Progressive presses

bjhill

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Anybody contemplating buying a Lee don,t the primer feed system on these machines does not work .You will spend more time debulleting cases without primers picking up spilled primers and sweeping up spilled powderthan loading ammunition.
 
Lee Pro 1000 has its issues but so does every other press. I have 5 different presses.
The main issue is setting it up and then making minor adjustments / lubrication till it purrs.
Right now my pro 1000 is set up to reload 9MM with the 4 tube casefeeder and 4 tube bullet feeder. Once you get the timing correct and always check for a empty primer tray. As soon as the primer tray gets low its starts creating problems. I put in 150 small pistol primers at a time. Lube my cases, fill the bullet tubes and keep an eye on things and I can load 88 cases pretty fast, even with checking every case for powder. In three evenings I reloaded 1200 rounds of 9MM. After a 1000 rounds I q-tip the primer fee trough to clean out the green stuff.

What caliber do you plan on reloading?
 
I use a Loadmaster. Keep the primer path clean, free of grease, oil and dirt and no problems at all. Tens of thousands cartridges loaded and rarely a problem.
 
I've got a pro 1000 out in the garage with the 44 mag shell carrier in it, and an extra turret. I gave up on the thing. Everybody knows about the primer issues. My autodisk kept jamming and breaking the chain. After the shell pusher started jamming up and stopping with the case shoved half way into the carrier, I gave up. It's sitting in a bin beside my bench. I hate the thing. I haven't got the heart to throw it on the EE and make it someone elses problem. Maybe when I'm old and gray, too much time on my hands, and near death I'll pull it out and play with it.
I also split the die carrier on a Lee 4 hole turret press. Broke the handle on one of those lee C shaped presses (it makes a good holder for my RCBS powder measure though)...burnt out the heating element on a Lee lead melting pot the third time I turned it on (no it was never dry). I'm starting to notice a trend here. I only buy RCBS or Lyman now, and have had no problems with anything. Lee's dies are fine, and I've had good luck with their bullet molds. Other than those two items, I've learned my lesson.
 
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