Lee 50th Anniversary Reloader Kit

I bought one when I first started reloading and while I slowly upgraded the parts over the years, I still use the press to do my rifle ammo and deprime brass. The powder drop isn't the greatest but it does meter pretty accurately, just don't use it for fine powders like H110. The scale works, just finicky. I ended up getting an RCBS 505 scale off the EE and later ended up with a digital scale.
 
With this kit (and an upgraded scale) I have loaded several thousand 9mm and .223 for myself and a shooting buddy for the last two seasons of 3-gun. (made 150 9mm last night). It is not fast by any stretch but I have had absolutely no issues with it. If you plan to use it to load smaller amounts for target or hunting I would recommend it.
 
It is a great way to get started in reloading, the scale is slow and finicky, I upgraded to a digital scale, the powder measure is nice especially if you are doing tons at once, I find myself using dippers for any amount under thirty though. Get a bullet puller, the hammer kind is fine unless you plan on salvaging military round. If you don't yet reload get and read both Lee and Lyman (49 or 50) reloading books. Those two books give you a good perspective on safety and have tons of helpfull info. I consider those two books to be the minimum required research to begin reloading, and if someone is not willing to do that bit of homework, they shouldn't be manufacturing ammo! This is after all a hobby where a tiny screwup can kill you and possibly those around you.
 
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Good kit for the price. I have the press that comes in that kit, I use it for my tests ammos (when developping loads) and my large rifle ammos, and for depriming before cleaning.
 
Which press is in the kits you are seeing?

The contents of the 50th Anniversary Kit changed a year or two ago. The current kits include the Breech Lock press while the previous version included just a normal 7/8" × 14 TPI threaded hole to hold the dies. The current kits come with a single Breech Lock adapter. If you don't want to use the Breech Lock feature, you just swap your dies in and out of the adapter. But I think you'll soon realise the convenience of the Breech Lock system and you'll be on track to buy adapters for all of your dies. Personally, I don't like that drug dealer's "the first one is free!" approach to marketing, but that's a personal quibble on my part.

Everyone complains about the scale but it does work and is accurate. It can just be very finicky. Mine seems to lose its zero if left to sit overnight. What I think is happening is that the little spring that pushes against the adjustment wheel gets coiled up ever so slightly when I adjust the wheel. Left alone for a few hours, the spring uncoils and ever so slightly rotates the wheel, thus losing the zero.

I don't like the new version of the Safety Prime system. I last handled one last weekend in a store and found it to feel extraordinarily flimsy. The new primer holders are square trays that fold diagonally to become enclosed triangular holders. I think the flexible plastic joint will eventually fail. I would not buy the Safety Prime system separately.

People complain about the powder measure but I have never had any problems with mine.

I think everything else in the kit is pretty good for the price.

If I bought the kit, I think I would try to sell the scale and the safety prime on the EE and put that money towards a beam scale of some sort.
 
Honestly for priming I would recommend a hand primer (Lyman, RCBS, hornady, whatever) to anyone using a single stage press. That'll save you a ton of time and isn't really expensive. I prime while watching tv, so it's essentially time-free.
Steps:
1-Clean brass if not new.
2-Resize brass.
3-trim brass if needed.
4-clean again if needed.
5-prime using hand-primer while watching GoT or hockey game.

Then you have a large batch of primed cases ready for loading. The larger your batch, the more cost-time-effective you get because you don't sawp between operations.

And yeah, the breech lock system is great. The breech lock adapters are really expensive considering what they cost to make, but they're very convenient.
 
Poor little lee scales get th'bashing... I liked mine, but had to get something a bit bigger to weigh bullets. I'll still use it.

There's a part of me that wished I'd just gone ahead and gotten a kit to start instead of collecting bits piece by piece. Add manual, dies and components. You could hit the ground running with one.
 
VinnyQC said:
Honestly for priming I would recommend a hand primer (Lyman, RCBS, hornady, whatever) to anyone using a single stage press. That'll save you a ton of time and isn't really expensive. I prime while watching tv, so it's essentially time-free.
Steps:
1-Clean brass if not new.
2-Resize brass.
3-trim brass if needed.
4-clean again if needed.
5-prime using hand-primer while watching GoT or hockey game.

Then you have a large batch of primed cases ready for loading. The larger your batch, the more cost-time-effective you get because you don't sawp between operations.

And yeah, the breech lock system is great. The breech lock adapters are really expensive considering what they cost to make, but they're very convenient.
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+1 on the hand primer. I started priming on the press. It works but it's slow (get a primer flippper tray if you do). After a year, I bought an old Lee hand primer and it goes so much faster.
 
camster said:
Poor little lee scales get th'bashing... I liked mine, but had to get something a bit bigger to weigh bullets. I'll still use it.

There's a part of me that wished I'd just gone ahead and gotten a kit to start instead of collecting bits piece by piece. Add manual, dies and components. You could hit the ground running with one.
Click to expand...

I agree, never had an issue with my scale (with the exception of weighing bullets). I bought a set of RCBS check weights and that Lee Scale is bang on over its whole range.

I like the Lee Kit.
 
I bought the kit about 5 years ago. Everything is serviceable to make ammunition.

Items that I found that work well
- the breech lock system
- auto prime

Items that got better with experience but I believed could provide improvements
- the powder thrower
- the safety scale

Not bashing the scale however for myself it takes too long to dampen and difficult to read compared to other offerings. Purchased a different beam scale, Lee Auto Bench prime and these have made considerable improvements to the process.

I am contemplating the purchase of the improved classic powder thrower.

FWIW

Regards
Ronr
 
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I have had one since I started reloading 4 years ago. I've used it for 8mm mauser and 9mm. I found it pretty good, especially for the money. For mass producing 9mm quickly there are better but by doing it in stages I was able to participate in a PPC season. The powder dispenser varies but I verify with another scale to make sure. The primer pocket cleaner is not very good and I went with a Lyman adapter to a brush handle. Overall, and for the money it's a decent rig, just used it this evening in fact.

If I had more money with the knowledge I have now I would've got an RCBS setup but I can't justify it because this works just fine.
 
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