Lee Hand Press

Teapot

Teapot

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Hamilton, Ontario; the southern shore of Canada.
I would like to get the Lee Hand Press to reload. I want this because of space and portability considerations.
Can the rounds re-loaded from this be used in lever-guns and semi-automatics? I have just determined to start re-loading so this is my first foray into it.
With the Hand Press what else do I need? The list of things on the Lee website is staggering and confusing.
I want to start with 45-70 and 9mm. I have read carbide dies are better.

Anyway what is the list of products needed to start reloading with this hand press in the above-mentioned calibers?

Thanks.
 
I started out with one and it works great, I now have a bench mounted vise but still use the hand press sometimes. I find lee products a pretty good value for the $$$.

You can get carbide dies in 9mm but not 45/70 as far as I know. I really like carbide dies for high volume shooting.
 
Your most important extra for your hand press (pound them out) would be a powder scale.
Just using the information and the dippers they give you, is a bit hap-hazard. One thing, the loads they give you are very light, which may be a good thing with a 45-70, because the heavier loads, in stronger guns like the Marlins, are big kickers!
 
If you're loading for lever guns and semi-autos, you'll need to use a full-length resizing die, not a neck-sizing die or the Lee collet die, to ensure the rounds feed and chamber smoothly.

A FL die will work perfectly in the Lee hand press. I used one for years before I was able to set up a dedicated reloading area in my house.
 
Look for the Lee Factory Crimp die and yes, you need to crimp for any tubular magazine levergun. One can also crimp with the seating die, but you have to make sure all brass is trimmed to the same length. Same brass length not required if you use the Lee factory crimp die.
 
The more I read the Lee sight the more confused I become. Thus far I have the following that I need:

Lee Hand Press Part No 90179
9mm 4-carbide die set 90963
45-70 dies ?



That is where I am presently. Now I remember why I didn't pursue re-loading two years or so ago. All the options seemed to contradict each other. The carbide dies cut out steps one needs with the steel dies etc.

What a mess the web sight seems to the beginner.
The small kit in the box with the mallet seems better to me now.
But it is useless if I cannot shoot the rounds from a lever rifle or a semi pistol. That seems to bring me back to full circle and thinking I should just buy factory ammo in bulk.
 
Teapot said:
Now I remember why I didn't pursue re-loading two years or so ago. All the options seemed to contradict each other. The carbide dies cut out steps one needs with the steel dies etc.
Click to expand...

Reloading is not incredibly complicated, but there are lots of little exceptions and rules you need to learn, about types of dies and components, the differences in loading for pistol versus rifle, etc. These aren't contradictions so much as details; if you aren't interested in a hobby which requires you to keep some details in mind, handloading might not be for you.

FWIW, if I shot 9mm I'd buy factory el cheapo white box ammo. Handloading 9 mil just doesn't look cost-effective unless you're loading on a progressive and shooting large volumes, IMHO. Note that I'm factoring in my time as an add'l cost, in that equation.

.45-70 is a different story. Factory loads are pretty terrible, and it's an easy cartridge to handload for, with lots of available bullets, loads, etc. It's also not a cartridge you're going to take out and shoot hundreds of rounds in an afternoon, so a good single stage or hand press is a perfect place to start.


My advice? Start with one rifle cartridge and see if you like it. Get the Lee hand press, the Lee steel .45-70 dies, and all the little accessories you need (scale, case lube, etc etc) and see if you like handloading for the ol' .45-70 before you move into another cartridge, or start loading for pistol. This will also keep the complexity and apparent contradictions down to a dull roar, so that when you do try something new (say, a bottleneck rifle cartridge) you'll understand how and why the loading steps are different.
 
Good advice. I am interested in hand-loading and like the 45-70. I guess my frustration was showing through.
I will get the press and the steel dies and try to figure out what else is required like the case trimmer, shell holder, and chamfering tool.
I suppose it would be nice to have Lee package everything I need to load 45-70 and shoot out of my Marlin GG.
I'll look at the Lee site again to-night and figure out everything I need.
To tell you the truth I get excited every time I think about the re-loading and all the possibilities of the round.
I'll be getting a cowboy in 44 Mag soon and I'll load for that too.For now though the 45-70 will be enough.
 
If any of you guys know Lee products well enough to give me a list of the things I need from Lee with the Part numbers It sure would be a lot more complete instead of me getting only a portion of the items and not being able to start.

I do have a re-loading book which I will start reading.
 
John Spartan said:
Came with the hand press kit I got a few years ago.
Click to expand...

I got curious, so went out to my shop and found the box the Hand Press came in, looked at the instructions, and they had a picture of priming witht he "optional" ram prime tool.

So maybe some of the kits had them and the "press only" didn't have them. But it's clear that you *can* use the press for priming, so I was mistaken.

Looks liek it would not be a quick process and the $40 invested in a LEE priming tool woudl be money well spent.:)
 
Teapot said:
The more I read the Lee sight the more confused I become. Thus far I have the following that I need:

Lee Hand Press Part No 90179
9mm 4-carbide die set 90963
45-70 dies ?



That is where I am presently. Now I remember why I didn't pursue re-loading two years or so ago. All the options seemed to contradict each other. The carbide dies cut out steps one needs with the steel dies etc.

What a mess the web sight seems to the beginner.
The small kit in the box with the mallet seems better to me now.
But it is useless if I cannot shoot the rounds from a lever rifle or a semi pistol. That seems to bring me back to full circle and thinking I should just buy factory ammo in bulk.
Click to expand...

Teapot, you have my deepest sympathy in saying you are confused! I am very deeply confused in just trying to make sense of the controdictory information? people are giving you.
I thought in your first posting you were referring to the mallet on the kitchen table type, that is why I referred to it as a "pound them out." Many people have started out reloading on this little kit. For bottle neck rifle cases the cases do expand and after a few loadings will require full length resizing.
I am not so sure with the straight cases. I have one for the 44 mag, but haven't used it for a long time, but I thought it workded OK. I even thought it crimped them, but can't swear to it.
On these threads someone is always saying you "need" a whole raft of supplies, while actually you can improvise most of what they say you need. A jack knife will do for chamforing the necks. Case trimmer? For years I compared a case I was loading with a new case of the same calibre, either new brass, or factory loaded ammo. If the case I was loading appeared longer than the new one, I simply used a flat file to file some off. Touch the outside of the neck with the file to smooth it and trim the inside of the neck with your knife. You can easily find something in your junk drawers to clean the primer pockets, if they need it. A lot of those things people say you "need," are convenient, but certainly not required to get into the hobby of reloading.
From your latest post I see you have a regular press and dies, so it would appear all you really need is a powder scale and you are in business. The Lee crimp dies work well, but you can also crimp with the regular Lee dies.
 
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