Lee Pro 1000 in 45 ACP

The Pro1000 is not for everybody.

If you are patient, mechanically-inclined, meticulous, read-instructions, do your due diligence, watch the on-line videos, understand the reloading process...you will be happy with the Pro1000.

Otherwise, get the Loadmaster for 80 bucks more... or spend 2.5 times the money, or more and get a more user-friendly machine like the Square Deal, the LNL or 550B.

The Pro1000 has been in production more than 22 yrs. That means some people buy it and are happy with it.
 
easyrider604 said:
The Pro1000 is not for everybody.

If you are patient, mechanically-inclined, meticulous, read-instructions, do your due diligence, watch the on-line videos, understand the reloading process...you will be happy with the Pro1000.

Otherwise, get the Loadmaster for 80 bucks more... or spend 2.5 times the money, or more and get a more user-friendly machine like the Square Deal, the LNL or 550B.

The Pro1000 has been in production more than 22 yrs. That means some people buy it and are happy with it.
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Exactly. Don't know why people have to knock it or us. The reason you pay a lot less for it is because of the learning curve that is takes to make a less expensive, lower quality piece of equipment work properly. But it can be done and that's the trade off. Different strokes for different folks. One day I will treat my self to a top of the line reloader but today I am making excellent quality reloads with my Lee 1000.
 
My 1000 works fine in .223, I feed cases and bullets by hand and speeds up the process over the turret press. The only advantages the 1000 has over the Loadmaster is size, price and priming on the down stroke.
 
I have 2 pro1000's. It takes a bit of getting used to, but then you're laughing. If you're not used to progressives it might take a bit longer. The case feeder needs a fine touch, but then once it's set, it's set. Same with the timing/primer feeding.
Also, the money saved between a Lee and a Dillon ect. is worth a bit of patience at the beginning.:D Don't give up.
 
dinsdale said:
I prime off the press.

Took the pin out of the 1st die and the thing that toggles the primers off.

Runs flawlessly now and stays cleaner.

Have done 1000 9mm so far.
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I had thought about this, most of my problems were related to the primers... trouble is,the press is brand new, Id expect there to be no quirky issues like this... I could've spent hours tinkering, and burned up my days of time before I couldnt get a refund at all...

I thought it best to get a refund and figure out another unit...
 
MudChucker said:
I had thought about this, most of my problems were related to the primers... trouble is,the press is brand new, Id expect there to be no quirky issues like this... I could've spent hours tinkering, and burned up my days of time before I couldnt get a refund at all...

I thought it best to get a refund and figure out another unit...
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Yeah, new I might go double the price to a Hornady LnL but I got mine for $140 used and already had a single stage for depriming and priming.

In the future I may upgrade to a 4 or 5 stage press so I can run the RCBS lockout die and Lee FCD.
 
I'm thinking of getting one of the Lee turret presses for .223 but I'll be priming off the press. Maybe the Classic Turret Press?
 
I had a few Lee 1000's. I could never make the 45 acp work very good. It worked fine for 357's, 9mm, and 40's. The 45 just would not crimp right.

But Hey, now that you learned, you will feel much better when you call Dillion.
 
lol you guys are awesome and have amazing patience. I ordered a lee pro 1000 in 9mm as my second press. I opened the box, kind of looked at it a bit.... put it back in the box and put it up for sale.

you get what you pay for I guess. I'll stick to my pimped out $1800 dillon 650 press, it just WORKS, and fast :) it has already made back the money I invested into it.

I've heard other people saying the lee 1000 works fine for them.
 
I have used several Lee 1000s and I do not have anywhere near the problems described.
A few comments:
- removing the primer sensor is not a good idea as this means a primer will always feed in whether a case has come around or not. If you have any problems, and the shellplate advances, you have a primer screwed up in the works. There is a reason for this.
- I don't use the case feeder, as I found it just as fast to pick up the case from a bucket than to fill case feeder tubes, and it is easier to see what is going on.
- In my experience, and reading many posts, the problems described and the problems with the ammunition being produced are usually the result of the user going too fast. I don't try to get 1000 rounds an hour out of the Lee 1000s. My rate is probably closer to 300-400. In that way I am watching each step and can catch primers that haven't fed properly, etc. I get 0% error rates.
- The powder measure can start to stick with some types of powder, and the Lee upgrade kit for positive return is a good thing.
Lee 1000s can be very good value for money, and mine have loaded for over a decade with many thousands of round produced without any parts failures. But, I don't force them.
 
I have used three styles of presses:

Single Stage - RCBS Rockchucker

Turret Press - Lee Classic Cast Turret Press

Progressive Press - Dillon Super 1050.


I have only two of those on my workbench right now, the RCBS for match loading (.338 Lapua, 6.5 x 284 Norma) and the 1050 for 9mm, 45ACP, .223, and 30-06.

After tasting the blue coolaid that is Dillon, I will never use a Lee press again.

The usable speed of my Lee, including the relatively frequent jams and malfunctions, was around 60-100 rounds per hour, working quite hard.

With the 1050, I can load around 1100 pistol or 900 rifle per hour, this includes everything from filling hoppers, sorting primers, and changing songs on my Ipod. :D I have never broken a sweat yet.

I just finished loading 3500 rounds of .45ACP over the last three nights, working less then 2 hours a night including tumbling. That is enough ammo to last me for at least 4-6 monthes.

I enjoy reloading, but with the Lee, I had to devote most of my time in my loading room just to get enough rounds for the next weekend, so it became a real hastle. The 1050 reignited my love for loading.

If you need lots of ammo, and you don't want to spend your life loading it, invest in the Blue. The 650 or 1050 are hugely reccommended by me. Great presses.:rockOn:
 
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I just got a Lee progressive 4 turret "deluxe" press. Bought it from Henry here on CGN. Price was an amazing $145 plus dies. It is fantastic for the money, you can change the turret ring if you use another caliber. I'd say you can do 200 rounds/hour (hand guns) and that is from fired casings with old primer to the loaded rounds. Good enough for me.
 
scianna54 said:
I just got a Lee progressive 4 turret "deluxe" press. Bought it from Henry here on CGN. Price was an amazing $145 plus dies. It is fantastic for the money, you can change the turret ring if you use another caliber. I'd say you can do 200 rounds/hour (hand guns) and that is from fired casings with old primer to the loaded rounds. Good enough for me.
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Me too!:rockOn:

I got more time than money:D

Are you using Safety Prime to make 200 rounds/hr?
 
MudChucker said:
I picked up a Lee... I decided that they cant be bad and was sucked in by the price...
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Aaaaaaaand, what did you learn ???? :p

I had one in 44 mag.....and I'll never have another one. There are few things in life that I can honestly say that I don't want, even if they are free. The Lee Pro 1000 press is pretty close to the top of the short list.
 
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