt away from my good press.

The Breach Lock Challenger is like the Classic Cast that lets the spent primer go through the ram and straight to a trash can.

I might try out a Lee APP because it looks neat but it would make a good dirty press. It just might be too nice for a dirty press.

 

[fiftybmg]

Redding Big Boss II.

Handles primer disposal properly, and can be fitted with the priming tube assembly for easy primer handling.

 

[Arkansasdad]

I would suggest its time for a new press, lotta good ones out there, Mec marksman, RCBS summit and rockchucker, Forster Co Ax to name just a few. When I used to load 300WSM it took a lot of pressure to size compared to the 308 parent cases.

I agree with Savage. I use a Redding T-7 Turret, I have used several through the years but I like this the best. It is more convenient than a single and it has a very stable turret, around .004" on the outer edge of the turret head@ 30 lbs. on the handle. Very reliable and built rock solid. I was always a RCBS or Sinclair fan but not for last 15 years. I have 4 turret heads and keep dies in them for my most reloaded cartridges so I don't have to re gauge when I change recipes, I just change turrets and go to work with dies already correctly adjusted, this is great for consistancy. These presses are not the cheapest but I think they are the best, I still load on a RCBS Rock Chucker once in a while but the T-7 will load with the same accuracy as the RCBS. I have an old Pacific that I keep set up for nothing but pulling and a Sinclair still bolted to the bench when someone joins me. Just my 2¢ but thought I would pass this along. Happy shooting.

 

[WHITEBULL]

1st press I bought was the Rock chucker Supreme with the kit. It is still my main press for loading precision hand loads. Loaded thousands of rounds with this. No slop or play. RCBS is a great outfit.

 

[WHITEBULL]

I agree with Savage. I use a Redding T-7 Turret, I have used several through the years but I like this the best. It is more convenient than a single and it has a very stable turret, around .004" on the outer edge of the turret head@ 30 lbs. on the handle. Very reliable and built rock solid. I was always a RCBS or Sinclair fan but not for last 15 years. I have 4 turret heads and keep dies in them for my most reloaded cartridges so I don't have to re gauge when I change recipes, I just change turrets and go to work with dies already correctly adjusted, this is great for consistancy. These presses are not the cheapest but I think they are the best, I still load on a RCBS Rock Chucker once in a while but the T-7 will load with the same accuracy as the RCBS. I have an old Pacific that I keep set up for nothing but pulling and a Sinclair still bolted to the bench when someone joins me. Just my 2¢ but thought I would pass this along. Happy shooting.

The T-7 will be my next press. I have a Hornady progressive, but the T-7 looks like it would be a good compromise between production and precision.

 

[Patriot007]

I went from a lee c press to a Forster Co-ax and have never looked back. I still have my Lee Load master for all my pistil
rounds and it works flawlessly. If you have $300.00 to put into a press, Sir, you better get a Co_AX. You will keep buying presses until you do.

 

[freddiej]

jgs8163,
Yes, I have seen the exact same symptoms in most all the Lee equipment I have ever shown people to use or reload on. one reason I do not ever promote Lee equipment. I had a guy come in to learn how to reload, his equipment was all LEE. we took the equipment from the box, it was less than 3 days old. AKA brand new in box. the tolerances were so sloppy his 223 cases and his other cases (30-06, 7MM R/M, 6MM rem) all had bows on one side the other side was almost straight. I put a straight edge, many straight edges up to his brass and none of them was straight. they all had one side with a concave curve in one side and a slight bow in the other. after that I told him to return the equipment to Lee and get his money back. this whole set was garbage. this is just the latest time this has happened to me . I have been showing people to reload for 12 years now. I have lost count to the times that Lee equipment has been bad. My advice is to just stay as far away from lee as possible. Lyman, Redding, RCBS, Forster, Sinclair, anyone else but lee will serve you better.

 

[Coldfinger]

I had a Lee press crack when I first started reloading. Cracked on the resizing inward stroke pushing handle down. Got a Lyman turret press no issues in 22 years now. I like most lee products just not they're press or scale.

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

I knew I had posted this somewhere on this forum it just took me a while to find it. Here's my take on my new summit rcbs reloading press, set it up and first thing I noticed was primer residue is contained at the bottom of press and never gets near ram, dies, or any moving parts. This is the first good feature that is improved over the rock chucker I've used for decades. It can be mounted back from the bench edge flush on bench, I won't call that a big deal but I did take advantage of it, and like having the option. Handle was too long, so of course I needed to order the shorter one available. It would work with a really tall person or very low bench, but most will probably prefer the shorter one. The case doesn't move, the die comes down to it, this was different, but ram is huge and after a couple rounds it felt quite normal. The shellholder has both lateral and fore and aft movement built in, the ram has additional lateral movement in it as well. The same dies I've been using with the same brass is producing straighter more concentric loaded ammo. Not my imagination, but real fact, I chose this press from the runout numbers in the large 14 press comparison that's been online for a while now. They actually compared runout on case necks as well as ogive and tip of bullet. Another neat feature is a grease fitting on the ram, I'm sure that will get overused by some, but a shot of synthetic grease once a year or every 300-400 rounds sure won't hurt. The ram linkage is adjustable and I tightened one up a little out of the box, again don't look like something you would do a lot of but nice to have the option. The die's get set lower in the lock rings than on the rock chucker as you have an over center movement of the linkage when it goes over case. I found it easier to adjust than a convential press cause its done by feel rather than distance to ram. All in all I find it improved over the rock chucker I've used for many years and able to produce closer to perfectly straight ammo. At the price $199-225 its worth looking at if you are press shopping, I would recommend it. Dave

 

[Buck Fever]

I might try out a Lee APP because it looks neat but it would make a good dirty press. It just might be too nice for a dirty press.

I watched a few more videos on the APP. It looks really nice for a dirty press.

Some people resize with the APP, I don't think I would want to, I think the die holder might allow too much movement if it wears on the guide rods. I don't think I would seat bullets with it either. On the other hand, I think it's probably perfect for depriming, bulge busting, bullet sizing and primer pocket swaging.

One more negative, it seems to max out around .30-06 case length for resizing. I doubt I could set it up to deprime 338 RUM.

If they ever make an APP XL, I'll probably be more interested because I want one dirty press, not two. Hopefully they won't XL the price if they do that.

It's a bummer because I want to try one and I already had an idea for making a nice roller handle for it.

 

[Ol' Red]

I have had a RCBS JR3 for over thirty years and still use it. A Lyman turret that had been on the bench for over twenty years was recently ( two years ago ) replaced with a Redding T-7. I find myself going to the T-7 most of the time now. My loaded .300 WM rounds were measured for run-out and it was almost non existent. I can't seem to be able to part with the old RCBS yet, but I strongly recommend the T-7.

 

[J E Custom]

"Any" press can have problems with quality because it is mass produced. I see post condemning presses that Others have nothing but praise about. So My recommendation would be to check your press for problems and if they exist, buy another brand/type and do the same test on it.

The problems that I noticed with some presses over the years was as simple as strength of materials to quality of manufacture. If you start with a weak design, you will never solve the problems. this is a case of heavy is good. Flexing of the press can be effected by where the stroke is compared to the maximum force needed to full length size big cases.

The mounting can even have an effect on the press, so the beefier the mount, the better the rigidity. If you notice in the video, when some presses are at the max force applied the entire press is moving.

Don't buy a press just because it looks good or it is recommended by a friend, study it and run it through a full cycle. If everything looks quality, strong, well designed and fit your needs, you will probably be happy with it if you properly mount it.

In many cases it is not the press that causes the problems but the dies or the procedure it's self.
I felt that the Rock Chucker supreme had problems until I bought the Co Ax and verified the problems were mine, so I modified the procedure and started doing concentricity test at each step and discovered the where and why and worked to solve them.

Now I regularly load ammo with less than .001 runout and most of it less than .0005 with ether press and my corrected procedure.

Hope all of this helps.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Patriot007]

"Any" press can have problems with quality because it is mass produced. I see post condemning presses that Others have nothing but praise about. So My recommendation would be to check your press for problems and if they exist, buy another brand/type and do the same test on it.

The problems that I noticed with some presses over the years was as simple as strength of materials to quality of manufacture. If you start with a weak design, you will never solve the problems. this is a case of heavy is good. Flexing of the press can be effected by where the stroke is compared to the maximum force needed to full length size big cases.

The mounting can even have an effect on the press, so the beefier the mount, the better the rigidity. If you notice in the video, when some presses are at the max force applied the entire press is moving.

Don't buy a press just because it looks good or it is recommended by a friend, study it and run it through a full cycle. If everything looks quality, strong, well designed and fit your needs, you will probably be happy with it if you properly mount it.

In many cases it is not the press that causes the problems but the dies or the procedure it's self.
I felt that the Rock Chucker supreme had problems until I bought the Co Ax and verified the problems were mine, so I modified the procedure and started doing concentricity test at each step and discovered the where and why and worked to solve them.

Now I regularly load ammo with less than .001 runout and most of it less than .0005 with ether press and my corrected procedure.

Hope all of this helps.

J E CUSTOM

You speak great truths, the mounting of the press is very important. I see videos all the time of people reloading and
and every time they go up or down with the ram, their press is flexing with every stroke.. I use the Lee bench plate quick change mount. With a Sharpie and a drill, I modified the plate to fit my Co-ax press. All it took was drilling on hole, and all the other holes lined up perfectly, this was a win, win for me. I'll give Lee a thumbs up on their mount
I built my reloading bench to reassure that there would be no flex when the ram max out on the up and down stroke. It is also hard on the scales with the vibrations and drifts, if there is any movement in the bench. It might not be pretty, but it's all Me.